Staff Directory

Band-Why Practice?

Sep 16

My first ever blog entry. I figure I should make it a band one.
Practicing your instrument is essential to a long and happy life in band. Playing an instrument relies heavily on the muscles in your face and hands memorizing positions much like how a basketball player must practice his throws to help his muscles remember what to do without having to think about it. Over time, your fingers will be able to play faster and more accurately without you even having to think about it.
Also, the muscles that you use in your lips and face need to be developed and strengthened in order to produce a good consistent tone. For percussionists, the muscles of the forearm need to be developed in the same way in order to play faster and cleaner.
Playing regularly also helps foster a deeper interest and appreciation for your instrument. You will notice yourself getting better, and you will be encouraged to practice and play at home more, which helps you get better. Its a cycle. If you make your at-home practice fun by playing music you like (go to a music store and buy a play-along book with some music that you like is a good way to do this) you will never feel like practicing is a bother.
There is a negative cycle though, if you don't practice you will find that others in the band move ahead of you which causes you to get discouraged and so you can loose your motivation to practice, which causes you to practice less and so on and so on.
A good practice routine is to set yourself up in a quiet area of the house free from distraction. Star with scales and long slow notes to warm up. Next, play through the tough parts from the music we are playing in band, this includes any playing test material out of your books. Finally spend the last half of your practice time on songs you like to play (I recommend music with a play-along CD as it is more fun).
Your official practice quota for the week is 100 minutes. This is a minimum. To really improve on your instrument you should practice 30 minutes a day. This can be tough though, but try your best. I remind students of the importance of practicing, but I encourage parents to remind them at home too.
Good practicing!