5 Hacks to take your Brass playing from frustration to fabulous!
Have you ever wondered how other people just become these fantastic musicians? Especially in high school with zero amount of time in between classes, rehearsal, studying and sports (or football games). If you are a Senior, it becomes even more difficult to manage your time with college auditions, honor bands, and competing musically.
I know that was me. It isn't a secret around here that I have a learning disability and often have a hard time focusing on my playing (sometimes hyper-focusing) but I always wondered..
How do you maximize your time? Is there a way to focus better without doing the same boring routine every day? Am I present when I am practicing?
When I was in college I would spend HOURS rehearsing to be perfect. My body and mind would shut down after 30 minutes and the rest of the time I spent in frustration and pain. Why was my body doing this? Why can't my brain focus like others?
Before listing your tips below, add one last sentence that sums up your paragraph or offers a smooth transition to your listicle.
Tip #1 - Get in the right mindset. I always suggest doing some light stretching and breathing before doing any tasks that are mentally taxing. It really helps you focus! And as a person with A.D.D, I need all the help focusing that I can get.
Tip #2 - Set a timer:
Set a timer on your phone or device to help you keep pace and stay focused! I suggest setting it for every two minutes.
"I practice and work hard at my music, but I'm not saving lives here".- Harry Connick JR
Tip #3 - Practice Scales:
I know that a lot of teachers out there try to make practicing fun. Sometimes it is, other times it's not. I am not going to lie, I loathe practicing scales myself ( my students think I love them), but they are the ESSENCE to any understanding of musical patterns. That is why I practice my scales so I can take some shortcuts when I need to so I can save my brainpower for music that is super challenging.
*Do the scales that AREN’T your best, FIRST.
Write them out on these sheets like these below.
Or you can use notebook paper and write them out.
Use each box to represent a Letter of the Scale.
For Ex: the first line on Image 1- C D E F G….
Tip #4 - Mix it up
When practicing etudes or music, do the parts that you aren’t great at.
(Slow the tempo down. Divide the marked tempo by 2 to find the new tempo.)
Here is my special four-step process that I personally use.
You’ll need some different colored pens, pencils, or highlighters.
Bracket all of the measures that are the same in one color. For example, Rhythm. Find the same rhythm (even with different notes), then bracket as seen below in purple.
Find where the accidentals are and highlight them in some way. Circle, highlight, or use stars to indicate where the accidentals are located. Draw your attention to it.
Find the measu
res that have a scale pattern to them and bracket those in a different color. See below; highlighted in orange.
Write the name of the scale key at the top.
Tip #5 - Finish strong, not perfect
Review what you did. Remember it doesn’t ALL have to be perfect. It can be certain sections and then piecing them together at the end. Practice is progress!
The journey of being a musician
Remember that being a musician will come with its frustrations. You are also training your brain to coordinate with many areas of your body to work in tandem. Be kind to yourself.
I sincerely hope this helps you on your journey to becoming a more efficient musician!
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