Embedded Files
This is a guide to help you with your practice at home. It can be frustrating going over the same music and not seeing results or feeling that you are not getting better. Hopefully something in this list of advice can help you on your way! Below the list is a number of online tools that can also help you with your practice at home and your musical training.
SLOW PRACTICE
It is important to start any new music with slow practice. When you learn how to play music you are building muscle memory with your brain. If you learn something at a faster speed and ignore mistakes that happen you are training your brain to do it incorrectly. Just like any habit; it is harder to unlearn something and relearn it correctly than it is to learn correctly the first time. Once you are confident you are playing it correctly at a slower speed then you should start trying it slightly faster until you reach our ideal speed for that piece of music.
STEADY BEAT - METRONOME
It is important to develop a steady beat when you practice your music. Steady beat refers to not speeding up or slowing down while you play your music (unless the music specifically asks for that). This skill is important in lining up our music together between the people in your section and between all the instruments with different moving parts. This can be done with the help of a metronome. You can purchase a metronome for $20 - $30, you can find one for your smartphone or table or you can find a free one online. I've provided a couple links below to metronomes online. Simply enter the number for the speed you want to go - the higher the number the faster it goes. Some people prefer to tap their toes or heal of their foot to help maintain a steady beat. This requires some coordination and multi-tasking but it can help you "feel" the beat while playing your music.
Metronome by BestMetronome.com
BREAK UP YOUR MUSIC
If you are having trouble with a section of music you should break it up into smaller pieces. If a piece of music or a melody is 8 measures, you should first start by playing each measure one at a time. Once you are confident that you can play each measure correctly you should move on to combining them two measures at a time, then four measures at a time and then eight measures at a time. If you find yourself making the same mistake repeatedly you should isolate where it is and just repeat that one section - whether it is a finger switch or a weird rhythm that is throwing you off. Just because you play something correct once does not mean that it has been ingrained into your brain and you will get it perfect each time. Try challenging yourself to be perfect multiple times in a row before moving on to the next step. The more you reinforce perfection the more likely your brain will remember it and you will not have to think as hard about it in the future.
PLAYING IN TUNE
Just because you are playing the correct fingering or position does not mean you are playing in tune and matching the sound of the people around you. Each instrument is different in how it is made and each person plays with a slightly different approach or embouchure (how you form your muscles around your mouth to make a sound). A tuner is a tool that can help us get closer to matching our sounds together and make the music we create more enjoyable to listen to. A tuner can be purchased for around $20 sometimes in conjunction with a metronome on the same device. There are also free tuner apps for smartphones and online computer options which require a microphone to use. When you are using a tuner make sure that you only make adjustments to your instrument on the note we tune with in band class, otherwise you would be making adjustments on each note you play. Just because one note is in tune does not mean the rest of the instrument will be in tune. In order to help with that, you must make small adjustments in your embouchure to raise or lower your note to match the tuner.
Flute/Oboe/Trombone/Baritone/Tuba - B Flat
Clarinet/Trumpet/Tenor Sax - C
Alto Sax/Bari Sax - G
When you play into the tuner it may tell you a different letter than what you are playing. This can be due to the fact that different instruments use different letters for the same sounds. This is called Instrument Transposition. When you play your tuning note (the notes listed above) into the tuner you want the tuner to say Bb or A#.
If your instrument is too high (or to the right on the tuner) you need to pull out to make it lower
If you instrument is too low (or to the left on the tuner) you need to push in to make it higher
Make sure you use your best sound with plenty of supported air while tuning to get the best results.
Playing along with tuning drones can help you build your ear training and help you play in the center of each note. They can also help develop your muscles in your embouchure in order to build endurance and play longer with ease.
The notes listed in the above link are for concert pitch instrument. If you play an instrument that is not concert pitch (listed below) you need to use the chart to figure out which note on the left matches the note for your instrument to the right. Concert pitch instruments are Flute, Oboe, Trombone, Baritone and Tuba. When one of these instrument plays a note it is the same notes as a tuner or a piano.
Transposition Chart for Tuning Drones
EAR TRAINING
Formal ear training is typically something that is done with students at a high school or college level of music but the benefits of doing it work with all ages and experiences. Some knowledge in Music Theory is necessary to fully understand the website below but with some experimentation a student could still reap benefits. Interval training tests your hearing recognition of two notes. Chords deal with recognizing three or more notes at the same time and what quality of sound they make.
Click picture to download PDF
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse