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List your goals before you practice



 
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2021 10:13 pm    Post subject: List your goals before you practice Reply with quote

This is probably one of those posts which will largely get ignored. Because it's not about some hot mouthpiece or embouchure trick that'll ''boost your range overnight''. Having stated that? I'm quite certain that the following idea will produce better results in your practice session. That's if you both try it and incorporate it into your practice.

We all want to learn high notes. That and learn them fast. Well? The following idea certainly isn't exciting and it does tend to require self-discipline. My guess is that because it requires at least some real work and serious thought, as I said, it'll probably get ignored. However, I consider it one of the best ideas that I've ever had. I use it every day. Wouldn't even think of starting a practice session without it.

Before practicing.

1. Write down your goals for the day, week and month. Then list those exercises that you believe would best help assist you in developing those goals.

2. Go ahead and practice those exercises that you've decided would help you best.

3. After your session is concluded, write an evaluation of what you just performed. This could look like,

''Had a great practice session. Was able to connect the Low C to E/High C. Sound and endurance improved since last practice session''. MAke it brief.

Or if things didn't turn out so well? Write that down too. Such as,

''Had endurance issues. Wasn't able to sustain many notes above High C. Think that I may have overdone my practice session in previous days''.

Notice how the negative review offers an explanation? Be sure to include this analysis in your daily summary. Post a summary in your better practice sessions too. In order to succeed? It can be profitable to learn from our failures. So, ALWAYS WRITE A SUMMARY OF YOUR SESSION!

At the end of the month, write a review of the previous thirty days. Then as the months and seasons pass, look for improvement. That and always work to UNDERSTAND why you're moving ahead or falling behind. Why go through all this trouble?

I don't know about you, but I'm always trying to play better. At 66 years of age? I don't have as many tomorrows left as the younger trumpet players do. So I want to get everything out of myself that is possible. That and do it in the most efficient way that I can.

The above post kind of explains the process of critical thinking. That and how to apply it to self-improvement on the trumpet. Here we can profit from an ancient piece of wisdom that goes,

''If you fail to plan? Then you are planning for failure''.

I don't have time to fail. Hope that at least one person will pick up on these concepts. Have been using this plan with my students lately and it has proven to be a total game-changer. For the better. Thank you for reading! (:
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Brassnose
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PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2021 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like it. I recently started something like this after talking to my teacher. He suggested I make a binder containing all the stuff I need to practice (copies are nice to mark things). That way I don’t have to worry every day about what I want to practice - I just flip the pages and can go through my routine w/o getting lost in looking for music.

First I discussed the goals with him and then we started setting up the mixture of things to practice. So here it is:

Clarke 1
Hering excercise 8 to 10
Interval exercise
Bending excercise
Staccato excercise
Claude Gordon excercise (forgot the number, tongue level excercises)
Joy spring, including Clifford Brown solo transcript
Tico Tico (Part of the repertoire we play in the orchestra)

My teachers suggestion is to practice all of this until I really master it, then we’ll see what needs to be changed and adjusted.

Trumpet one day, bass trumpet the other day.

I’d love to have the time to practice every day … tryin‘ to.
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brassnose wrote:
I like it. I recently started something like this after talking to my teacher. He suggested I make a binder containing all the stuff I need to practice (copies are nice to mark things). That way I don’t have to worry every day about what I want to practice - I just flip the pages and can go through my routine w/o getting lost in looking for music.

First I discussed the goals with him and then we started setting up the mixture of things to practice. So here it is:

Clarke 1
Hering excercise 8 to 10
Interval exercise
Bending excercise
Staccato excercise
Claude Gordon excercise (forgot the number, tongue level excercises)
Joy spring, including Clifford Brown solo transcript
Tico Tico (Part of the repertoire we play in the orchestra)

My teachers suggestion is to practice all of this until I really master it, then we’ll see what needs to be changed and adjusted.

Trumpet one day, bass trumpet the other day.

I’d love to have the time to practice every day … tryin‘ to.


I like this and not just becuz you tend to agree with the topic. Assuming that you're younger than me (& most people are!) I envy your organizational skills etc.

Although I personally don't follow the "syllable" method for range development I still see what you're doing in a positive light. Many really good trumpet players disagree with some of my ideas. This is okay.
by me. Whatever works, right?

