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I lost my mojo two weeks ago.
For a week I played everything and nothing, sight-reading randomly, sounding worse and worse all the time.
Then a week ago I found my mojo again by accident.
What worked for me was to go back to Dancla's Op.84 - 36 Melodious and Easy Studies. I just played them slowly from number 1 onwards with no interest in anything other than tone-production and intonation, and it clicked.
I don't suppose it will be a universal cure, but I post it here anyway.
My work regime for the next 2 months is: -
Bach Double Concerto, v.2, mov. 1.
Corelli Op.5 #9 Prelude with Geminiani's embellishments.
Kreutzer #7
Wohlfahrt Op.74 #25
Dancla #13
Sitt #21
It's probably too much, and it may cost me my mojo again, but warming up with Dancla is like a good breakfast in the morning!
Andrew
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I haven't lost my mojo, I've lost-the-plot entirely ! Last night we finished watching a 5-TV drama series and my good lady scanned through the EPG. She pointed out, "Oh, "Outnumbered" followed by 2 episodes of "Gavin and Stacey" on BBC - now that's unusual programming for a Sunday night". I thought so as well, and went off in a mind-trance attempting to put some reason to the unusual programming, but came up with nothing (I was trying to think, but nothing happened)
It was only this morning, when I woke up to "Bells on Sunday" on radio 4 that the reason suddenly fell into place....
Send help....
NOW...
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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I'm doing some, but I'm unable to practise for 3 hours a day as I briefly did a month ago.
The problem is having no targets to work for - no orchestras, no lessons.
And I'm not sleeping either. That doesn't help.
Evenings I binge on DVDs; mornings I read Beowulf.
Afternoons, not surprisingly, I lack the physical and intellectual energy for violin playing. My neighbours are out. I must start now!
Andrew
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I've been socially isolated all my life as a choice, but even introverts such as I find the new way of life a challenge. Life has probably changed forever.
My logical mind tells me that with the two youngest kids (22 and 28) at home most of the time and with my somewhat disabled and dependent memsahib at home in any case, an escape to the bedroom to practice fiddle should be a favourite thing to do. My heart has put its foot down and I'm spending more time than ever in the sitting room, in the hubbub. Practice is suffering, and the only safe place is at work between 0630 and 0800, when I can devote my attention to the (highly portable) solid fiddle.
If you find a way to regain your mojo, let us all know because many of us are not getting our full 40 hours practice daily.
Peter
"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less" - William of Ockham
"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great
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You can always make more mojo. Here's Rick Bayless's recipe.
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AndrewH said
You can always make more mojo. Here's Rick Bayless's recipe.https://www.rickbayless.com/re.....rlic-mojo/
Haha! Yes, I used to have friends with a flat in Lanzarote, and I was very fond of the papas bravas with mojo verde.
Andrew
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In all seriousness, mine has been gone since the middle of 2018 because of shoulder dysfunction that sometimes makes it impossible to do almost anything at all. Before the pandemic, I'd already cut back work hours to barely 10 hours a week, dropped all my non-music hobbies, and cut my musical activities by more than half. Just when I was starting to see some actual recovery in my shoulder (after almost a year of physical therapy), the pandemic hit.
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My mojo comes and goes. I'm learning to not beat myself up over not playing for long hours each day. Or not playing each day, period. With the lockdown we've been on, it's hard to not have a purpose to play for--concerts, recitals, etc. I'm still able to have virtual lessons via FaceTime, and the music I'm practicing is VERY soothing to me (Gavotte in G min-Bach; Suzuki 2), so I DO enjoy that.
Working from home has caused my organization routine to be sorely chaotic at best. So, I fiddle when I can and I work when I shooooouuulllddd! (admit it, you sang it, didn't you? 
Oh... learning from y'all helps, too ;D
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LOL, didn't know that there was actually a sauce called Mojo. 🥴
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
LOL, didn't know that there was actually a sauce called Mojo. 🥴
Mojar is Spanish for "to make wet", so mojo is a sauce and mojito is the diminutive!
Andrew
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It's a whole family of sauces. There's the basic mojo de ajo, a tangy garlic sauce (acidity usually comes from vinegar in Spain and citrus in Latin America), and other ingredients are added to make mojo verde or mojo rojo.
I'm surprised you don't see it where you are in Florida, it's absolutely essential in Cuban cuisine.
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Well, it's a regional thing isn't it.
In the Canary Islands very often you will eat fish served with boiled potatoes with a bowl of green sauce and a bowl of red sauce. The red sauce is based on Harissa from North Africa, but the green sauce is far better.
Originally these "papas bravas" (siempre con mojos) were boiled in sea-water. A little of this salty, starchy water was then used to thicken a blend of olive oil and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves. This is the basics of it, at least, afaik.
(as I check the spelling of this, I'm wondering what thread this is, lol! I'm not even going to look!)
Andrew
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AndrewH said
It's a whole family of sauces. There's the basic mojo de ajo, a tangy garlic sauce (acidity usually comes from vinegar in Spain and citrus in Latin America), and other ingredients are added to make mojo verde or mojo rojo.I'm surprised you don't see it where you are in Florida, it's absolutely essential in Cuban cuisine.
Maybe I haven't been paying attention. 🥴
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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