PRACTICE Tips

TIPS FOR GOOD PRACTICE at home:

1. Always start with a good warm-up = long-tones and scales for woodwinds; long-tones, lip-slurs and scales, for brass; scales and rudiments for percussionists.

2. Use “the right tool for the job”. Knowing what needs practice, and knowing and using the right strategies to improve is critical to not wasting time. You are busy… practice needs to be efficient and effective in order to maximize your learning!

3. Practice difficult passages slowly; eliminate variables.

4. Use a metronome for Rhythm practice. If you don’t yet own your own metronome, get one, and/or use this FREE web-based one here! http://www.metronomeonline.com

5. Use an electronic tuner to help maintain and improve good intonation. Here is an FREE online Digital Tuner. Play long-tones against a tone generator. Check out this FREE online DRONE TONE Tool! Check out my favorite paid App = Tonal Energy for iPhones!

6. As you finish, play something that you really like and can play really well - this helps us remember how much fun it is to play music, and to see the results of our hard work. J

7. “Practice Make Permanent.” Good home practice should *not* be about putting in some prescribed amount of time… it should focus on results; on improvement. Frequency of practice sessions is very often more beneficial than a total amount of practice time in a given time period. Setting up a regular routine for practice in a quiet, well-lit, distraction-free place can create the right environment for students to be able to focus on improving the quality of their sound, improving their rhythmic and melodic accuracy, and to gain mastery over the technical challenges of playing their instruments.

Should You Be Practicing Right Now? Flow Chart

"Thoughts on Practicing: One of the most persistent traits of those of us who practice our instruments is practicing what feels good (often what we already do well) instead of practicing what will make us better. It's human nature, and there's nothing wrong with it. After all, the reason we play an instrument is because we enjoy it; it's reasonable and healthy that at least some of our practice time should just be for fun.

However, if our goal is growth/improvement, "fun" practicing won't get us there. So if you're rethinking your own practice routine in the context that we've been talking about recently, make sure that at least some of your practice time is disciplined and focused on the stuff we know we need to work on, even if it's not much fun.

And think both long term (the kind of work that builds strength, technique and musicianship) and short term (learning specific passages in music we're working on now.) And always remember what Bud Herseth, longtime Chicago Symphony principal trumpet, used to say: Even if you're "practicing" at home, play with a performance mindset, not a practice mindset—make beautiful music."

- Lew Buckley, 2013

Record Yourself

"Simply put, record yourself fairly often, because when we do, we always hear things that we want to fix, things we didn’t realize we were doing.

But that’s not the only reason to do it; it also validates the things we’re doing well. A recording often gives us that “pat on the back” we all need from time to time.

And finally, don’t let it turn into an insurmountably complex project; just turn on your phone or your computer and start recording. Either of those will usually give you a high enough quality to give you valuable information about every aspect of your playing, even your sound.

If we’re not doing this, we’re really just kidding ourselves that we’re practicing to improve."

- Lew Buckley, April 4, 2014