Each week your student is asked to write the number of minutes they practiced each day on the brown practice log, and then get it signed by you, the parent/guardian.
Please help them be honest! The truth comes out in the end during the lesson anyways.
We use a sticker system where your child will earn a sticker for every hour of practice they have accounted and signed for. My hope/expectation:
Beginners - 10-15+ minutes per day, 4-6 times per week
2nd year/intermediate - 15-20+ minutes per day, 4-6 times per week
Remember that becoming better at an instrument takes routine, habitual practice...not one marathon practice session each week.
Check the Practice Log in your binder.
Practice sitting or standing with good posture and hand position.
Practice saying and playing rhythm patterns.
Practice naming notes, fingering notes, and playing tonal patterns.
Practice scales.
Practice tunes from your song sheets and book.
Practice band songs.
Practice songs printed off the internet (try using Google, see Miss Sherman for help).
LOCATION - make sure you have a place with enough space to move around. Also think about distractions...is the TV on? Phone nearby? Turn them off!
LIGHTING - make sure your space has plenty of light to properly see the notation.
CHAIR - make sure there is nothing about your chair that will get in the way of your instrument or cause poor posture (standing is okay too!). Chairs with arms are not ideal for saxophonists or flutists!
MUSIC STAND - a simple fold-up music stand (available through your rental company or many other online sites) will help posture, instrument position, and correct breathing.
MIRROR - use a mirror to check posture and techniques such as correct embouchure (lips, mouth), mouthpiece position, and instrument position.
TUNER/METRONOME - there are free apps and websites that provide these tools! Ask Miss Sherman how to use one. It will change your practicing forever!
Pick a CONSISTENT time of day (like before school, right after school, right after dinner, etc.).
If you are a BEGINNER, you may get lightheaded at first, so aim or a total of 10-15 minutes each time, 4-6 times each week.
If you are INTERMEDIATE, in order to touch on everything on your list, aim for 15-20 minutes each time, 4-6 times each week.
If you are ADVANCED, practicing 20-30 minutes each time will improve your playing drastically, 4-6 times each week.
Brass - short bursts of playing for 5-10 minutes might be all your lips can handle at first. Try alternating reading notes and rhythms with actual playing. Always warm up your lips with buzzing.
Percussion - eventually your practice times should be about double of what is listed above, as you need to practice both bells and snare.
So you have your quiet place, your music stand, your notation, and even your instrument put together. Now what? Did you know it is possible to practice your instrument the wrong way? Even if you spent every waking moment practicing, you might not make any progress. Make sure you do it right from the start!
SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Focus most of your time on the "hard stuff."
Break the "hard stuff" into small sections or chunks (usually measure by measure is the easiest way).
Say the rhythm, say the note names, finger the notes while saying the note names, then and only then play the chunk.
REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT.... Play the chunk 5 times without making a mistake before moving on to the next one.
Once you are comfortable with the small chunks, begin putting them back together into larger chunks (two to four measures).
When you are comfortable with the larger chunks, increase the tempo (speed) gradually until you are at "performance tempo" and ready to perform the full exercise or song.
Only playing through each exercise or song from beginning to end. --> This will make the mistakes more permanent.
Only playing through the parts that sound good. --> Focusing only on our successes and ignoring our weaknesses will only make the weaknesses stand out more.
Trying to fix everything during one practice session. --> Plan our your weekly practice routine to accomplish small goals during each practice session. Much less overwhelming!
Giving up if it doesn't get better right away. --> Be patient with yourself! Learning to play an instrument takes time.
Practice with a friend.
Put on a concert for your stuffed animals.
Try playing the exercise or song backwards.
Try playing all the notes on your fingering chart.
Record yourself.
Make up a song.
Play with the CD that comes with your book, or find a backing track online.
YouTube--listen to others playing your instrument, learn how to play a new song, etc.
Ask Miss Sherman for more suggestions!
Listen to famous musicians who play your instrument...find a bunch here on your instrument page.
Practice regularly and often!
Practice only on the days that you eat.
A few minutes every day is MUCH better than one long practice.
Practice doesn't necessarily make perfect, it makes permanent. Proper practice makes better.
I can't do it...YET!
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~Aristotle
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