I have my Flute exam in two weeks, and have not been playing to the best of my ability. I don't want to say it but, I seem to have hit a wall. I feel like i lack motivation. I keep saying to myself 'for goodness sake if your going to be in the music business then you must work. Work for three, four hours a day. You're lazy, this isn't doing you any good.'
But, I just.........I don't know. I just feel, not bored, but not..........do you know??? I just can't explain. Please help, if you can

Flute Pastil x

QUOTE (Flute Pastil @ Jul 6 2004, 09:45 PM)

But, I just.........I don't know. I just feel, not bored, but not..........do you know??? I just can't explain. Please help, if you can

Burnt out perhaps? I know you have a Flute exam in a couple of weeks but maybe it might be a good idea if you let yourself take a couple of days off. Allowing yourself time off is completely different to just procrastinating over practice. You may then come back to it a bit fresher and with a bit more enthusiam. What grade are you doing?

grd. 5.

Maybe you are getting too stressed or you are working too hard. Maybe you should take some time to relax before your practice and see what happens?

Hmmm, I found this with the Piano a few years back. What I did is took a Year out playing pieces i enjoy, and doing less pratice, then I carried on a did my Grade 6 piano.
Giving Up is something you will regret, try playing more pieces, build up a repetioire,

Think not music as a carrer or something you must do, think of it as an oppurtunity for you, do express yourself.

Try playing something you enjoy everytime you finish a practice session. I find that it is a good way to regain enthusiasm when I begin to feel that I am procrastinating during practice.

Take a break from it for a few days, you'll come back feeling really refreshed. On the other hand, I passed my grade 8 on piano about 3 yrs ago and since that have been doing clarinet grades-I'm going to university next year, so i don't think I'd have enough time to do a diploma and I'm finding I really lack motivation in playing the piano nowadays as I feel that I have nothing to work for. Any suggestions?

I'm the same with my violin at the moment. i'm not doing an exam till spring, but have been practicing the pieces, and at the moment it sounds awful, which makes me feel all depressed when I play, which makes me not want to practice.

This happened with my flute a while ago and i just kept practicing only for about 15 mins each day and then it finally started to sound better. so i need to get motivated again, which is really hard cos i don't want to!