Boredom, Monotony, Plateaus and Success

Boredom, Monotony, Plateaus and Success Barry Hunn

“When you practice slow, you learn fast.”

One of the most destructive and false myths about learning to play the banjo is the idea that practice is boring. Another totally false concept is that boredom is bad and something to be avoided. To add insult to injury, the idea that repetition in practice is monotonous and must always be spiced up to keep your interest is kind of like saying "I want to drive from North Carolina to California but I really don’t want to see all the sights along the way unless they are exactly what I want."

Boredom should be re-named in banjo practice something like, “progress attained.”

Why?

You really can’t be bored, when you are not able to perform a technique easily. Boredom always happens when you are practicing a technique with which you are familiar.

When we first start practicing banjo, we are constantly challenged by every move of our fingers, hands, arms and our mental probing to understand what needs to be done next.

But when we are able to comfortably perform a banjo technique, we become confident about what is going to happen when we play. We comfortably roll along doing the same techniques again and again enjoying our new found skill.

At some point, when the repetition seems easy, we get the urge to move along to something new to expand our ability. It is at this point that most of us forget that we have arrived at a new level of understanding and ability. In fact our skill has developed so much, that we do not feel challenged….we are now bored.

Boredom, realistically interpreted, is a sign of accomplishment and success!

We all need to change our thinking of boredom into a celebration of new found skill and knowledge!

And by the way, who is the joker that told us repetition of a technique is monotonous? ice cream

You might as well say eating your favorite dessert is monotonous; after all, every bite is the same, over and over and over….the same taste and texture….over and over and over and over….. still the same taste and texture…. over and over and over….sweet bite upon sweet bite…… over and over and over and over…..

In context of eating dessert, it sounds absurd doesn’t it?

So why is practicing your banjo any different than eating your favorite dessert?

If there was ever a characteristic that you could single out in a champion player, it would likely be how they listen to every note they play and how their practice, no matter how repetitious, always feels like a privilege as opposed to an obligation and how much they are absorbed by playing and hearing the sound of their banjo. They love every “bite” of their musical dessert and keep eating, appreciating every nuance.

When the Kruger brothers came to San Diego to perform, I was told that they practiced almost all night, after the concert! They were inspired and wanted to play. After a multiple standing ovation show that wore out their audience with excitement, their love of hearing their instruments was stronger than ever.

Yes, we hit plateaus and we think our skill seems to stop moving forward. Remembering that this plateau is created from success will bolster your spirit with encouragement and will help inspire you to “keep listening”. When you “keep listening”, you stay encouraged. When you feel encouraged, you want more. When you want more, you keep practicing. The more you practice, the better your banjo playing.

You have now created a circle of success, by recognizing each success in your daily banjo playing.

It is a wonderful gift to play the banjo, no matter how great or how humbly. So when you practice, keep these thoughts in mind:

Practice equals success.
Boredom equals success.
Monotony equals success.
Plateaus equal success.
They are just roadside attractions along your musical journey.

Here are some learning materials you might be interested in: