Posted by Rick Denney on June 20, 2002 at 10:43:55:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: I suck! posted by Anthony on June 20, 2002 at 10:19:05:
On the other hand, there is Toby Hanks's warning of too much practice, and the potential associated physical damage. He blames long practice sessions for his own bout of focal dystonia. His recommendation is no more than three hours of practice and actual playing a day. Of course, that time should be spent productively, targeting specific objectives. He believes that with proper "procedures", three hours a day is sufficient for any tuba player. The problem with some overuse conditions is that the effects are cumulative, with damage building up over a period of years so that the symptoms appear long after the damage was initially done. And it is also true that many can practice insanely and never develop problems, which makes it hard to know where to set limits for any one individual.
I'm sure everyone will agree that many listening activities are necessary for developing a musician who is more than just a tuba player. The listening that I've done is just about the only thing I have going for me as an otherwise untalented amateur.
Getting back to the original poster's issue, I can say with some confidence that everyone reading this board has faced those issues at one time or another. It is no different for we amateurs of modest goals. There are times when I want to chuck the whole thing into the trash can, and other times when I get glimpses of what I could be. The pressure to be seen to do well usually induces the former condition, and those problems I've had reaching my potential have been related to the fear of being exposed as an incompetent pretender. Other times, I have more confidence in where I am and can rest in that confidence, extracting 100% of my capabilities on demand. I wish I was better at inducing the latter condition on purpose.
It's sort of like playing golf as a duffer. Almost nobody is any good at golf. When I play a round of golf, there may be one--just one--instance when I swing the club, connect with the ball perfectly, and watch it explode into the distance straight and long. That feeling is fleeting, but even the worst golfers will endure four hours of frustration for those ten seconds of bliss.
There are times when I've attempted technical material that is beyond me, only to become angry and frustrated at my own incompetence. That is a waste of energy. One of the things I do when I'm going in that direction is pull out something that is NOT technical, and work on expression. For example, I'll occasionally put on a recording of Prokofiev's 5th Symphony, and play along from the Torchinsky part. There is a spot in that work where the tuba plays two half notes--a G and a C--and the sound of the tuba there is particularly satisfying and rich to me. I have been more excited by the effect of playing those two quiet half notes than by any run of technique however well executed.
Like Gene Pokorny says, if we are not enamored of the sound of the tuba, then we may be playing the wrong instrument. So, when technique defeats me, I go back to the sound for inspiration.
Rick "who needs all the inspiration he can get" Denney