Tips to Reduce Anxiety When Learning Music: Mozart Symphony 40 on Accordion

In this video, I share several tips I use to reduce anxiety while learning challenging music, using a section from Mozart's Symphony No. 40 on the accordion as an example. I focus on playing very slowly, allowing enough time to anticipate each note and avoid mistakes. Memorization helps augment my reading, giving me confidence as I gradually get familiar with what's coming next. Every complete repetition, no matter how small, builds muscle memory and boosts confidence. Consistent and logical fingering is crucial in every repetition to reinforce accuracy and fluency. Watch as this method helps me make small but steady progress over time.

[@811birch]

Hi Anand, I really liked viewing this video. The idea of playing a short section of a piece very, very slowly is something I have heard from others but for some reason, the way you described that clicked with me. Lately I have been serious about just not playing accordion any more because of the frustration of feeling that what I play and the amount of time on a particular song takes so long. But for some reason what you said has given me some interest in trying to look at that differently. Hope all is well with you and your family! 😊

[@BreezyBellows]

Hello Guy, I totally understand how you can get frustrated when a lot of time is spent with no measurable progress. I've been there so many times. I've been taking some lessons with Bratislav Manasijevic recently (yes, I now have 3 teachers!). His approach - to breaking things down into smaller sections and really nailing that section down - makes a lot of sense. It is common sense, but unfortunately we don't put it in practice all the time. I really hope you'll find joy with the accordion and not face frustration.