practice routiene

[Highams]

List (actually write down) your weak points (be honest), work at those hard, then reward yourself with a favourite solo.

www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk

[dwaskew]

well, it depends, I guess on what you are currently doing. Make sure you include some of the following in each practice session: breathing (preferably with a breathing bag) long tones (for sound building) lip slurs (for flexibility) articulation practice (and not just running scales, practice articulating on a single note to make it clean and even) range extension (in both directions) dynamic practice (loud, quiet, mid-range etc.--keep them all consistent in sound, intonation, and decibel level)

Then, practice etudes from a variety of styles: vocal etudes (such as Bordogni/Rochut, or Concone)(Italian) Blazhevich,(Russian) Tyrell, (British) perhaps Snedecor for low register, (American) perhaps Senon (French)for upper register. All of these have different articulation styles, and certainly different musical content, which can provide for a more all around experience. (these books metnioned are for tuba, but there are versions of each, except Snedecor for euphonium)

This is by no means exhaustive, but a good place to start.

Hope this helps!

all best,
D. AsKew

[Scott Sutherland]

A great book that I have recently started using regularly is David Vining's "Daily Routines" for trombone. Besides breathing, it covers each of the rudimentary issues Dennis mentioned in a number of well thought-out routines. Each routine is slightly different as to address specific weaknesses (i.e. articulation, flexibility, accuracy, dynamics, etc.). This book, together with the Bill Bell Scales, encompases a daily routine that has worked well for me (and is quite the workout!).

[Lew]

You have gotten some good advice. I would second the lip slur and long tone suggestions. They may seem boring, but they help if you do them regularly. Also, work all of the scales until they are second nature. Finally, besides lip slur exercises (I use those in a book I have called "embouchure builder for BBb tuba") I like to play octave intervals on each note in a C scale to work on accuracy.

[Uncle Buck]

Slow down. I think these are the most important two words for a practice routine on any instrument, and they apply equally well to brass instruments than to any other.

This advice applies at two levels.

First, slow down EVERYTHING you play, including all your warm-up routines and technical studies. Set a goal never to play ANYTHING faster than you can play it perfectly. (Maybe not a realistic goal, but a good benchmark for practice technique.) You will be amazed at what this, over the long term, will do for every aspect of your playing.

Second, don't be in a hurry to "get through" your practice sessions. Don't view warm ups or technical exercises as something you need to just get done. If you spend two hours on two measures, and actually make those two measures better, you've accomplished a lot more than if you had spent two hours running through everything, maintaining the status quo.

Practice does NOT make perfect. Practicing the same mistakes over and over just makes those mistakes harder and harder to fix. Slow down and work on small improvements. "I guarantee you will like the way you sound."

[Tony Halloin]

I whole heartedly agree with Prof. Askew's approach to make practice encompass as many technical and musical aspects as possible. I would also throw out there the Arban method. I think I once heard Prof. Rex Martin say about the Arban's: "Just open the book to any page and the chances are good that you need to work on whatever it is you are looking at."

The trick is making the Arban exercises musical.