Best way to practice?

[Woods]

what's the best way to practice? (what do you break up your practice time into?/what do you spend the most/least time working on?/how to you warm up?/how do you cool down?)

I'm trying to find a new way to structure my practice time. plz post what you do!

[MackBrass]

Practicing is an art form that continues to evolve and everyone is different. Here is what I do.

1. Warm-up, about 10 minutes, long tones and articulations with focus on air and tone.
2. Routine, ( rountines should not be confused with warmups) flexibility, interval exercises and slurs.
3. Scales.

Break

4. Practice on whatever i am working on. This is where patience and the real skill of practicing takes place. Repitition of difficult passages, starting them at the pathetic tempo and working them up one click at a time. Pathetic tempo is defined as a tempo so slow you cant miss. Usually we dont take things slow enough so as a result progress is very slow. One bit of advice, if you cant play something, focus on just the area giving you trouble. Do not start in a place well before as all your doing is trying it again and hoping for the best.

[Ken Crawford]

The way I've become a mediocre tuba player is by warming up with long tones, lips slurs, scales and intervals. Then I just work on whatever I need or want to, like excerpts, upcoming rep, solos etc or work through some etudes...Then to cool down I play a few low notes and call it good. I don't think that there is a "best" way to practice, other than not wasting time by playing things that don't challenge you.

[Woods]

Further, I believe it is a tremendous advantage to (simply) be able to sit down and play without feeling as though it is necessary to go through some sort of ritual in order to give oneself permission to play well. (Others, likely, will find these comments about "warming up" to be controversial.)

really? I've never heard some one say that before ,always been told to warm up first, but it makes sense I feel some times while warming up that I'm just wasting time. I guess its just up to the player and whether they feel it helps them or not.

[Ken Crawford]

If you feel like you're wasting time warming up, you probably are wasting time. Warming up in and of itself isn't the waste of time though. Whatever exercises you're doing to warm up you need to strive to do them perfectly. If you're just blowing through them without thinking, you are wasting time. If you think you're doing them perfectly already, you are incorrect and should look to a private instructor to tell you how you can improve.

[MackBrass]

This is bringing up something that most including myself did for a long time, warm ups took about an hour and included daily routine exercises. A warm up is just that, a warm up and should only take about 10 minutes max. Anything after that should be categorized as a routine or actual practice. Daily routines consist of exercises that you work on to improve certain aspects of your playing like flexibility, articulations, dynamics, range, sound and scales. The daily routine should be flexible and should change as your abilities change. Daily routines should not be considered as part of a warm up because warming up really only takes a few minutes to get the muscles warm and if time doesn't permit then it can be skipped.

[pjv]

As is already known brass players don't need to get extra blood flowing into the face muscles (like athletes need to do) because the blood that's there is already sufficient.

In my opinion a warm-up is more about getting back into the swing of things, coordinating your brain and body. Starting up you focus-mode, so to speak. Whatever it takes to get back into contact with your axe. In this sense it IS comparable to what an athlete does before a competition; getting in touch with yourself in order to be at the top of your game.

Some people take that first breath and "bam" they're immediately in the zone. Others prefer some routines which focus on the basic principles of playing (which, let's face it, are often not natural). In this sense a warm-up is kind of like coffee. "Wake-up!"
So ya, a warm up is already practicing and also already making music. Some of us just feel better with that cup of coffee first.

[happyroman]

There are a couple of books available that focus on how one should structure their practice time in order to make the most efficient use of their practice time. One author also has a very extensive blog with lots of information.

http://musiciansway.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

The other book I found is titled, First, Learn How to Practice, and contains a lot of information gleaned from interviews with prominent music teachers.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Learn-Pract ... B0085YBQEC" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

EDIT: The Practice of Practice, by Jonathon Harnum, is actually the book that includes interviews with Rex Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Jonathan ... 8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank

Regarding warm up, Arnold Jacobs philosophy was that the actual warming up of the tissues should only take a few minutes. He compared what we do with an athlete who warms up before competition. The athlete must go through a series of exercises in order to increase blood flow to the area (such as the knee) in order to make the tissues more elastic, and to prevent injury. Mr. Jacobs pointed out that there is already a lot of blood in the lips (which is why they are red), so it should not take very much activity to get the blood flowing and increase the elasticity of the tissues.

He felt that the primary importance of the warm up was to make a connection between the brain and the lip, so that we are immediately creating our finest quality of tone. To him, this mind/body connection and creating an effortless, free blowing, beautiful sound was the purpose of the warm up. If you go to the tips page on this web site, there are links to Mr. Jacobs Masterclasses at the first T.U.B.A. Symposium in 1973. In addition to the two complete sessions, there is one just on the warm up.

