Keeping a Positive Attitude
Keeping a Positive Attitude When Practicing Music
When practicing ear training, any aspect of music or for that matter learning anything keeping a positive attitude is crucial to your success. Keeping a positive attitude is something you need to strive towards each day because there are so many things that will pull you down which will slow your progress.
My Background with Keeping a Positive Attitude When Practicing Music
I had a real hard time with ear training. Even the One Note Ear Training Listening and Contextual Ear Training Singing courses took me one and 1/2 years to get to 80%. Somewhere around a year into my initial study of ear training I started to realize that my attitude was what was causing my slow progress. I would beat myself up every time I missed a note. My ear training sessions each day were filled with anxiety and self doubt that a 30ish year old was too old to get this ear training. On top of that I had spend 8 years doing “interval” training in which I could ace every test in school but could hear absolutely nothing when on stage with other musicians.
How The Mind Works When You Are Learning
One thing I learn and have since read in many books is you mind has a protection mechanism in which it shuts down memory processes when you are upset. Makes sense, the mind is trying to protect itself from harm. But since ear training is pretty much completely a memorization process there is no wonder ear training took me so long. I completely missed the point that was right in front of me. Ear Training is about memorization and that takes time especially if you have to unlearn bad habits.
Time is Relative
Don’t let this happen to you. First, in my 40 years of teaching this ear training I’ve never had a student that didn’t get the ear training. Some took weeks other took years. The amount of time isn’t what is important. It’s you keeping a positive attitude, believing in yourself and realizing that this ear training will totally transform your ability to play and hear music. Then you can continue and I guarantee you will be greatly rewards at the other end.
Keeping a Positive Attitude and Checking your Mental State
It is easy to forget what I just said about keeping a positive attitude, so everyday check your mental well being before and during your ear training sessions. The mind is tricky and learning to monitor it isn’t exactly easy. Remove any idea that somehow you are the only person that isn’t going to get this ear training or doesn’t have the patience. You can do this, just keep at it and when the going gets tough send me an email and I’ll give you ideas to help because Lord knows I’ve been through it and coach 1000’s of students through the process.
Ear Training is Like Learning a Foreign Language
Remember ear training is like learning a foreign language. Would you beat yourself up if you couldn’t learn a foreign language in a few weeks? Of course not. You are reprogramming your mind to hear sound that is not a small thing. So back off the negative thoughts and make sure every day that you are keeping a positive attitude. Use the courses that I’ve created to fix various issues and stay in touch and tell me about your progress so that I can help you.
Bruce Arnold Music Education Genealogy Chart
You might enjoy checking out the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located on my artist’s site. You will clearly see the historic progression of pedagogy that is the basis for Muse Eek Publishing Products. Great musicians throughout history have been studying the ideas presented by Muse-eek.com which derives its content from a a lineage that stretches back to Scarlatti!
