It's become way too easy to play without thinking. It happens all the time.
We have a tricky section of a piece of music. Or we're learning a new piece from the beginning. And the practice session goes something like...
play-crash-play-crash-play-crash
And each time we play, we hope that we'll get it right this time. We play without thinking. In fact, students often begin to play before I even finish giving the instructions.
But that's just it. Why are we relying on hope when we play? Why is it so easy to play blind and hope luck sets in...rather than be intentional?
Try this next time you're practicing something tricky.
Think before you play.
If you repeat something, what will be different this time?
Can you change how you perceive the problem? Can you change your mindset around the problem? Can you change what happens in your mind as you approach the problem?
Can you define what the problem is to begin with?
Think ten times, play once. You'll be amazed how much faster your progress becomes.