Practice

[sparkling_quavers]

How much do you practice out of the rehearsal room?...be honest!!

[Heather]

I have put 3/4 times a week and I try to stick to it but I have to be honest and say I struggle as I also have 2 children to look after.
I take my hat off to the ones who practice seven days a week.
I'm sure if I could manage it I would be a better player but I'm happy as it is and think my life outside banding is important too!!!

[Keppler]

usually 5 days a week, but I'll be honest and admit that it mightn't be the world's most productive practice...

try for an hour - usually works out at about 45 mins...

[picju96]

I've put 7 days a week coz I do, but not on band practice, on solo pieces. Does that count?

[cornetgirl]

I try and practice most days, but I also like to practise my other instruments too so I have to be honest and say it's usually about 3 times a week.

More to the point....how LONG do we all practice for? I aim for at least an hour.

Rach x

[HBB]

I hardly ever have time to practise - I'm always doing something else y'know!! With GCSE's and hmk and stuff trying to get to band can sometimes be a problem, even more so when we have to go early for sectionals on more days than usual - but hey, I'm probably just making excuses for myself:D:D:D:D:D:D:?


Cheers

Ben ;)

[PeterBale]

I must confess to not practising anything like as much as I should. As a BBb bass player, without my own transport, there are obvious difficulties involved, but I know that is only an excuse, really. I do try to do some breathing exercises most days, and will someiimes manage an extra session in the bandroom on a weekend, particularly if there is anything tricky in the pad. With the saxophone, in theory my first instrument, it tends to come out for a few sessions in the couple of weeks before I have to play it out anywhere.

[BoozyBTrom]

I try to practice everday. But I dont go at it for 1hr 2hr solid. What I do is play for 20mins take 15mins off. Play for 20 mins take 15mins off. I schedule it round watching telly ( sad I know ) and my practice time takes about 3 hours but im not blowing all the time. Same as in band. And i feel my lip is stronger for it.

1st 20 mins long notes practice mute in.
2nd arban and langley bashing.
3rd go through my blazavich
4th solo stuff and warm down

plus i do breathing and diaphragm exercises at work. ( im sat down most of the time and it relives the tedium of work)

[Hornblower RN]

I have a "blow" for 20 mins to 2 hrs daily depending on how I feel on the day........however I'm retired from work and have plenty of time on my hands. When I was working (travelling salesman) I practised every night in a hotel with a practise mute in. What's the old saying? If you leave it alone for one day (PRACTISING :oops: ) you know about it, if you leave it alone for two days the band knows about it and if you leave it alone for three days the whole world knows about it!! :roll: :roll: :roll:

[hornblower]

I average at 4 times a week, plus the two rehursals...I practice 30 mins a day and if working weekends that's it, if not an hour on sat and sunday :)

[satchmo shaz]

I try and have a blow about 3or 4 times a week, but I conduct as well so ...... depends how much time I have . sometimes its everyday like when I have a show or just once or twice!

[sparkling_quavers]

this is making me feel guilty :oops: :oops:

[ComeBlowMyHorn]

Being at the RNCM I have to set aside a number of hours for personal practice per day.

On average I'd say around 2 hours for personal practice, on top of that either a personal lesson with my tutor at college, horn class with all the Tenor horn players at college, college band rehearsals or chamber ensembles.

When I have a performance platform (solo recital) coming up, in a few weeks for instance, Im trying to do as much as I can with three new pieces to prepare :cry:

I do have a life honest!! lol

[Aidan]

debatable ;)

i do something like that too... probably a bit less as i spend a lot of time travelling to and from rncm!
and the practise i do get in, tends to be in arfon's kitchen!!!

[euphemism]

How much do you practice out of the rehearsal room?...be honest!!

Practise - well I reckon - every day - and I probably miss only 1 or 2 days a month.....

duration - some days 15 mins - but if I don't get a good hour or so once a week - I'll make time at the weekend.....

Just wish the kids practised too - but good ol' Satchmo Shaz teaches them for me once or twice a week...now they have played the finals and qualified at the regionals they are as keen as ...... whatever is really keen...but still don't practise that much.

And I still get to have a work out on drums once or twice a week....... hey at least I don't get bored !!!!

[jonford]

With all the distractions around, such good T.V :wink: Its hard sometimes to motivate myself.

I especially find it hard to practise on a band night, cos if i dont do it before I wont do it after. If i do anything after band it is normally finishing college work. When I can I try to do about an hour a day but it ends up more like an hour 4/5 times a week. If I happen to have my instrument at college and I am free I will do a bit of practise then (if theres a free practise room!!) , but because college is far away on the bus I get home fairly late, and after Ive done some work its nearly time to go to band.

