PRACTICE TIME!
It's a new year! Time for new music and new goals! I have great expectations for our bands this year, but it's up to you! Our practice records show how long we've practice, but HOW can we make our practice time more productive? Remember, simply playing music you already know may be fun, but is not helping you advance into more difficult music! Following these simple guidelines will help you to practice SMARTER so you can get MORE done in LESS time!
Before you practice:
- Make a weekly practice schedule
- Set goals (both short and long term)
- Clear all distractions during your practice time
- Warm-up: 2 minutes
- Focus on tone production with long tones and lip slurs
- Technique Builders: 2 minutes
- Scales, Articulation exercises, Range builders
- Assignment: 5 minutes
- Play through entire assignment at least once
- The Tough Stuff: 8 minutes
- Break down into small chunks
- Count, Clap, Mark Parts, slow tempo
- Put smaller chunks together into sections
- Slowly build tempo back up
- Fun Cool Down: 3 minutes
- Play something you love!
- Give a mini-concert for family
- Play a few low long tones to cool your chops!
