 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-18 04:48
I don't know if this topic has been posted before; I did a search and got overwhelmed with results that weren't it
How much does everyone here practice, on average? I do between 1 and 2 hours a day, usually.
Those people who can practice for 6-8 hours a day- HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO IT? I can't concentrate for that long, especially when I'm only working on a few pieces.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2003-10-18 08:13
I believe you just answered your own question, Rachel.
You need to practice for as long as you can concentrate. No more, no less.
In my opinion, one to two hours A DAY is A LOT of practicing. There may come a time when one or two hours won't be enough. If that day comes, and it rarely does for most of us... wonderful - go with it. However, I feel that, for now anyway, when you feel you must practice so-and-so many hours a day it won't be fun for long; it'll soon become a chore... and, if/when music ceases to be fun... what's the point?
Keep it up and you'll be quite surprised to discover you've succeeded in smothering your enthusiasm :(
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-10-18 10:17
I'm at a 'serious' music college, and I do a very intense 1 1/2 to 3 hours a day, but that is MAXIMUM. Because, in total, adding rehearsals, I probably play for more than 6 to 8 hours in a day.
Intense practise & working hard at it is MUCH MUCH MUCH better than forcing yourself to practise for 8 hours a day doing nothing at all.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-10-18 14:14
Kinda hard to practice that many hours, and have any other interests.
If you're getting results, improving and feel a continuing desire to play...
... keep at your regimen.
If you need intensive drills, try something focused like tonguing exercises.
That sort of thing will translate into skill with more interesting passages.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: wyatt
Date: 2003-10-18 14:37
i practice about 10 to 15 minutes 10 times a day. i have my clarinet right by the computer and when it is downloading or whatever i can pick up the horn.
what ever works. or better yet whoever works gets the job done.
peace–
bob gardner}ÜJ
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ClaRiNeT_CaNdY
Date: 2003-10-18 18:07
i believe in practicing smart rather than practicing haRd... its how essential the practice is, not how long it is
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: vin
Date: 2003-10-18 22:06
I usually do 3-4 hours unless I have a concert that day and then I do 2. When I was in school and even now, maybe once a month, I will do about 6 hours. I remember when I first began practicing a lot, it took me forever to get from one hour to three hours. Now, I do a warm-up and Baermann scales, which takes an hour. Then, Opperman or Kroespch exercises, other legato exercises, rapid staccato exercises and/or etudes for another hour. then usually orchestral excerpts and solo music for another hour and finally music that I have to play in orchestra or chamber music concerts. If I have extra time and no rehearsal that day, I sightread and practice transposing (yuck). I have a very clear idea of what I want to accomplish and so 3 hours actually seems like nothing at all. I usually don't do more than 4 so I can keep my lips fresh, but the most important thing is to stay mentally aware and keep specific goals. With so many things to practice, I actually don't spend so much time on one thing, unless I vary my routine and do one particular thing like crazy for a day or two. At a certain level and if you are playing with little or no hand tension, it's all about mental concentration and the level of motivation. I can't stand hearing myself sound bad and I do everything in my power to prevent it (although sometimes doom is inevitable!)- but I do this for a living and love it profusely- it's all the motivation I need.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinet_mike
Date: 2003-10-18 22:23
I only do about 30 mins to an hour everyday mainly because that's all the time I have open. As long as you can get in what should be required durring practicing and do it right your good to go. I usually do long tone warm ups, scales, run over pieces for upcoming performences, and sight reading. Inedition I do some music theory stuff on my own when at home. I overall play from 1-4 hours everyday depending on rehearsals.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-10-19 01:00
Anybody practising for 6 hours every day is putting themselves in great danger of repetitive injury both physical and mental. This almost Zen like devotion is admirable but I wonder about the productivness after more than a couple of hours. Practising 1 or 2 hours before a concert does not sound like a good idea. Just a warm up, a check the reeds to be used and a quick run through the technically troubling bits should be enough. A short daily stunt including warm ups , tone development, reed break in and some technical exercises to keep the fingers going. It often sounds to me like some people make practising the end rather than the means to an end.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-19 07:53
I agree with all of you who are saying that you should do as much practice as you need to get by- that is what I do.
I still have no idea how you could pratice for hours and hours each day, though, even with doing a whole lot of scales and exercises. When I was doing AMEB exams, I did practice scales, but I only did about 1/4 of an hour a day on them. I prefer not to do a whole lot of technical studies- they get VERY repetitive, and I lose concentration- if I have a flaw in my technique, I prefer to resolve it by working on it within the context of a piece.