Look at me making excuses! but i think u kno what i mean, its definatly easier to practise during the holidays, and especially after exams are over for another year!

[spookybiking]

if i don't practice alot i will sound a lot crapper than i am.

[neiltwist]

'practice'. i'm in a philosophical mood. if you play your instrument, is that not practice? be it at band or at home? the way I see it, you can practice to get better, not everyone does, or you can 'go through the motions' to keep your lip in (as at band). both types are equally important for getting better, as are days off for your muscles to relax and rebuild. I don't think you should ever practice 7 days a week, but undoubtedly people do, say the week before NYBB (those solos need to be perfect!). but recooperation is as important as practice, just as quiet is as important as loud.

[You wanna blow my what?]

I try to practise as much as I can, being at music college, but I get lazy over the holidays and it takes me weeks to get back into it! :(

[Lisa]

Seeing as it has just been the Easter hols i've been really lazy and hardly practiced at all! But normallly I practice about 6 days a week because my teacher at college is terrifying! :shock: I turned up at my lesson several weeks ago having not done a lot of practice and he was telling me off continously for about 20 minutes. He was sooo scary that I will never turn up for a lesson again unless i've practiced loads!

I also agree that practicing lots in small 15 or 20 min slots rather than one long practice is better - I'm able to get more done this way as my lip doesn't tire so quickly.
I find that playing every single day is probably bad as I need a day to let my lip muscles relax! :D :hammer

[Soppy]

I usually practice about 6 days (that's including band). I try and do between 50min-14hr when I do, but 'cause of homework and exam revision sometimes I only manage 30mins.

Like Lisa I break it up into 30min slots, because I used to have trouble playing for a little while then going back to it. This has helped solve that.

[Sueee]

With all the distractions around, such good T.V :wink: Its hard sometimes to motivate myself.

I especially find it hard to practise on a band night, cos if i dont do it before I wont do it after. If i do anything after band it is normally finishing college work. When I can I try to do about an hour a day but it ends up more like an hour 4/5 times a week. If I happen to have my instrument at college and I am free I will do a bit of practise then (if theres a free practise room!!) , but because college is far away on the bus I get home fairly late, and after Ive done some work its nearly time to go to band.

Look at me making excuses! but i think u kno what i mean, its definatly easier to practise during the holidays, and especially after exams are over for another year!

tut tut :P u wouldnt find me makin excuses :wink: honest(!) :twisted:

[asteria]

I tend to alter my practice around band rehearsals, like this week we only have tuesday off band in the run up to the grand shield so i probably won't do any practice other than that one day off.

I'm finding it more and more difficult to find the time to practice, so i've started doing 10 mins or so each day with my practice mute just to keep my lip in. When i do practice properly (only once or twice a week now) its more intensive because its shorter - i actually work on stuff rather than just playing it through. I find that using my time better makes as much progress as slogging away for hours.

Out of interest, how many people use a practice mute at home? I hate using mine, but i don't think the neighbours would be too impressed if i didn't!

Helen

[Wonky_Baton]

Never practised at home since I was about 13 years old, which is about 27 years ago now. This probably explains why i took up conducting. I find practicing on my own boring and it is much more fun in a band environment. As long as my band dont find out there shouldn't be a problem!! :roll:

[SoloBaritone]

I try to drag myself into uni to practise every day. I live with a trombone playing practising freak and she makes me feel bad if I don't! I've just had an hour playing lesson, lots of fun!

Jayne

[Lisa]

Out of interest, how many people use a practice mute at home? I hate using mine, but i don't think the neighbours would be too impressed if i didn't!

I have tried using a practice mute before but I find them really horrible! It seems to make my tone go really horrible and thin and just generally makes my playing worse rather than better. Hearing yourself play through one of those electric ones is really awful as well! :dunno :dunno :dunno <- awww, how cute!

[Aidan]

what?

[BoozyBTrom]

I use a practice mute as part of my routine. i use it to work on production and sound control. I find it really useful

[geordiecolin]

i wish i could afford a bass practice mute!!
i sympathise with everyone who has trouble practising at uni. often practice rooms are not readily available and people in halls are hardly understanding!! livig it a house is better but i still do my housemates heads in. they seem to think practice is all tunes and detest listening to long notes and lip slurs!!

this have inspried me to go ad have a practice right now since i'm home alone

[angie]

i try to practice every day and if i dont have time its because im out and if im out im at a rehearsal or concert... so i play most days if i can.having said that the last time i played my cornet was er.. :? .about a week ago though i have been tres occupied with a levels and such. but i have been keeping lip in by playing some ridiculously high trumpet concerto with my school orchestra.dont like trumpets they're too long grrr :x

[You wanna blow my what?]

