Don’t Just Play It, PRACTICE IT!

The Three Power Practice Strategies

CHUNK IT

SLOW IT DOWN

REPEAT IT CORRECTLY

Ways to Practice

• Start the metronome very slow and, each time the exercise is played correctly, increase the tempo up by a notch until you reach your goal tempo for that session.

•  Silently do the fingerings for the exercise in tempo before playing it

•  SING and FING two times in tempo before playing itt

•  “Ta” the rhythm of the piece correctly five times before playing it

•  Play the exercise as many times as needed to perform it correctly five times in a row

•  Perform the exercise(s) you are working on for friends or family

• Listen to a recording of the exercise while singing and fingering along (on your part- which may not be melody!)

•  Play along with a recording of the exercise

•  Play the exercise with a different articulation or accents

Problem Solving

•  If the correct note is not coming out, double check the fingering

•  If you are having trouble making the note sound, practice just that note until it comes easily (brass do lip slurs, woodwinds jumps or trills)

•  If there are squeaks, squawks, fracking, or burbling: check that your embouchure is correct – look in a mirror

•  If there are squeaks, squawks, fracking, or burbling: double check reed placement, swab out or empty spit

•  If there are squeaks, squawks, fracking, or burbling: look over the instrument for signs of something out of place. If something is out of place, take your instrument to the repair shop or Mr. Finkbine before attempting to fix it yourself.