Can you lose skills by not practicing an instrument?

Question

Can you lose skills by not practicing an instrument?

Answer 1

Absolutely!  The old musician's joke goes "If I skip ONE day of practice, I can tell.  If I skip TWO days, the people in my group can tell.  And if I skip THREE days -the whole world can tell."

Answer 2

Yes

Answer 3

You will always posses your innate talent, but rest assure that you will NOT sound as good if you don't practice every day. You'll get really rusty.

Answer 4

yeah.. if don't practice for long periods of time.

Answer 5

absolutely!

Answer 6

lose skills definitely, but not as much as you would think. I played trumpet from 4th-6th grade and french horn from 6th-9th grade. I'm now a junior in college and found my trumpet in the closet while cleaning and still had the same range! granted, the tone wasn't the same as I used to have, but still, for not having played it in almost 10 years I was pretty impressed! so yea, you will be rusty, but not as much as people might think. that is, if you were good to begin with =)

Answer 7

To a certain degree.  I played the clarinet pretty much daily for 15 years, then left it for five years (various reasons).  I came back to it, and while I was rusty, my fingers remembered what to do, it was my embouchere which had suffered the most - once I'd been practicing daily for a couple of weeks, my lip had returned and my sound was almost back to where it had been before I stopd playing.

Answer 8

you will loose ur talent if you dont practice for a long time

Answer 9

yes. i was always told the piano will forget you if you forget it.

Answer 10

YES!!! Your mind and your muscles can 'forget' things that you have practiced/learned! But I do  believe that if u reach a high standard  aka professional then it will take longer to forget things

Answer 11

Absolutely!  The repitition of practice is essential to becoming an accomplished singer or musician.  A person won't totally forget everything he/she ever knew, but he/she will becomre "rusty".

Answer 12

You won't lose your skills...but they will become "rusty" over time if you discontinue perfecting your craft.