2 min and 46 sec to read, 691 words

We’ve all been there. You’re learning to sing or play and feeling great! You’re putting the time and work in. Making progress, this is going great! But then, in a moment, everything comes to a screeching halt. 

Your voice feels tight, your fingers feel awkward. You can’t remember the song you’re learning. The chords aren’t ringing. Your voice feels heavy and tired. The more you worry about it and try to overcome it, the worse it gets. 

Tomorrow will be better. You show up to practice, same thing. Roadblocks, tension, worry. It becomes a cycle that can be difficult to break. 

Don’t lose hope! You can move past it. We all go through it. 

Know that You’re Not Alone

As with so many endeavors that take time, passion, and effort, plateaus happen. It’s never going to be smooth sailing all the time. That’s not realistic. As much as we would like it to be. We have to work not matter where we are that day. 

Worry and Stress Cause More Tension

The more we worry about being stuck at a certain level, the more difficult it is to get through it. It might not seem comforting, but knowing that everyone who has ever accomplished anything great has gone through the same thing. But they worked through it. And countless others who didn’t make it through the plateau times. Perhaps ultimately singing, playing, or whatever they were working on was not for them. I’m sure they found their destiny. 

But if being a singer or guitar player is your destiny, I encourage you to know that you will get through the plateaus. I’m not saying it will be easy, but you will make it through. 

Visualize the Outcome You Want

Stop singing or put your instrument down. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Let your belly fall forward and feel your sides expand. Let it out slowly. Visualize the outcome you’re working towards. Is it to sing a certain passage in your song with ease, not worrying about that upcoming high note? 

Or maybe to play a scale or lick in the smoothest, quickest manner. Whatever the goal, see it in your minds eye. Feel what it would feel like in your body to actually do it and how you feel after. Make it so real as if it is all happening right now. 

When you go back to your practice session, feel as if you have accomplished it. Stay in your relaxed state and go back to your practice. Do you best now to allow any tension back in. Scan your body for it. Keep getting to the relaxed state until you can easily perform the thing your working on. 

Give Yourself Grace

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t accomplish your goal in a day, week, or months. Hopefully it won’t take a month, but you have to be okay if it does. Give yourself that grace and accept where you are or it will continue to be difficult to get to your next level.

Change Your Environment 

I remember times when I’d be practicing and I would just keep hammering on the same thing for hours. Telling myself “this time I’ll get it”. I didn’t. I thing it just created more tension and disappointment in myself. It’ wasn’t until I learned to let go of an outcome and learn to relax that any progress was made.

And I’m stubborn so it took awhile. Hopefully you can avoid some of my mistakes. Again, you will hit plateaus. But if you know it will happen and don’t beat yourself up about it, I think you’ll make it through faster and easier.

It it Were Easy…

Look, it learning to sing or to play guitar were easy, we’d live in a world full of great singers and guitarist. It takes time a lot of and a fierce will to keep going and work through the ups and downs. Keep going. You’ve got this. 

Keep Learning,

Amy