My mate's dad made him a practise mute out of a Wilkinson "vase" (so it was called!) and he drilled holes in the right places & put blu tack round the top, and it works perfectly! cos them £1!

[satchmo shaz]

My mate's dad made him a practise mute out of a Wilkinson "vase" (so it was called!) and he drilled holes in the right places & put blu tack round the top, and it works perfectly! cos them £1! he ought to manufacture them and sell them!!, I know someone who makes bucket mutes for trombones for less than a pound!

[frisp]

i wish i could afford a bass practice mute!!
i sympathise with everyone who has trouble practising at uni. often practice rooms are not readily available and people in halls are hardly understanding!! livig it a house is better but i still do my housemates heads in. they seem to think practice is all tunes and detest listening to long notes and lip slurs!!

this have inspried me to go ad have a practice right now since i'm home alone

Just don't buy Silent Brass (when you're rich) unless you really have to-I've got one because I live in a semi and don't particularly want the neighbours to hunt me down with dogs and crucify me (and I never had the chance to try before you buy).

You hear a strange version of your own sound and getting your intonation right is extremely difficult-not to mention the fact that you look like a real dickhead with a small dustbin attached to your bell end- oo-er Matron!

All it has going for it is my neighbours don't hate me any more than they normally would and I don't have regular visits from the Police telling me to 'shut it'.

[mel]

I practice 3/4 times a week, its not always productive but feel guilty if I don't get my cornet out of the box. My daughter plays most days and I think I can say that it has payed off as she has now surpassed me in ability so obviously worth putting in the work

[Nik_The_Insane]

hmmm practice, to be honest with you, since moving from cornet to bass I must admit after the 1st few weeks to get my lip in, I haven't been doing a lot of practice, I think mainly cause living in a 3 bed semi it aint all that fair on the neighbours!

But now summer is here and if you are in the North Bristol area, you may well hear me as i sit out the garden having a practice, annoying the whole neighbourhood, not just those next door! :twisted:

[Daniel Sheard]

Move to the country! My nearest neighbour is about 1/4 mile away. I can practise whenever I want.

So why don't I? Good question. I suppose its partly that I don't play as well now as I did when I was at university and doing concerts twice a week. Whenever I do practise, I'm dissatisfied with how I play, and it gets into a vicious circle.

I'm making a real effort to get out of the habit now, though.

Daniel Sheard
Northop Silver

[ian perks]

3/4 times a wek but when we go to contest 2/3 weeks before practise 6 times a week.:-D

[stevetrom]

[QUOTE=HBB]With GCSE's and hmk and stuff trying to get to band can sometimes be a problem, QUOTE]


Wait till you have to work for a living !!!


I'm rarely home before 7 in the evening and leave before 7.30 every morning so fitting in practice is always a problem

please don't suggest wekends or I will have to set the wife, kids, cat , etc on you

[jpbray]

4 times a week plus 2 rehearsals plus lesson. Also does anyone have a beer while they are practicing?

[davidquinlan]

does anyone have a beer while they are practicing?

Practicing Drinking .. yes..

Practicing Trumpet/Cornet/Sop .. no...

[lynchie]

I practice every day, whenever I have nothing better to do (and watching Richard and Judy no longer counts as "something better...") but our neighbours are very nice about it, and usually say how much they enjoy it (ego boost!). I'm sure once I've started Uni I'll have to find somewhere more isolated to practice... then again, they do have a lot of fields...

[LeDragon]

I try to practice every day, even if its only for a little bit. I found it extremely hard to motivate myself during the recent summer break we had from band though!

[Well Worth It]

I try to practice every day.....
If you don't quite manage it.....well at least you tried, mate!! :D

[Griffin]

I aim to practice every day, even if its only 10 mins. The day before a rehearsal i'll take it easy - i've given myself a lip bashing and the next day at rehealsal bin s**t because I can't play longer than a min at a time without me lip goin'!

If you make it part of a routine - it becomes easier - you'll feel guilty if you miss one!


http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/anym/pyth.gif

[stripybananas]

i feel out of place now - i practise everyday - i feel bad if i don't, and enjoy doing it too! I often practise in 45mins-1hr slots depending on the success of the practise and how i'm feeling. and i'll normally do anything between 3 and 5 hours practise a day depending on whats going on. But then I'm at school only doin one A-Level subject so i have a tonne of time in school with some top notch practise facilities which helps alot!

[TuTuKu]

Yea, I try and play everyday, so it works out that I practise at home around 4 times a week. I don't play at home on days when I have band or a lesson. But recently things have been a bit hectic with college and uni applications so i haven't practised as much as i'd like!