Practice Tips for Band

Practice Tips for Band

It is suggested that you practice your instrument three times a week for 15 minutes at a time. This is the best way you will have success on your instrument.

Tips for successful practicing at home:

1. Plan to practice for at least 15-20 minutes in a comfortable space where there will be no distractions.

2. Start with mouthpiece buzzing or sounds on your instrument mouthpiece. Make sure you take deep breaths and move the air with your diaphragm.

3. Put your instrument together and play long tones on your instrument. (Example – Bb, C, D, Eb, F concert notes) start at Bb concert and go up to F then back down – 10 beats each note.

4. Then play a song you know really well three times in a row.

5. Then work on current or difficult songs in band class. Practice only the difficult measures instead of going from beginning to end all the time. Once you feel the difficult measure is better then play it through the whole song. Do this 3 to 5 times.

6. Use a pencil and write in any notes or fingerings that you do not know well. Writing them down helps you remember them better.

7. Do not get frustrated - It’s not a race. Everyone will succeed at different speeds. The point is to get a little better then you were before J.

Mr. S. Steeves, Delta School District Music Teacher