Practice Tips
Practice is repetition that makes permanent. Therefore, our goal in practicing is to make the correct skills permanent. Playing music over and over and not correcting mistakes teaches a performer to make mistakes. This is not the desired outcome in band!
Good practice habits include:
1. Practicing at a scheduled time. Make room in your day for band homework.
2. Warm up slow and low. Play slowly before playing fast material, and play low notes before playing high. Muscles need time to get the blood flowing through them, and forcing high notes or loud sounds can do damage to muscles in the embouchure.
3. Spend time on things you cannot do as well as things you can do. No one learns new skills without trying them in home practice time.
4. Play slowly, counting carefully to learn difficult passages before playing fast.
5. Work to memorize music by naming notes, imagining how the music looks in your mind, and repetition.
6. Practice the way you will perform: Good posture, using a harder chair (not the edge of a bed) and a music stand will increase your progress and allow you to breathe correctly.
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