Has anyone felt like they hit a Plateau? Like a weight lifter, i seen quick gains and than nothing. I understand this is expected, just wondering if anyone can offer a tip or trick that helped them get over the plateau. Thanks Eric
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Hi Eric
I think structured lessons. Not sure how you are learning but make a change. Try a different teacher. Online free or otherwise. Find a level you canāt do and work at it until itās perfect not just ok. Pick a tabbed tune you canāt play and practice practise practice until itās perfect. 6 months is about how long it takes me to kind of move up a knotch. Iām 66 so not speedy. Itās tax time so Iām busy not practicing at the moment. You sound very busy too so itās maybe that?
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I usually challenge myself with a really difficult song and spend a lot of time on the toughest licks, also Iām still taking online lessons after 5 yrs .
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I understand. Iāve hit a plateau also. Iām still trying as I contemplate signing up for some online classes. Keep at it. Good luck,
Don.
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Yes, Iām feeling very much like Iāve hit a plateau. I think it is expected as you say.
Itās obviously a steep learning curve to begin with and weāre not going to keep learning at the same rate; same as learning anything. Iāve had to deal with a few medical issues recently, so Iāve been feeling a bit flat emotionally. That hasnāt helped my enthusiasm for playing.
I suppose my strategy has simply been, to accept that a plateau is inevitable and just relax and not worry about it. Iām probably improving all the while and not noticing. I have said before, I rarely feel like Iām playing better than I did a week ago, but I always feel like Iām playing better than I did 6 months ago.
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Just out of curiosity, how long did it take you guys to hit the plateau?
Iām around 1.5 years in and so far havenāt seen it (I HAVE experienced it in another field - language learning, there itās way more prevalent)
Methinks tis all about setting small goals and ways to improve.
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My dad told me that you hugely level up each time you double your time at something. 1 day to 2 days easy. 1 month to 2 months. Easy. 9 months to 1.5 years easy. Iāve been playing for 30 years. I guess my next one is when Iām 80? 
The most important thing is to have something inspiring thatās just out of reach to be working on.
The #1 Priority is to stay inspired! 
If you tell me what you want to get to, I can point you toward resources to equip you toward that.
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Thank you all! Itās 100% perspective and i truly love yourās! We learn together! Love and respect Eric
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Iāve spoken to a lot of pros over the years. Always hear the same advice: keep it in your mouth.
Dennis Gruenling told me he practiced 12 hours a day when he was trying to become a master. Steve Guyger stated he practiced 5 hours a day when he had a job and 8 hours a day if he didnāt. William Clarke drove into my hometown during the 90ās. He had practiced so much chromatic on the road that he had sores at both corners of his mouth.
One more piece of advice I received from Pierre Herbineaux, world champion chromatic player 1957: if practicing a difficult piece, say Roller Coaster by Little Walter, schedule practice sessions 12 hours apart. The brain is more conducive to memorizing the piece if you schedule sessions 12 hours apart. Pierre was a cool dude and an especially nice man who played classical pieces on the 12 hole Chromatic in C. He even had classical pieces written especially for him to play.
Pierre read Naploean Hills Think and Grow Rich in 1949 or 1950 and then decided to become a world champion chromatic harmonicist. He said he practiced 3 hours a day until he was world champion 6 years later in 1957. Keep it in your mouthā¦
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For most people, the cause of a Plateau is spending most of your time playing things you are comfortable playing, and not enough active learning time.
Making yourself learn is work. If you focus on doing what is fun and expect your abilities to advance, you will eventually hit a roadblock.
Time on task is only half the equation. The other half is diligent problem solving.
Problem solving starts with identifying the problem. Do you know what the problem is? E.g., what is your plateau, and what is the height you aim to reach?
Determining where you are, in concrete terms, and where you want to be is a starting place.
For blues players, it is very common to feel like āI have my licks, I use them until they are used up. I want to have more licks to play.ā
Solution 1 is learn more licks (which means listening to new players, figuring out what they are playing etc.).
Solution 2 is learning how to not need licks (e.g., listening to the band and play what they are playing, etc.)
Solution 3 is learn and practice scales more. Then build lines from the scales.
In short, you need to figure out what the problem is before assigning a solution. So, where are you stuck?
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@Hogie.Harmonica great post my bro. Good stuff.
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5 years ago when I resumed playing guitar (after a decades long break) and then added harmonicas, synths, bass and a couple of other instruments, I decided that I would play for fun and not let it get too difficult or frustrating. So in this way Iāve reached a plateau on all the instruments I try to play and Iām very happy there! There are age, health and other reasons for this approach but its a great way to spend retirement and I get a lot of fun out of it. I have also enjoyed the challenge of getting back to reading music and āstudyingā music theory. 
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+1 to that @jeffw . My position (& timing) was sort of similar except that I was starting from scratch since Iād always believed what I was told as a kid, i.e. that I was tone deaf & so singing & playing instruments was out for me. Then not long before I was 60 I discovered that if you love & appreciate listening to music (which I always have) you canāt really be tone deaf. Inspired by that I set about becoming an active music lover instead of just a passive one. I discovered how to pitch match with my voice (the āthingā Iād been missing that lead to the ātone deafā label), then started with one instrument, then another, and so on. Iām not great at any of them, but thatās not my aim. My aim is to āsound musicalā and gradually Iāve become able to do that just for the fun, & interest, of it. The first few years were hectic because there was so much basic technique (& some theory) to pickup but now I try to take a relaxed exploratory, largely improvisational, approach.
Iām slowly learning how to play the music that is inside. Thereās no hurry. The journey is the reward. Long may it continue. 
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Yep. Listening to music is still a joy and inspiration.
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Letās see ā¦60 years of playing and about 50 years of trying to understand the psychology of performance and musicality. Some people enjoy the achievement aspect of playing, some people enjoy the playing, and some people enjoy a little of both. Itās all good. But really, music as an art form is not about āachievement.ā Itās about beauty, upliftment etc. If you understand that, there will never be a plateau. Itās really a shame that people want to take the one thing in our lives that is free - completely free - with no rules - with no limitations - that doesnāt have to be āwork,ā If someone tells you that music has to be work donāt believe them. For me, the more it is āplayā the better for everyone. The learning and growth canāt be stopped. But the growth may not be measured in the way you expect or desire. . If you want to take one of the only things in life that can be entirely āplayā and ājoyā and make it āworkā āstruggleā and a āburdenā thatās fine but donāt be surprised if there are plateaus. LOL! . Iām such a trouble maker. LOL! Corky
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Yeah, i hit a bit of one too and got busy with other life stuff, so dropped away from regularly practicing. I will try to get back into it.
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Well said sir! I have nothing but fun while playing and practicing. I am inspired and stay slow and steady. But wanting to reach the next level can be frustrating. I still enjoy it. Kinda like golf, raises blood pressure but people still love it. 
. Your not a trouble maker your an honnest soul! And i appreciate the āmatter of factā way you said it! Thanks Eric.
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Yes. I forgot to mention that āplayingā includes āpracticing.ā Itās all how you approach it psychologically. There is no reason why it shouldnāt āalwaysā be uplifting. And if it feels frustrating - take a breath and remember why we play music. LOL! - something like that. I actually have no idea what Iām talking about. LOL!
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@Corky_Music youāre the best! Another one for the Corky Sigel Wisdom thread.
I never tire of telling you how honored I am to have your contribution to this community. I treasure every word that you write. Maximum respect and gratitude! 
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Thank you Luke. Of course Iām just confusing everyone. LOL! - Corky
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