Band Practice Help!
Practice: A "How-To"Guide and Workbook for Students- A GREAT resource when you are stuck!
Eight Things Top Practicers Do Differently
Before you start playing, make a list of what you want to work on. This will give you a plan and keep you on track. It will also help you to manage your practice time. Always work on things that are difficult and end your session with something that you play well.
2 – After you stop think about the following
3 – You will make more progress on your instrument by doing 4-5 shorter practice sessions than trying to cram it all in on one day. Playing an instrument well is about repeating things until your fingers, lips, hands and ears know what to do. Just like an athlete we have to develop muscle memory for things to become effortless.
4 – Repetition is the key to learning anything.
5 – You may reach a point where you have your band music learned. This a good thing. At that point, work on lines in your band book or ask Ms. Steklac for music.
When you think you have nothing to practice, try one of these techniques!
Record yourself and listen for tone
Long tones (listen for best sound)
Brasses buzz on mouthpiece
Articulation exercises
Watch embouchure, position, shoulders in mirror
Snare buzz stroke
Snare rudimental practice
Use a tuner on the notes we tune in class
Long tones with dynamic changes
Check posture/instrument position
Brass lip slurs
Subdivide while playing
Tap and count
Count and finger
Sing (solfege) and finger
End with a run-through
Look for patterns
Count out loud
Work on small chunks
Take out the slurs
Use our subdividing exercise
Start slow, then faster
Isolate one small aspect
5 times in a row no mistakes
Record and listen for mistakes
Say (tah) or hiss and finger
Silent foot tap while playing
Add one note at a time
Practice with metronome (www.metronomeonline.com)
Count in your head
Play rhythm on one pitch
Mark key signature notes
Play with tuner, holding out each pitch…listen & tune
Work on end, then back up
Eight Things Top Practicers Do Differently
Before you start playing, make a list of what you want to work on. This will give you a plan and keep you on track. It will also help you to manage your practice time. Always work on things that are difficult and end your session with something that you play well.
- Tone builder (lips slurs, long tones)
- Scale – any exercise from your scale page counts for this
- Band music, current preferably
- Other skills
- Songs from the book
- Other songs, or other music that you are going to be working on.
- Solo & Ensemble Music
2 – After you stop think about the following
- Did it get better?
- Is there something I'm confused about?
3 – You will make more progress on your instrument by doing 4-5 shorter practice sessions than trying to cram it all in on one day. Playing an instrument well is about repeating things until your fingers, lips, hands and ears know what to do. Just like an athlete we have to develop muscle memory for things to become effortless.
4 – Repetition is the key to learning anything.
5 – You may reach a point where you have your band music learned. This a good thing. At that point, work on lines in your band book or ask Ms. Steklac for music.
When you think you have nothing to practice, try one of these techniques!
Record yourself and listen for tone
Long tones (listen for best sound)
Brasses buzz on mouthpiece
Articulation exercises
Watch embouchure, position, shoulders in mirror
Snare buzz stroke
Snare rudimental practice
Use a tuner on the notes we tune in class
Long tones with dynamic changes
Check posture/instrument position
Brass lip slurs
Subdivide while playing
Tap and count
Count and finger
Sing (solfege) and finger
End with a run-through
Look for patterns
Count out loud
Work on small chunks
Take out the slurs
Use our subdividing exercise
Start slow, then faster
Isolate one small aspect
5 times in a row no mistakes
Record and listen for mistakes
Say (tah) or hiss and finger
Silent foot tap while playing
Add one note at a time
Practice with metronome (www.metronomeonline.com)
Count in your head
Play rhythm on one pitch
Mark key signature notes
Play with tuner, holding out each pitch…listen & tune
Work on end, then back up