The reason I asked about practice was just because of curiosity. And I asked about practicing for hours and hours because I cannot concentrate on ANYTHING, even music, which is THE most fun thing in the world, for that long.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2003-10-19 15:20
Being older now, I rely on quality rather than quantity and practice only the sufficient amount of time it takes to master the task at hand. Warm-up consists of running through all of the major scales in thirds and diatonically for three octaves, slurred, tongued (single and multiple) starting on low E and progressing upward by half step through Eb (and the related arpeggios). The chromatic scale from low E to double C--slurred and tongued. These are all done from memory and the focus is not speed but eveness between notes in terms of tempo and quality. My tuning meter is also always on. I then play an etude with long, slurred legato phrases for breath and finger control, and to work on endurance, which I have found--over the years--to be the biggest challenge in maintaining ones musical "edge". Currently playing "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"--simple, but effective--sometimes two or three times before "things" feel "right" musically. Intonation, beauty, musical perfection and physical endurance are the goals, not simply mindless technique.
After that, I then practice my current performance repretoir--orchestral, wind ensemble, solos, etc--until I can either play them without error or feel that I have made significant progress from yesterday's practice. I then work on new reeds, wetting, rubbing, scraping and balancing until the nieghbor's barking dog makes me stop for the day. Usually, this whole process lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours which still gives me plenty of time to complete my daily "honey do" list and walk my choc. lab--which does not bark as I play but just sleeps (like some of my audiences do).
But the entire emphasis is on focused quality practice, working as much "good" practice into the shortest amount of time. Anything more than that would take all the fun out clarinetting--and be quite unproductive.
For extra fun (and to further antagonize my neighbors non-musical dog), I practice a little jazz sax--love those altissimo scream'n harmonics. On sax, what I lack in "good" I make up for in volume. But I also love my new bass clarinet, and it is edging out the sax for extra fun (and my neighbor's dog does not bark as much.......hmmmmm)
But soprano clarinet will always be my main instrument and "we" spend quality time together every day--but only for as long as it takes to play the music and have fun doing so.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-10-20 02:53
To clarify what Rachel said AMEB exams are run by the Australian Musical Examinations Board and are notorious in the woodwind syllabus for the sheer amount of technical work required. I have had students pull out of exams at the last moment because they have just not reached the technical work standards even though their performances of the set pieces were of a high level. 7th, 8th and Associate diploma exams have technical requirements far in excess of what is needed in real life and it causes me a great deal of consternation when I see students suffering early signs of repetitive injury, and burn out, just from trying to meet exam requirements. Practice should be enjoyable and should also be exactly that, PRACTICE. Performance should be the end goal.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-20 06:39
That is why I stopped doing AMEB exams, because the amount of stress I was going through because of them was damaging my playing quite badly. I am now doing less work, and progressing faster than I was when I was doing them.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sömeone
Date: 2003-10-20 12:42
How about Trinity London? I had my grade 3 clarinet exam last year.
With satisfoctory results......i suppose. Anyway, i was wondering, since AMEB is of such high standard, i do not know if it is appropriate for me to continue to take the syllabus on Trinity or take a trun for it.
I now currently study mainly oboe but i would still like to continue my clarinet studies if possible but i would like to know the best for future career purposes.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-10-20 15:23
If you want to prepare to make your living as a player, you have to practice all day, every day. In the liner notes for the Boston Records CDs of Harold Wright, his wife remembers that he did nothing but practice, and would even run out the back door when someone came up the walk, so he wouldn't have to interrupt his practicing to speak to anyone.
Richard Stoltzman practices up to 9 hours a day.
David van Vactor, the former conductor of the Knoxville Symphony, began as a flutist in the Chicago Symphony. When I asked him whether he played flute much any more, he said "Not nearly as much as I'd like to -- I'm lucky to get in 2 hours a day." And he no longer played flute in public.
For most of us, that's crazy . The normal human body can't withstand that much abuse, and very few people have the single-mindedness to do it. Certainly I don't, which is why I don't make my living as a musician.
I play music because it's the most fun of anything I've found. To be a pro, you have to keep at it even (and particularly) when it's not fun.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-10-20 15:53
I would guess in order for it to be less of a toll on your body, you could readjust your schedule to include MULTIPLE practices for the day. Instead of a three hour shot of practicing, maybe you could wake up and do an hour of just long tones, scales, etc. That'd be a sort of "basics" practice since we all should know scales and arpeggios well (even though I for one don't).
Then when you get home do about ten minutes of warmup and practice for another hour. If you feel up to it, practice another hour before bed, or take that previously mentioned afterwork/school/duties hour and extend it to two or so.