As for specifics on how to practice, some of the greatest musicians ever seem to say the same thing. Practice slowly. In the following video, featuring two former Jacobs students who play trumpet in the Houston Symphony. Theyt also studies with Herseth, and one of them mentioned a golden nugget from his lessons with Bud. H was playing an etude in a lesson, and played a wrong note. Herseth stopped him and had him start over. The student started over at the same tempo, and Herseth shouted STOP! You have to play it so slowly that even YOU can can get it right. Herseth then said, "I practice slower than anyone that I've ever met, and that's my secret."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca1OZTJ ... tml5=False" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Here is a link to several videos with Itzhak Perlman discussing how to practice.

http://www.classicfm.com/artists/itzhak ... ZtPmqbS.97" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

I read a golf instruction book once that suggested that in order to learn a new skill, you must have at least an 80% success rate in practice in order to retain what you practiced. Otherwise, you are actually teaching yourself how to do it wrong. I would think this would apply equally to learning a musical instrument.

One thing I found recently and have begun to slowly incorporate into my own "routine" are some of the exercises found in this hand out from a 2007 Alessi Seminar. Some good stuff here, some of which can be played as written and some which should be taken down an octave. I especially like the way he goes back and forth from buzzing to playing these on the instrument.

http://www.dentonlt.com/sites/default/f ... 0Alessi%20(2" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank).pdf

[Woods]

this is all very good info thanks everyone whom has commented thus far!

[one.kidney]

what's the best way to practice?

Work on things that you don't do as well as other things, and things that you are going to need to play soon that you cannot now play was well as you would like.

what do you break up your practice time into?
what do you spend the most/least time working on?

(see above) I work on things that I don't do as well as other things, along with things that I'm going to need to play soon that I cannot now play as well as I'd like.

how to you warm up?/how do you cool down?

I've never known what any of that means. When age 17 - 21 (around many others who were working hard to try to become better players), I used to imitate others by going through these motions, but never found any benefit...AND it used up a BUNCH of time that I COULD have been using to

work on things that I don't do as well as other things, along with things that I'm going to need to play soon that I cannot now play as well as I'd like.

Further, I believe it is a tremendous advantage to (simply) be able to sit down and play without feeling as though it is necessary to go through some sort of ritual in order to give oneself permission to play well. (Others, likely, will find these comments about "warming up" to be controversial.)

I would suggest making a list of things that you would like to be able to do better.
This list can certainly change as you become reasonably proficient at some things on your list, and new things can be added to the top, while other things fall down lower.
...random (some: "screwball") examples:
- Play three octave melodic minor scales - each in one breath.
- Crescendo/diminuendo on one pitch over several seconds without the needle on the tuner moving.
- lip trills
- Memorize the Yrokrnorcriski Tuba Concerto (for Tuba and Marimba Orchestra), and play it better than Marlckra Sclozenloff's youtube recording of it.
- Learn the chord changes to "China Boy", and be able to play a nice bass line and listenable solo at mm=128 alla breve.
- Figure out how to slur from C to C# without a bump in the sound, and master this.
- Figure out how to play VERY loud without sounding raspy, and master this.
- Figure out how to play VERY soft without the sound stopping, and master this.
===================================

Here are TWO last things to think about:
1/ If you play something BADLY 25 times and (finally) play that thing WELL 1 time (going on to the next thing), you have a 25-to-1 (or better) chance of playing that thing BADLY the NEXT time you try to do it.

2/ If you spend "practice" time working on things that you ALREADY do well, and NOT on things that you do NOT do well, the time spent may be more pleasant, but won't be particularly productive.

hey bloke, i was just wondering, where in the world do you find that tuba concerto you mentioned above? Thanks.

[Biggs]

frequently

[Matt Good]

Slowly

[bisontuba]

Slowly

+1

[MonsterOil]

I have a bit of an issue with the "morning routine". This morning routine sets one up to play well at a certain time of day, when in fact we need to be ready to play at a high level at all times of day. My routine:

It's divided up into 3 segments (though this can be changed depending on what issues you're having): a. Warm-up routine; b. etudes; c. solo work/rep I need to learn.

I never have more than 3 musical events in a day. I never practice more than an hour, usually 45-60 minutes.

If I have no musical commitments in a day I will do "a" in the morning, "b" around 1, and "c" in the evening.
The next day if I have a morning rehearsal I will do "a" in the afternoon and "b" in the evening, then start with "c" the next morning.


