BEFORE YOU START PRACTICING
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When you practice you are working on an effort that will
involve your full being; body, mind and spirit. We
are all accustomed to thinking of a practice session as
a function that improves the mental abilities and we are
mindful of several aspects in the physical realm.
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As we
improve our technique we learn more about the spirituality
of making music. Often we neglect the physical discipline
beyond the obvious nature of musical skill. Careful
attention needs to be directed toward staying relaxed in the
parts of your body that are used specifically for music
making and those which seem as though they aren't.
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PHYSICAL WARM-UPS
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If you studied ballet, gymnastics, track or other sports
you probably learned some good warm-ups. These are a
good way to get ready for your practice session. If you are not familiar
with any, you may want to try some of these.
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Sit on the floor with your feet stretched apart. With
a flat back, sit up as if there were a string running
through you, pulling your body straight. Lay your head
as close to your left knee as possible and reach for your
left toes with your hands. Look up and glide your body
with your chest as close to the floor as you can. Place
a hand on each foot. Now glide your body so that your head
is close to your right knee and reach for right toes with
your hands. Repeat this a few times trying to get your chest
closer to the floor each time.
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Stand up straight, hold your left arm in a curve over your
head and your right arm curved downward. Your
arms should resemble a letter "s". Bring the left arm
half-way down and the right arm half-way up. Then as you
bring your right arm curved about your head, bring your
left arm curved downward. Repeat this a few
times.
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Stand up straight with your feet apart and your arms
stretched above your head. Slowly lean as far as you
can to one side and then to the other.
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Set your metronome to 100. Silently count the
beats to yourself, slowly breath in, filling air in the
bottom of your diaphragm first. Make a mental note of
how many beats it took to fill your lungs. Slowly exhale
trying to match the same number of beats as you empty
your lungs. Now take a cleansing breath. This
warm-up is good for string players, too.
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PRACTICING TIPS
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It is very important that your practice area be a place that suits
your learning style. Some people prefer a room without
distractions and others like a cozy atmosphere. Decide through trial and
error or from self awareness what kind of environment seems to
suit you.
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Personally, I think it is good to train
others in your household that your practice time is sacred and
not to disturb you at that time. Good luck with this one.
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For many it helps
to have something to focus on for inspiration, a
picture of a great musician, a bust of an admired composer, a
picture of the instrument you wish you could afford, flowers, or
art. Use your imagination to find the things that will help you
find purpose during your practice sessions.
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It is not necessary to practice in the same place every time. A
change of surroundings and acoustics can be very helpful. You might
move around to different parts of
your practice room to get different accoustical perspectives.
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Your special practice area should always have a metronome. It
is a helpful habit to practice in front of a mirror frequently. You
should have a chair or stool that is comfortable.
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Try to make a yearly appointment with your repairman to make sure
that your instrument is in good playing condition.
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Have a place
in the room where you can store the necessary accoutrements
for your instrument; rosin, valve oil, throat remedies.
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Good lighting is paramount
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PRACTICING TECHNIQUE SEMINAR
HOW THE BRAIN WORKS
MAXIMIZING PRACTICE TIME
STAYING HEALTHY
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