Re: Essential for Daily Practice


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Posted by Rick Denney on June 30, 2003 at 12:51:12:

In Reply to: Essential for Daily Practice posted by Scott on June 30, 2003 at 09:43:42:

I will ignore the "should be" which you apparently did not intend, judging from your response to Russell. I'll tell you what I do, as a hobbyist who is quite accustomed to the "two steps forward, one step back" mode of progress.

By the way, only in my dreams can I practice every day.

When I do have a few minutes with the tuba, I usually do long tones and intervals, lip slurs, flexibility exercises, multiple tonguing, scales, solos, and stuff in the current band folder. Occasionally, I'll read out of etude books and other sight-reading materials. If I have 15 minutes, I do long tones, lip slurs, a round of scales, and whatever I need to be able to play at the moment that is giving me problems. If I have a half hour, I add the flexibility exercises and more general current-folder music. If I have longer, then I do it all, including at least two solos (or excerpts) that I can play and one or two that I cannot (yet), emphasizing more the musical interpretation in the former and the technical issues in the latter. I choose materials such that the stuff I can't play extends my range.

Sometimes I'm not in the mood for rigor and I just start playing the music that is on my mind as soon as I'm mostly warmed up.

Are my priorities in order? Doubtful, based on the results. When I do it five days a week or more, I improve.

Rick "who has not improved in the last couple of months" Denney


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