This has completely changed the way I play. As in the above scenario I would be starting solo work first thing in the morning! The first time I did this it didn't go so well, but now I am ready to play solo work at any time of day regardless of whether I've had my morning routine. Keeps the body guessing and keeps you ready all the time.

Another advantage is you can really keep track of the percentage of time you are spending on all practicing. I remember many years ago I would have rehearsals several mornings in a row for a week, and never get to many of the things I wanted to practice. Not the case now. It's all evenly distributed based on my current needs.




Hope this makes sense.

[MartyNeilan]

what's the best way to practice? :

I highly suggest wearing pants.

[williamp]

I agree with what Bloke says regarding the importance of being able to play well at any time, without feeling the need to sit down and play through a long warmup routine before doing so. At the same time, many players feel a regular daily routine covering important aspects of playing allows them to accomplish that very goal.

Thirty some years ago, Wes Jacobs told me that as a professional musician, he thought it was important for him to be ready to play anytime under any conditions. He started me working on Vachianno daily trumpet routines, to become more flexible and become comfortable in all keys. The routine also included work on articulating cleanly at different metronomic markings. His main point seemed to be keeping all the main faculties in shape at all times, ready to play anything put in front of you.

Years later, I find myself balancing an incredible workload. I manage a multimillion dollar retail company and direct and play tuba in a professional ragtime orchestra. My practice time is incredibly limited. I only get about an hour a day to “practice,” and I do have a routine which I feel allows me to consistently play at the level required for my position. I start every day by playing through the entire Alan Street scale and arpeggio method book. Why use a book on scales and arpeggios, instead of just playing by memory? For me, it is almost like my morning meditation. I go through with a metronome (varied daily, but mostly slow). I play each scale focusing on perfect pitch, articulation (varying attacks and slurs) and expand the range to my extreme limits as I work through them. I vary starting the scales from extreme lower registers and also from the upper registers, to develop clean attacks in all ranges. I play the scales in all dynamic registers, making sure the intervalic relationships aren’t compromised because of the change in dynamics. Working through them takes me about 30 minutes. I end the scales with a couple of low experts and etudes (the meat and potatoes of my playing is in the lower register).

Next, I force myself to work on a new etude (you know, one of the ones you avoided in college) daily, until it is worked up over a few days to what I would consider being recital-worthy. Then I look at my folder for upcoming gigs and see if there is anything I need to woodshed. I also find it helpful as a tuba player to include some time with a tuning CD. Playing along at different dynamic levels, manipulating the pitch higher and lower, becoming totally confident of where pitch center is. Nobody likes questionable pitch at the bottom of the ensemble. I guess most people don’t like questionable pitch anywhere in the ensemble.

This is what I use, because it makes me feel comfortable as a player in my situation. It’s probably not what I’d do if I had all day available to practice. I never get enough playing in on small tuba, but I get a lot less gigs these days on small tuba. I bet every professional player (and amateur) on this board has his/her own approach — there are many that can be successful. I hope you figure out what works for you, and recommend being open to trying new things along the way.

[Three Valves]

...and without having vibrated one's lips

You mean to tell me your lips don't smack into one another like chalk erasers??

[Michael Bush]

I read a golf instruction book once that suggested that in order to learn a new skill, you must have at least an 80% success rate in practice in order to retain what you practiced. Otherwise, you are actually teaching yourself how to do it wrong. I would think this would apply equally to learning a musical instrument.

Harvey Penick's Little Red Book? So well worth reading for many reasons, many having nothing to do with golf.

[Travis99079]

This all may seem rather Kosher. But hey, it's what I do.

1. Warm Up
- Long tones
- Lip slurs
- Etc (depends on mood I'm in or particular kinks I'm working out, likely relevant to some piece)

2. Fundamentals
- Usually just scales I suck at
- Quick Bordogni

3. Rep (Ideally the bulk of my time)
- Excerpts
- Solo stuff
- Things to prepare that I'll actually be performing

FWIW I believe Baadsvik once described his own practice regime. He more or less locked himself in a house (totally free of distraction, even unplugged the landline) and practiced in countless 20-minute focused bursts, with a short break between each one. Efficiency is key. If you want practice advise, it's not about the hours, it's about how much you get done.

[doublebuzzing]

Check out 12:30 of this video. Phil Myers recommends spending 80% of your time on your strengths and only 20% of your time on your weaknesses. Interesting to think about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMpQUvig13Q" target="_blank