Help me find motivation to practice...

[MISHUGINA]

I haven't touch my instrument (flute) since I was struck with chicken pox this two weeks. Now that I've recovered, I'm struggling to find motivation to practice. I used to able to practice hours but the thought of going through hours of routine stuff like scales, etudes and long-tones from scratchis exhausting for me. Not to mention getting glued to the idiot tube while I was sick was a bad move. I'd rather watch some Clint Eastwood movies, Seinfeld, anime and cartoons to practising my flute. Yeah I'll be getting some people wanting to kick my rear and scream "GET YER LAZY ASS BACK TO WORK!" and stuff...but some advice would be appreciated...

[greg]

why can't you practice flute and watch some anime at the same time? i used to do that all the time (except of course with guitar)

[dtwilbanks]

Well, you can either become really good at the flute, or really good at watching TV. It's your choice.

[greg]

Well, you can either become really good at the flute, or really good at watching TV. It's your choice.

no, you can do both. I'm not 100% sure with the flute, it might be too loud, but when i started playing guitar i'd always play when watching tv and it did help (of course, i didn't use the amp though)

[dtwilbanks]

no, you can do both. I'm not 100% sure with the flute, it might be too loud, but when i started playing guitar i'd always play when watching tv and it did help (of course, i didn't use the amp though)

I'd think for serious practice, the TV would prove a distraction.

[jochanaan]

Schedule yourself a recital, Mishugina.  That's a great motivator.

[Renfield]

I'd think for serious practice, the TV would prove a distraction.

And I agree. Practice is practice, and leisure is leisure: if you can combine both in the same action, then that is excellent. But doing parallel actions, one related to practice, and one to leisure, isn't the wisest idea for rapid improvement, in my opinion.

As for motivation... Well, just remember what got you to start playing your instrument, to begin with! If you still feel that way, think of what you can do with it, after you've mastered it. And if not, find another instrument to play.

[greg]

the best motivation to do anything is to just enjoy it- if you do something because you think it'll get you somewhere, it's not as good because you won't want to do it, and because of that, you won't be as good at it.
when i started playing guitar, i once had to go spend a week in Missouri and didn't have my guitar with me! It was so awful, all i could think about was playing- i just had one break for about 5 minutes when one of my cousins brought over his guitar and let me play. After playing for years, i'm glad to say that if i spent a week without my guitar, i wouldn't be so desperate to play like i was back then. Now it's more of a habit to just pick up and play random stuff that i make up, i have to put it in the closet so i don't see it as much 

[Bogey]

Schedule yourself a recital, Mishugina.  That's a great motivator.

[david johnson]

quit thinking of yourself and go share your talent with folks in the nursing home, or kids who have to stay with their mom in the abused-women shelters.

dj

[George]

To start with, put down that gun. 

It's hard to hold a flute when you're bustin' a cap in someone's ass.