Voila. Three hours a day, without it FEELING like three hours of practice a day. And if you want more time, that's up to you. Maybe you can do three TWO hour stints a day, thereby doubling my suggestion. And two hours at a time doesn't seem like a lot, does it? Just a suggestion.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-10-20 16:42
Hey William, talking about putting your audiences to sleep, here's the perspective from one audience member who sits beside me and irritates me by sleeping during a performance - my husband. He says that the music is so beautiful that it relaxes him and so he nods off. Is that supposed to make me feel better? I still try to get him to take a nap before we attend a concert.
And to the question of practicing - I try to practice some each day. Having a non-musical job and also a family makes hours of practice each day out of the question. When times are good, about 2 hours go by before I realize it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-21 03:16
I think that if you have a decent technique (ie you know all your scales etc, you have a good sound, you can get a good response across the full range of your clarinet, you can move smoothly between registers) you shouldn't need 9 hours practice a day even to play at the scarily high standards required of professionals.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2003-10-21 21:05
Less than I should, embarassed to say, and I can tell when I miss a day.
I would like to have an upper lip like Stoltzie but 9 hrs a day....forget it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: RWW
Date: 2003-10-21 22:25
I have great difficulty motivating my students to practice every day. I know, I suppose if I could make clarinet playing more rewarding, they would WANT to practice. But I only see them once a week for half an hour. After much discussion of the importance of practicing, some still come for their lessons having not practiced at all. Anybody have a novel idea how to encourage them to practice more??????????? Some kind of reward system perhaps??
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-10-22 00:47
what age are your students? This would greatly affect what rewards or methods would be necessary.
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-22 02:10
I am NOT trying to take any shortcuts. I DID practice all my scales and technical work and I now know them well enough that I don't need to spend hours and hours on them.
And I would appreciate people not trying to tell me how I should learn. I learn things better in the context of a piece. I have been playing for 10 years, I should have some insight into my learning process by now.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: allencole
Date: 2003-10-22 04:15
One thing that helps younger students going is playing by ear. Besides its intrinsic value as a skill, it forces the player to spend more time on the horn trying to figure out the song. It also develops a strong appreciation of the need for scales.
Allen Cole
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ned
Date: 2003-10-22 04:33
"Richard Stoltzman practices up to 9 hours a day."
Seems excessive, what would he actually need to DO, for 9 hours every day?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ned
Date: 2003-10-22 04:43
"Yes, technical practice is repetitive and boring. That's why there are so many people who won't do it. There is a name for those people. Amateurs."
Whoa - hey there - I'm an amateur - slightly pejorative statement, I think. Some of the other amateurs I know are very skilled players.
Are you saying that ALL amateurs are classified as such [by you] because they don't practice? Your statement needs a little clarification.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2003-10-22 04:48
You can whittle a lotta reeds in nine hours :|
- ron b -
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-10-22 08:30
John Kelly,
I'm sure it was just figurative. He's trying to get across the point that pretty much in order to become a professional and leave the amateur world where we ALL start, you have to be willing to learn the basics, in this case we were talking about scales and stuff, first and practice them daily.
It was more of a statement of you have to repetatively practice scales to leave the amateur realm, not that you're THERE because you don't practice scales.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-10-22 14:02
To echo SWN, John Manassee gave a wonderful chamber performance this past Summer and was asked by the kiddies in tow about achieving an homogenous sound;
His gentle reply was along the lines of extensive practice.
In addition, he confided that he seeks relaxation when possible and balances the demands of professional playing with playing with his kids.
"They won't stay little for long." said he.
It takes an exceptional family to tolerate the lengthy regimen of practice.
When would someone on that pace get any exercise? C'mon...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-10-22 17:22
I work professionally in recording, orchestras and as well with small ensembles and when not doing this probably do about 1 hoour and 1/2 a day mostly on Opperman and Rose as well as tougher scales and arpeggios for a warm up.
Beware of RSI or carpel tunnel when symtoms appear!!
I am a firm believer in a relaxed performer is a great performer!
David Dow
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-23 01:28
I DO PRACTISE MY SCALES, ok? Just not everyday. I fail to see the good of practicing 9 hours a day on things that I know back to front. It seems as pointless as making someone who is reading 500-page novels recite the alphabet 5 times a day. I would rather spend my practice time learning stuff that I don't know, and thus improving my playing.
I also realise that a musical career is not all fun and games. I did not choose to try and become a professional musician because I thought it would be easy.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ClaRiNeT_CaNdY
Date: 2003-10-25 11:27
I practice a few times a week, sometimes every day if there's some performance or something. i Try to fish out time for practice.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
