The single most important key to success at horn or any musical endeavor (or life for that matter) is creating the time to let it happen. This concept sounds easy, but it is not so easy to execute. Making practice part of your daily routine requires commitment.
Daily (or nearly daily) practice is critical to becoming a great horn player. To accomplish anything, other things must be set aside. There will always be something else to do or take care of, so you have to prioritize practicing. Create-and schedule- a specific time for your practice each day. It can change from day to day, but have a set practice time. Treat your scheduled practice time as if you are meeting up with a good friend. Remember, you are investing your precious time and energy into this beautiful music because you love it. For example, a student's weekly practice schedule might look something like this: 6:00-6:30 PM Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 5:00-5:30 PM Thursday 7:00-7:30 PM Friday (optional) 10:30-11:00 AM Saturday & Sunday Many students set timers to remind themselves to practice. Excuse yourself from other activities, including texting and phone calls, and remind everyone that now is the time you have committed to your horn playing. In my experience, the earlier in the day you practice, the better the practice quality. Most of us are more alert and have more energy, focus, and patience earlier in the day. When your body is relaxed you breathe better, which also improves your playing. Plus, you may be able to add a practice session later in the day if your first session is early enough! :-)
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For the true young beginner just starting to play the horn, I recommend only 5-10 minutes of practice a day for the first few months. Older beginner students will profit from 10-20 minutes of practice per day.
After a few months, beginners can gradually build up a repertoire of simple exercises, solos and etudes to practice regularly, so 10-20 minutes a day is a better goal. After the first year of playing students can practice 15-40 minutes a day, depending on their age. More advanced horn players may practice between 45 minutes and several hours a day. Longer practice times are most efficient when divided into several sessions. Expectations need to align with the experience of the player: Playing a musical instrument involves so many different parts of your brain! Practicing is not only playing and having fun: it's also hard work. Be patient and celebrate each little step. Remember that in the beginning, the brand new player is akin to an infant, learning to roll over, sit up, crawl, etc. Walking will come soon enough.... In addition, I ask students to try their best to practice every day of the week. Daily (or nearly daily) practice is essential for building beautiful tone and lasting endurance. If you plan to practice 7 days a week, when "life happens," we usually still manage to get five good days of practice per week. Of course there are weeks when that doesn't happen due to holidays, illness, scheduling conflicts, etc., but trying to practice every day often gives us the ability to average five good practice days each week. |
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