I'd like to consider myself a very positive realist about myself and my life. I am well aware of my weaknesses, limits and habits, good or bad, but rather than think negatively about these things, I immediately try to find solutions to them. Jojo Mayer said, at PASIC 2016, that "the idea of limitation was extremely helpful, because limitation always brings challenges....and that's when we really become creative." It's important in these instances where you are confronted with a limitation, that you look at it objectively and not assign a negative connotation to them. This takes practice and patience, but there are books and even classes that can help guide you to that result of objective perception and removing negative self talk, and I will link to some resources at the end of the blog.
When I'm confronted with a limitation, I first acknowledge it, assess it, and then I ask these things before either abandoning or moving forward with the task I'm trying to accomplish:
- Do I need this?
- Has this been done before?
- How many different ways can it be done?
- What is hindering the execution?
- How can I work on this?
- Is there something else I can do to emulate the result I want?
- Is there someone who has a similar issue as me? How do they do it?
- Are there similarities to other things I do now?
- If it hasn't been done before, is it physically possible? In what way?
You can add or subtract from this list, but this really informs the actions that I take. Drum set for example, I cannot play double bass drum pedal rhythms to save my life. I am aware of how to practice to gain those skills, but I don't necessarily need them in my immediate career. Or how about the excerpt "New England Triptych: Chester." I have to play fast and soft, but it's difficult to play the way I want, which is to play it with single strokes. An option around that is to use double or even triple strokes to execute the excerpt. Recalling tempos can also be a challenge. Starting out, I had a difficult time remembering 120bpms for "Lieutenant Kije." However, it was fairly easy for me to remember the 3rd movement of "Scheherazade." So, for a while I'd use my tempo of "Scheherazade" for "Kije." My last example is speed, aka "fast fingers." Has it been done? Most certainly. What's hindering my execution? My fingers naturally are not that fast. I'm aware that my physique is not conducive to me being able to play at 250bpms using just fingers. So, I accepted it, and have moved on with that particular technique. However, there are plenty of other ways to play at that tempo, and I have both explored and figured out which strategies work for me.
When presented with any limitation or challenge, explore and exhaust all options that you know or come up with, research and inquire for solutions, and only after every option has been sought out, then move on. The key is to continue to be diligent in the inquiry, and to keep a level head during every aspect of the process. Again, this may take practice and patience to do, especially if this is something you habitually don't do. I encourage you to give this way of thinking and exploring options a try and see how it effects your practice, either positively or negatively. Below are some books and articles that I found helpful in this regard, and I hope they help you as well.
What to Say When You Talk to Yourself
Bulletproof Musician: Underestimating your Ability?
Bulletproof Musician: The Mental Adjustment
Bulletproof Musician: Feeling Stuck?
Bulletproof Musician: Not-To-Do List