 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: vin
Date: 2005-03-01 18:32
For those of us that put in 3-5+ hours of practice a day- Does anyone have any tricks to maintain focus? There are players who recommend practicing a warm-up/technique and then hitting repertoire, not finishing one part until one can play it, and those who allot a certain amount for each piece, breaking up the learning of it over a course of days. Of course one has to "just practice until you can play it," but it is difficult to mentally stay in the game all the time. I have found that setting an alarm every 45 minutes reminds me to take a break and keeps me aware of how I am using my time. I am interested in what everyone's routine/system/tricks/call-it-whatever-you-want-if-you-don't-like-my-terminology.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2005-03-01 19:00
Keeping a practising journal/program definitely helps. First write down your goals- long term (the next 5 years), medium term (this year) and short term (this month/week). Then split your short term goals into weeks, and eventually days and hours. Once you know what you need to practise TODAY, and can split that up into your practise sessions, you will have very clearly defined goals for what you need to achieve. This should really help you stay focused in your practise session.
This goal-setting approach also takes some getting used to. Often, especially amongst ambitious people, your goals will be too high. You need to learn to set realistic goals. Practising every day for two hours with specific goals in mind is much more productive than practising for 6 hours a day with a vague hope of improving.
I personally doubt that practising 5+ hours a day is really worth it for clarinetists. You could spend your time a lot more productively doing some kind of mental rehearsing. (I could talk about that but it's a whole new topic). Another great way to use your time is to analyse and discover better ways to solve the problems that you are facing. If you weren't able to achieve what you set out to do in the practise session ask yourself WHY you weren't able to do it? Was your goal too high, or do you need to find a new approach? Speak to other musicians, have lessons and play for other teachers (not just clarinetists). I realise now that I spent much too much time practising as a student rather than doing these other things.
In the end many people can become good clarinetists. But how many people become really great musicians? Take time out to read about composers, musical forms, harmonic analyses, performance practise. LISTEN to as many concerts as you can, and listen to lots of CD's. Don't just listen to clarinet recordings. Listen to great violinists, singers, pianists, conductors, ensembles, etc. etc.
I think I've said enough...
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Author: Elizabeth
Date: 2005-03-01 19:25
Wow liqourice! I'm not the one to post alot, but I had to say great post!
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-03-01 20:03
I used to practice the hard spots in my music- over and over and over again, for hours sometimes. I found that I never got better (I'd switch up the rhythms, play it backwards, upside down, forward, slow, medium, up to tempo....every which way [except sideways [tonge] ]) because your brain just shuts down.
I'm still working on my practice regimen, but what I like to do is start with rhythm warm-ups, to warm up the instrument and to get my fingers moving. Then I do tonal exercises until I feel I have adequately tuned and worked on my intonation practices. I then begin work on scales and baermann. Then I work on band/orchestra pieces. I usually practice anywhere between 1-5 hours, depending.
I feel like when I break up my practice time, it's easier for me to get things done and my brain can focus. I will practice for about an hour, put the clar. down and eat. 1/2 hour later play again. OR sometimes I'll swab it, put it away, and come back like 5 hours later. it all depends. but sometimes 3,4, even 5 hours straight fries the brain...
-Lindsie
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Author: claclaws
Date: 2005-03-01 20:18
Thanks for another great advice from you, Liquorice. I remember having read your posts before, they were so helpful.
And may I quote it on my clarinet blog.
Lucy Lee Jang
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Author: Dano
Date: 2005-03-01 20:27
Sometimes the words we use to describe things makes a difference. I try to look at "practice" like sort of a rehersal. I can sometimes almost jump into the "audience" to hear what I am doing. It keeps me from feeling the blandness of "practicing" for a long time. I don't like using the word "practice". I also never use the word "nervous" before playing a gig. I would rather say that I am "excited". It just puts me in a different frame of mind. Whatever you call it, it is still practice and you can't get away from the fact that focusing can become difficult. Shorter periods of practice sounds like a remedy also.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-03-01 21:43
I split it up. An hour and a half here, an hour there, maybe some half hour block inbetween, etc. etc.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2005-03-01 22:28
Practicing 4 to 5 hours daily in a stretch is costly, the ability to focus is the price to pay. It's doubly challenging when you are focusing on a small selection of music.
I would break it up into 2 or 3 shorter sessions throughout the day and set goals for each short session. For example, work on fingering techniques in session 1 when you are the freshest, tone and phrasing in session 2, and try a new piece in session 3 for building continuing interests. The body needs a break and learns best after it.
Another trick that helps me stay focused/interested in to play the various sizes of clarinet. Practice the same pice of music on Bb, alto, bass, and contra ratately gives you new perspectives and keeps up the interest. It also gives the instrument/reed a "rest" too, believe it or not, they also get tired after a hour of hard practice and need the rest.
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-03-01 23:54
Liquorice ... you are spot on about spending valuable time acquiring general musical experiences. My old, sadly passed away, teacher Francis Bonetti used to make me go to the library and research each composer whose works I learned and write half a page about them, plus put them into context by naming contemporary artists, sculptors, engineers, scientist philisophers and other important thinkers living at the time.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-03-02 05:41
Record yourself with a minidisc etc... every day.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-03-02 06:41
While such dedication is admirable, there is more to being a clarinetist than hours on end in the practice room. Walk around. Socialize with other musicians, or *gasp* non-musicians. There are plenty of clarinetists with great chops out there, but it's often a "who you know" world. Find some other interests, broaden your horizons.
Alternatively, nothing helps a person understand music like trying to write some yourself.
Five hours in a day without significant breaks kills my chops, and can't be good for my wrists. The law of diminishing returns starts to kick in quite fast after a couple hours. Granted, such endurance is great, but it should be kept in balance.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: vin
Date: 2005-03-02 19:02
I am in full agreement about developing other aspects, but just about every great clarinetist put in a ton of time every day (I personally do 4 a day and find 5 to be too much for me, but there are others who do more well). Anthony McGill is quoted as having done 5 in high school. Learning how to use this time better (something we can all do) is very valuable and I thank everyone who has posted thus far. When you are a working musician, you don't always have time to do anything other than eat, sleep, rehearse and practice. You are absolutely right about walking around and reading making you a more complete musician; however, not being prepared means no work and this is fixed by practicing well.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-03-03 16:16
There's no doubt that a lot of practice is required if you're on the career track. However, there is quite a bit of food for thought in these posts, and I'd like to put in my own two cents' worth--having never practiced 4-5 hours per day myself, and having not been on the orchestral career track.
1 - Watch out for physical consequences. There's a reason that they call them repetitive stress injuries. You're definitely going to have to learn how to relax in the practice room.
2 - If you're going to put in more time, widen your focus. We graduate droves of players every year who burn themselves out in pursuit of the fastest tongue and the darkest sound, but who can't play outside of laboratory conditions. Use some of your extra time to learn to play by ear, and to understand how music functions in various styles. There are a lot of clarinetists out there, and some make the majority of their money on saxophone.
You can successfully combine ear training with practice and it can provide you with some amusing puzzles to work. This might help to give you a break from the tedium of your repetitive practice and make the whole process a little more stimulating intellectually.
3 - Spend some time in the world, so that your mind doesn't get trapped in the practice room. You don't know where life's circumstances are going to take you, and it's important to be able to function in environments other than the ideal one that you have envisioned for yourself.
Keep your eyes on the prize but keep your feet on the ground.
Allen Cole
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