In common musician lingo, the comparison of a train wreck with the disastrous performance of a song is used quite frequently. There have been many times that I can recall where a band that I was in completely blew a tune, and everything- and I do mean everything- came to a screeching halt. I have also seen many “professional” bands where this has happened as well. Whether it’s a rocky beginning, or all the band members end the song at different times, the analogy of a train being derailed is apt, if not a bit exaggerated.

I think of the train analogy in another way as well, which I think can be applied not only to a band situation, but also to your individual practice. It’s the idea of making unscheduled stops during the ride which prevent or delay you from ever reaching the final destination.

I’ve been in many band rehearsal situations where the band would stop at various points in a song for one reason or another. The vocalist forgot the words and stopped singing, I forgot to play the guitar riff before the bridge, or the drummer didn’t come in at the right time. Regardless of the individual mistake, it would always lead to the entire band stopping the song. Often these interruptions would lead to us going in circles around the same section of the song. Instead of the train moving along the continuing track, each time it would make the same unscheduled stop.

Once this pattern is established, it becomes very difficult to break. Not only that, but it is also contagious. Once the flow has been broken, it becomes easy for someone else to lose his/her concentration and make a mistake during the established trouble spot. Once everyone becomes fixated on getting past the problem, new ones down the track seem to keep emerging. It seems like the band never plays the song from start to finish due to constant stops caused by everyone taking turns at making mistakes.

The best way to avoid this pattern is to not allow any problems to interrupt the band’s flow during the song regardless. In other words, don’t let the train make any extra or unscheduled stops. As an individual in the band don’t let your mistake trip up the other members by calling attention to it and signaling everyone to stop. Take a moment to get back on track, and let your bandmates know it’s all right.

Work on maintaining your concentration when someone else makes a mistake. Keep playing and get them to get back on board. The idea is to keep moving through the song. If there seems to be a particular spot that seems to cause consistent problems, go back to that section after the band has played through the entire song. Avoid the temptation to quit and start over again. Keep looking forward, and focus on what lies ahead.

Discuss this concept with the band ahead of time so that everyone can agree on applying this idea. If the group is working on a new song, particularly a cover tune, talk about the arrangement before starting to play. If the song on the CD fades out, how will your band actually end it? Make sure that you have learned the song in the same key as the bass player, and any other melodic instrument players (guitar, keyboards, etc.). My band plays the CD through the P.A. mixer the first time through the song, so that we can play along with it. This gives us a steadfast blueprint to work from, and helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Many musicians also find themselves making too many unscheduled stops, falling into a vicious loop, and covering the same ground over and over again during their individual practice sessions. These breaks in concentration prevent us from completing the journey towards mastery of a piece of music or exercise. By falling into the trap of stopping at every mistake, we never get to fully appreciate the train ride or feel the satisfaction when we arrive at the final destination (playing it perfectly).

Often when we find ourselves making the same mistakes over and over again, it’s because we are rushing ourselves. It may be a matter of slowing down or even isolating the spot that seems to be derailing our efforts. Sometimes we just need to blow off steam (don’t worry, I’m running out of train analogies!), and cool off for a little while. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Let things develop in their due course. The more you allow yourself to get frustrated, the harder it becomes to break free of the stumbling block.

I went through this for several years until it got to the point where I absolutely hated to practice. I would also feel unworthy, and that I was letting my bandmates down during rehearsal when I caused the song to collapse. I eventually came to realize the solution, but I still have to keep my self in check even today. It’s not an easy problem to completely overcome, but it does get easier, and it makes practice and band rehearsals more enjoyable and productive for everyone.

Even though it’s common knowledge, we seem to frequently forget that mistakes are a part of life. The key is to limit their interruption on our progress. They may slow us down, but we shouldn’t let them stop us in our tracks. Sorry, I had to get in one last train reference. Until next time- work hard, play harder.