Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2012
9
Developing Positive Practice Habits
…The Pathway to Qual i ty Music Making…
Remember the first time you
tried to ice skate, or water ski, or
roller blade, or PLAY A CLARINET?
Can you recall how awkward it
felt, how awkward YOU felt?
We all know mastering any skill
requires time-on-task. (Aside
from those choice few individuals
who we have labeled “naturals.”)
Can you remember your college
curriculum requiring “the learning
of other instruments” and the
struggle you experienced trying
become proficient at performing a
long stroke roll or developing an
acceptable sound on the bassoon?
What is it that puts some people
ahead of others? Certainly “talent”
plays into it. Some people have an
innate ability to throw a football
and/or play a piccolo, but—for
the most part—it is a matter of
embracing the fundamentals of
practicing. Doing the same thing
over-and-over to map the mind
so the given process begins to feel
“natural.” To date we have found
no substitute for repetition, so the
key to developing greater expertise
lies in the willingness to invest
personal time-and-energy with a
disciplined desire to accomplish a
higher degree of competence.
Having enjoyed the opportunity
to observe some of the finest
professional musicians in action, it
is always interesting to learn about
their off-stage habits. What do they
do that others do not do? All of
these wonderful players are firmly
entrenched in a rigorous practice
schedule; nothing
deters them from
this important
aspect of their
daily activities.
And what are they
practicing? They
are playing those
same exercises we
all learned in our
various methods
classes in college.
Their execution
is nearly flawless,
but they do not
deter from the
ongoing repletion
of those tried-
and-true basics
that have served
many artists throughout history.
You probably recollect the
popular old anecdote about the
young trombonist who visited
New York City to hear his favorite
musical hero in concert. As he
made his way through the streets of
NYC he got lost, so he walked up
to an elderly gentleman sitting on
a park bench and inquired, “How
do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The old
fellow looked up and responded,
“Practice, man, PRACTICE!” There
is more truth than humor in the
shared answer.
There is no shortcut to playing
a trumpet; it is
matter of putting
the instrument
to the lips and
beginning the
endless journey-
o f - e x e r c i s e s .
Once the mind
accepts
this
reality, it is
a matter of
DEVELOP ING
P O S I T I V E
P R A C T I C E
HABITS and
being true to
the on task time
c o mm i t m e n t .
Thirty to forty-
five minutes
each day can (and will) produce
a measurable difference within
a month; within six months it
is dramatic, and after a year it
can be astounding. Buying a new
trumpet won’t do it; buying a new
technique book won’t do it; talking
about playing the trumpet better
won’t do it. There simply is not any
instant success back doors to better
trumpet playing.
Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
Whi le every student
would love to
open-the-case and have
the wherewi thal to
play whatever music
is put on the stand, i t
simply doesn’ t work
that way.
. . .as teachers, [we] can
bring to their l ives
the understanding of
the priceless value of
DEVELOPING POSITIVE
PRACTICE HABITS;
i t is a GIFT that wi l l
serve them throughout
their l ives.