I used to be a big fan of checklists for my daily activities, but lately I have found them to create unnecessary stress throughout the day. However, I do find that mental checklists (or on paper) can be very beneficial while practicing the cello, especially for new students.
An example of a mental checklist (using bow arm as the example): 1. Am I relaxed and loose while sitting on the chair (if not, take a deep breathe in and feel yourself sinking into the chair on the exhale). 2. Is my bow hand set? Is my thumb round? Am I squeezing the bow? 3. Remember to initiate the bow stroke from the back and follow through in the forearm. 4. Pay attention to bow angle and if the bow is sliding around. 5. Begin bow stroke.
Before starting an action on the cello, It's important to have a quick run down of all the areas you are focusing on. You don't want to begin playing and realize half way through that you forgot to relax your shoulder before playing, or that you forgot to round your thumb. At the beginning of learning an instrument, or anything new for that matter, figuring out how to organize all of the new information you are taking in can be a challenge. It's easy to get overwhelmed, which in itself creates more stress. But remember that this is also part of the creative process! There has been times where I've fallen into the trap that creativity only comes in when I am working on the final product or once I feel I have a certain level of proficiency with the piece I am working on. But the process in which we practice and learn is also creativity!
Lastly, part of learning an instrument is learning how to stay conscious of our body and actions while playing. For someone who thinks very methodically, like myself, I've found making these mental checklists and breaking down each area of my playing into smaller components help with eliminating stress and help me better understand what I am doing.
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Do you have any approaches that work well for you? If so, comment below. I'd love to hear them!