Week of April 6th Lesson
“GETTING IN SHAPE! Developing a Personal Practice Routine.”
We all know that practice is the key to developing a musical skill set but unfocused practice can be frustrating. Horn-on-face is a good start to establish a practice routine but without goals, gets old quickly.
Unfocused practice is like getting in a car to go somewhere but without knowing exactly you’re going, how long it will take, or if you even have enough fuel or money to get there…in other words, you’re not going to get very far and you’re wasting time.
“So, how do I start a practice routine?” “What is a practice routine?” “Is it the same for everyone?” “How long should it take?”
There are some common parts to a practice routine, like, consistency of time, material, location… but these also can vary for different people. Your routine might be shorter or focus more on technique than that of a professional musician… some might spend more time on upcoming music, while others may focus more on scales and finger technique… practicing is like fashion, there are different fits for different people.
The Lesson
Watch the following youtube video and read/review the 3 articles on practicing. These articles are written for beginner, high school, and college level musicians. There’s also a live webinar with Patrick Sheridan (internationally famous tubist) on April 9, 1pm central time (link below).
After reading and watching this info, go to https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=j8uWO0wXZUuC61zDi54GbK__kbROGdBIqiSJ9m7WOUxUMElKS1hFNkxaTThMMlQ1Ukw1RFFTOExWMy4u
and answer these questions using complete sentences (in other words, fully explain your thoughts);
- After reviewing all these sources, what are the common parts of a practice routine? These may be called different things by different people. Identify the areas and describe their importance or role in the practice routine.
- Are there differences in the practice routines presented here? If so, what are they? Are the differences in the order of items practiced? Music or materials practiced? Time commitment for practice? Describe these differences and explain.
- What skills or techniques did you learn to incorporate into your practice routine? How do these help?
- Create a practice routine that fits you and is level appropriate for your current quarantine skill set. Label each area of your plan and include the amount of time for each section, the material to be practiced, and an overall amount of time for daily (or almost daily) practice…Your plan should be something you can easily commit to with the goal of maintaining and building your skill set for a May return to full band playing.
- Have a question or want us to review your practice plan? Email us.
Websites / Videos
– https://youtu.be/mdTldMNVOfU
– Patrick Sheridan Live Webinar from Jupiter/Mapex Virtual Education Series
Thurs. April 9, 1pm CT, https://event.webinarjam.com/register/7/8v49wfw
– https://www.creativelive.com/blog/make-band-practice-more-productive/
– https://www.utc.edu/faculty/donald-zimmer/daily-practice-routine.php