a return to tuba after an 11 year hiatus

[TubaRay]

Failing during rehearsal or performance should be very, very rare - failing during practice should be commonplace.

I pretty much agree with all of your post, however I thought the portion quoted above was particularly profound.

I attempt many things in "practice" that I cannot do. In "rehearsal" or "performance," I hopefully have the skills to succeed. When I don't, I spend more time in "practice."

[termite]

Trying to "sound good" when practicing is an insidious trap - it causes you to make compromises so that the sound is "acceptable" rather than aiming for excellence while accepting a high probability of abject failure.

This makes no sense.

You've completely missed my point especially in the case of a recently returned player.

[tubainty]

For my own playing I find that it's important to spend a lot of time playing stuff that I sound good on.

Personally I think that is really bad advice. I spend about 75 percent of my practice time working on stuff that I consider my weaknesses, playing stuff I can't play. Practice what you can't play, just playing what your good at won't make you any better. I only spend about and hour every day playing stuff that I'm "good at". But that's just me, maybe other stuff works for other people but most of my teachers tell me to practice what I can't do, or rather learn how to do what I can't do.

[iiipopes]

For my own playing I find that it's important to spend a lot of time playing stuff that I sound good on.

Personally I think that is really bad advice. I spend about 75 percent of my practice time working on stuff that I consider my weaknesses, playing stuff I can't play. Practice what you can't play, just playing what your good at won't make you any better. I only spend about and hour every day playing stuff that I'm "good at". But that's just me, maybe other stuff works for other people but most of my teachers tell me to practice what I can't do, or rather learn how to do what I can't do.

It's a question of maturity. In a non-tuba context, I've played in a lot of garage bands that could have gotten gigs, but they wouldn't take even the occasional step outside the "comfort zone," even for just a song or two. When that became apparent, I walked. Yes, having a beer in the basement is fun, but the gig is what it's all about.

For younger players, to avoid too much frustration, the occasional, measured step outside the comfort zone to expand that zone over time is what is needed, and anything more than that can and will discourage players.

Now, that said, there are also the realities of availability of time to spend pursuing an avocation. I have played in groups that lost really good amateur players because the music director did not allow for such limitations, and instead of 75 percent or so being outside the comfort zone, almost everything was outside the comfort zone. This does not mean outside the playability zone, but outside what time the folks could devote, keeping job and family responsbilities in mind, to mastering the music, when even just 1/2 step overall less difficulty grade repertoire would have still produced quality programming and concerts, and probably an overall better sound to the ensemble by not venturing too far outside the "comfort zone" of some of these players, meaning in this context what time the players had to devote to mastering the parts of the repertoire at hand.

I do not consider it a foregone conclusion that a mature player playing "beneath" his or her peak ability will necessarily become bored and quit. Quite the contrary, it may actually be a relief and promote enjoyment of the ensemble that the stress of having to master a higher grade part that the player may or may not have the time to devote as an avocation is no longer part of the requirements.

[tubainty]

For my own playing I find that it's important to spend a lot of time playing stuff that I sound good on.

Personally I think that is really bad advice. I spend about 75 percent of my practice time working on stuff that I consider my weaknesses, playing stuff I can't play. Practice what you can't play, just playing what your good at won't make you any better. I only spend about and hour every day playing stuff that I'm "good at". But that's just me, maybe other stuff works for other people but most of my teachers tell me to practice what I can't do, or rather learn how to do what I can't do.

It's a question of maturity. In a non-tuba context, I've played in a lot of garage bands that could have gotten gigs, but they wouldn't take even the occasional step outside the "comfort zone," even for just a song or two. When that became apparent, I walked. Yes, having a beer in the basement is fun, but the gig is what it's all about.

For younger players, to avoid too much frustration, the occasional, measured step outside the comfort zone to expand that zone over time is what is needed, and anything more than that can and will discourage players.

Now, that said, there are also the realities of availability of time to spend pursuing an avocation. I have played in groups that lost really good amateur players because the music director did not allow for such limitations, and instead of 75 percent or so being outside the comfort zone, almost everything was outside the comfort zone. This does not mean outside the playability zone, but outside what time the folks could devote, keeping job and family responsbilities in mind, to mastering the music, when even just 1/2 step overall less difficulty grade repertoire would have still produced quality programming and concerts, and probably an overall better sound to the ensemble by not venturing too far outside the "comfort zone" of some of these players, meaning in this context what time the players had to devote to mastering the parts of the repertoire at hand.

I do not consider it a foregone conclusion that a mature player playing "beneath" his or her peak ability will necessarily become bored and quit. Quite the contrary, it may actually be a relief and promote enjoyment of the ensemble that the stress of having to master a higher grade part that the player may or may not have the time to devote as an avocation is no longer part of the requirements.

I think you may have misinterpreted my post. I was trying to say that in one's practice time, not rehearsal or performance time but practice time, that he or she should focus mainly on things that he or she cannot play. If you are preparing repertoire for a performance and you can play 90 percent of it you shouldn't spend a lot of your time playing that 90 percent bad rather work on the 10 percent that you struggle with as this is a more productive use of time. Time is even better spent working on fundamentals of technique. Doing so enough with make that 90 percent 95 percent then 99 percent and maybe (but probably not) 100 percent. Anyway I hope that makes my point clear, but maybe not it's late here and I may not be thinking clearly

[iiipopes]

Then I may have misread the post. Forgive me, but my reading of the post came across to me as masochism.

Yes, we should all work on stuff that needs work, and that is, of course, the whole reason for practicing, or woodshedding. But too much will cause frustration, and indeed, too little can cause boredom.

I guess to sum up both sides of this, for most community band level players, a player should strive for that happy medium between comfort and challenge, so the player keeps going down the road enjoying playing.