How do you view your mistakes in the practice room?

Most of the time I think we perhaps react to our mistakes emotionally. We feel bad because we got it wrong. But perhaps we need to shift our perspective.

Firstly, one thing guaranteed when learning a musical instrument is that you are going to make mistakes! Every amateur and professional musician makes them.

Mistakes are part of the learning process. They are ultimately proof that you are trying and challenging yourself to improve with new and increasingly more difficult music. So really, making mistakes helps you become a better musician.

When I’m practising and make errors I view them as messengers or feedback. It tells me which sections I should work on to make my performance even better.

Here a few more of my favourite quotes on making mistakes and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Mistakes are the portals of discovery

James Joyce

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new

Albert Einstein

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing that you will make one

Elbert Hubble

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying

Tony Robbins

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space

Johnny Cash

Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here

Neil Gaiman