Tuck Them In for a Day of Rest?

Rest? Yeah. Sometimes taking a break for a day or two can be greatly beneficial for a number of reasons. There are days during the week when I ‘take it easy.’ But I’ll still review and drill or work on one technique for a shorter period time. But not playing anything for an entire day?

When I’ve really pushed myself, like learning a new rhythm pattern on the bodhrán or a new tune on the flute & reviewing patterns and tunes I’ve already embedded, and then playing a session in addition to all that, my hand and finger muscles become sore and fatigued. This is a good time to take a break.

Now, I can put the drum down for up to two days and not feel any backslide in my performance, but the flute is a different beast altogether. After two days the embrasure begins to show it’s lack of conditioning. This is likely due to the extremely small muscles in and around the lips having a greater need for regular use on the flute. Leave the flute in it’s case for three days, and man! It’s up hill for that tone again, it’s less ease and quicker fatigue. So, I tend to rest for only one day on the flute. Typically it’s one day for the drum as well, but that’s only because I can’t get enough of it, and I can’t wait to get back to it.

And what are the results of resting? Well, in my experience, a day’s rest on either instrument allows my highly exerted muscles to repair. Much like weight lifting, when you provide a 24-hour time period for rest, the muscles develop, strengthen, and the synaptic connections develop and strengthen as well. So if you’ve been learning new rhythm patterns and going at it for long periods of time at great frequency, that one day rest will do wonders. When I come back into the routine, I find that the patterns, both rhythmic and melodic, are easier to execute, and less effort is needed to experience the ease and flow I was working to achieve.

One text that discusses methods of bringing ease into our musical execution is Effortless Mastery, by Kenny Werner. I received two separate recommendations to this text, both by friends who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. And while it discusses jazz and classical training, the suggested practices lend themselves well to any musical application when it comes to practice and play.

Practice methods in ITM are wide ranging and typically quite different than the classical and jazz sense of practicing. But this is another discussion to be had on another day with another blog entry.

So, keep in mind that taking a day of rest after multiple days of ‘going at it’ can be a wise and fruitful part of one’s long term musical learning routine.