(You can "listen" to this blog post on the Mind Over Finger Podcast, episode 216!)
Have you ever walked into the practice room feeling hopeful, only to leave an hour later feeling like you’ve made zero progress? Maybe you’re stuck on the same passage you’ve practiced a hundred times, or you keep repeating the same mistakes no matter how hard you try.
It’s frustrating. It’s exhausting. And it can make even the most dedicated musicians question their abilities.
But here’s the thing—your struggles aren’t about how much effort you’re putting in. It’s about how you’re thinking about practice in the first place.
There’s a key shift that top musicians make that allows them to grow with confidence instead of frustration. It’s called The Breakthrough Mindset—and it can change everything.
Why We Get Stuck (And Why More Effort Isn’t the Answer)
When practice isn’t going well, our instinct is to push harder. We tell ourselves:
“This shouldn’t be this hard.”
“Why am I still struggling?”
“Maybe I’m just not good enough.”
This kind of thinking is what I call a blocked mindset—where frustration takes over, and instead of looking for solutions, we get stuck in self-judgment.
And here’s what happens when we do that:
1. The Brain’s Survival Mechanism Kicks In
When we feel frustrated, our brain sees it as a threat—not in a life-or-death way, but as an emotional stressor. This triggers the fight-or-flight response, flooding our system with stress hormones like cortisol.
The result?
Instead of focusing on problem-solving, our brain shifts to self-protection—which often looks like self-judgment, avoidance, or shutting down.
The part of the brain responsible for logic, focus, and learning (the prefrontal cortex) gets hijacked by stress signals, making it harder to analyze what’s happening and adjust.
2. Self-Judgment Blocks Learning
Progress happens through neuroplasticity—our brain’s ability to form and strengthen new connections. But when we judge ourselves harshly, we actually reinforce the wrong neural pathways.
Instead of associating a skill with progress, our brain associates it with failure and stress.
This causes hesitation, overthinking, and tension—all of which block learning.
Instead of adapting and improving, we reinforce fear-based habits that slow progress even more.
So if trying harder isn’t the answer… what is?
The Shift That Changes Everything: From Judgment to Curiosity
The key is to change the way we engage with challenges.
Instead of judging yourself, try getting curious.
Why Curiosity Works (And How It Rewires Your Brain)
When you shift into curiosity, everything changes. Instead of seeing mistakes as proof that you’re failing, you start seeing them as information. Instead of shutting down, you start asking:
What else could I try?
Why isn’t this working?
What’s a different way I could approach this?
Curiosity literally re-engages your brain’s learning centers.
It reduces stress (lower cortisol levels).
It increases dopamine (the brain’s motivation and learning neurotransmitter).
It re-activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for focus, problem-solving, and pattern recognition.
How to Apply the Breakthrough Mindset in Practice
Let’s take two musicians working on the same difficult passage.
🔴 Blocked Mindset: “Why can’t I get this right? I’ve practiced this a hundred times. I don’t know what to do anymore! Maybe I’m just not talented enough.”
🟢 Breakthrough Mindset: “Huh, that was interesting. Why is that shift not feeling right? Let me try slowing it down. What about my bowing? Is my left-hand tension the issue? What worked for me last time I struggled with something similar?”
See the difference?One mindset shuts down learning. The other opens the door to solutions.
This is what high-level musicians do differently. They don’t practice with judgment. They practice with curiosity.
Real-World Example: What This Looks Like in Action
One of my clients was preparing for a big audition, and no matter how much she practiced a certain excerpt, she kept tensing up and missing shifts. Every time she played it, she would get frustrated and spiral into self-doubt.
At first, she was in a blocked mindset:
“I just can’t do this.”
But when we worked together, we flipped the approach. Instead of judging, she started getting curious:
She experimented with different bowings.
She changed her phrasing.
She tested a totally different fingering.
And suddenly, it started to click into place.
She walked into her audition feeling confident—not because she had perfected everything, but because she knew how to problem-solve in real time.
That’s the power of the Breakthrough Mindset.
Try This Today: The 3-Step Mindset Shift
Next time something isn’t working, try this simple exercise:
1️⃣ Catch yourself before frustration takes over.
When you feel judgment creeping in, stop and take a breath.
2️⃣ Ask: “What’s one thing I could explore?”
Instead of thinking “I’m terrible at this,” shift to “What’s actually happening here?”
3️⃣ Experiment with one change.
Try something different—play slower, change bowings, sing the phrase, record yourself.
See what happens.
This small shift—moving from judgment to curiosity—can transform the way you practice.
Want to Take This Further? Let’s Talk.
If you’re tired of feeling stuck in the practice room and you want a system that actually works, let’s chat.
Inside The Music Mastery Experience, I teach musicians how to take the guesswork out of practice—so instead of feeling frustrated, you know exactly how to move forward with confidence.
If you’re curious about how this could help you, visit mindoverfinger.com to book a free discovery call.
🎧 And don’t forget to listen to the full episode everywhere you listen to podcasts, or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@mindoverfinger
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