How to Practice
Practicing Intelligently for Efficient Results
Playing an instrument is a skill. Making music is an art. In order to effectively and artistically make music, it is necessary to build a solid foundation of skill on your instrument. As a young player, this can seem intimidating and even overwhelming. However, developing an intelligent and consistent practice routine will quickly bring surprising results, making playing your instrument a lot of fun and helping you to excel in band. Just as a professional athlete works diligently for years honing basic skills, an accomplished musician has done the same working to achieve both short and long-term goals.
Skills on your instrument can be broken down into two categories: tone and technique.
Tone – Playing with a good tone is the most important thing you can do as a musician. No matter how high, fast or loud you can play, no one will be interested in hearing it if you aren’t playing with a good tone.
Developing a good tone can be broken down into three categories:
- Equipment – try to obtain the brands of equipment your director or private teacher recommend. No amount of practicing or talent can make up for a poor quality instrument, mouthpiece or reed. If cost is a concern, a high quality used instrument is far better than a poor quality new one!
- Breathing – air is the fuel source we use as musicians to produce a tone. Breathing the same way you do when you are talking or sitting at the television is NOT enough to make a good sound on your
- instrument. You have to practice breathing so you can stay relaxed while moving very large quantities of air.
- Embouchure – the technical term we use to describe the way we place the instrument on our face and how we hold our facial muscles while playing. Embouchures are different for every instrument, but most involve keeping certain muscles firm while others stay relaxed. Since these are small muscles that are not used except when playing an instrument, it takes time to build strength and train the muscles – and routine to keep them in shape!
Technique – Your technical ability on your instrument is what turns your good tone into music. It is a collection of many small skills that work together to achieve something complex (similar to how understanding the alphabet, grammar, punctuation, and having a large vocabulary help you to communicate within a language).
- Note Patterns – music is full of patterns that occur frequently. Mastering and memorizing scales, arpeggios, and other technical studies based upon common patterns will equip you with the ability to play more difficult music.
- Articulation – this refers to the way that we start and shape a note on our instrument. Some of the most interesting aspects of music come from the variety of articulation types that are available. First, it is important to develop the ability to tongue rapidly and efficiently on your instrument, so as not to let your good tone be negatively affected by tonguing. Second, it is important to practice all varieties and combinations of slurs and articulation types (staccato, accent, marcato, legato, etc.). Apply them to your scales and other note patterns.
- Range – expanding your range (mastering higher and lower notes) is a gradual process, especially for brass. The most important thing to keep in mind when expanding your range is to maintain a good tone! Set small goals and gradually work toward them. Scales, especially 2 octave, are a great tool to expand your range.
- Phrase Shaping – this concept borders on the expressive/artistic side of music. However, you can equip yourself with the ability to play artistically by practicing common shaping techniques. Be sure that you can play your instrument with good tone at all dynamic levels. Practice short etudes that give you the opportunity to dissect a phrase, deciding where to breathe, what impact points to emphasize, and how you will employ dynamics.