The time when I like to intervene is that difficult period when trumpet players are trying very hard but not improving
At this point the usual complaint is that they have reached a most frustrating and serious range limitation
Aka: "ceiling in sound". But until then? You have all my blessings.

One concern that I have related to the lessons I give, is that by promoting the collection of a personal practice record is that these students may feel like I'm taking all the fun out of the horn. So that when next Friday comes around and I see that they either didn't take notes after their practice session or (worse!) Didn't practice much at all during the interim? That the student may feel intimidate. Starting to see me as a stern preacher.

I had at least one private lessons teacher like this myself. Was back when I was a kid. True, sometimes I didn't practice daily. However at that juncture I hadn't quite "caught the bug" yet. Later around age 14 you couldn't prevent me from practicing daily.
Also, much of what I do in lessons is discuss procedure. How the embouchure works. THEN advising exercises. Always promoting the development of understanding the "Why" of an exercise. Not necessarily the result. This of course probably goes against the C Gordon method which considered analysis as paralysis.

But as I said, I don't work with Gordon's method. Nor any other pedal tone type brass system.

That's all! Keep up the good work!! (:
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Bethmike
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PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 5:34 pm    Post subject: List your goals before you practice Reply with quote

Practice with a purpose. I have goals for each week. Finger speed, range, articulation, and tone. Nothing extreme, but an aspect or 2 in each area. I am somewhat a newbie, so improvements happen weekly. I am also just a hobbyist, but becoming the best hobbyist I can be.

My endurance improves with consistent practice and proper RESTING (as someone at TH says "resting is the hardest part").

Oh, and scales. Scales and more scales.


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Brassnose
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PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In fact, I started this late(r) in my life. Going on 50 so not quite as young as I used to be but still some time ahead of me, I guess. I think a lot of it comes with experience and I had always been slow with translating experience into practical actions.

For peculiar reasons that have to do with how my brain works it is extremely helpful for me to be highly organized (not that I always am) and for some strange reasons I had been doing this for all my life except my music stuff. Only a recent discussion with my teacher brought this up and I now find it very helpful and play better (Covid not withstanding) than before: better endurance, better sound, better sound control, I hear MUCH more of what happens in the orchestra, sight reading is somewhat better, and rhythmic and embouchure control has gotten much better. Not a professional by any means but a solid amateur player good enough for first chair in the community orchestra. So, in a way it’s a systematic approach to practicing based on an analysis what I really want and need. Often conflicting with family and professional boundary conditions …
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2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
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Brassnose
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PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2021 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, PS: on what you said about taking the fun out of the practice. I actually like the routine, even scales or exercises are fine by me but I can see that this may not work with kids or younger students. Depends on who you have as a student, I guess.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
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Lionel
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Joined: 25 Jul 2016
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PostPosted: Mon May 17, 2021 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brassnose wrote:
In fact, I started this late(r) in my life. Going on 50 so not quite as young as I used to be but still some time ahead of me, I guess. I think a lot of it comes with experience and I had always been slow with translating experience into practical actions.

For peculiar reasons that have to do with how my brain works it is extremely helpful for me to be highly organized (not that I always am) and for some strange reasons I had been doing this for all my life except my music stuff. Only a recent discussion with my teacher brought this up and I now find it very helpful and play better (Covid not withstanding) than before: better endurance, better sound, better sound control, I hear MUCH more of what happens in the orchestra, sight reading is somewhat better, and rhythmic and embouchure control has gotten much better. Not a professional by any means but a solid amateur player good enough for first chair in the community orchestra. So, in a way it’s a systematic approach to practicing based on an analysis what I really want and need. Often conflicting with family and professional boundary conditions …


Another good post. Thank you.

There's a correlation between critical thinking and writing. Like yourself, have found that my thoughts tend to become better arranged when I habitually write them down on a regular basis. And I concur that this is a suggestion that probably would be more likely to succeed with older students.

And yet perhaps the use of coloring books or creative internet/software educational videos could pique the younger kids interest.

Looking back on my early years taking private lessons, wish that I could have found a teacher willing to allow me to use shallower mouthpieces. As I had pretty weak chops. Later my family moved to New England where the music director was a real lead player. A v strong high note man
His trumpets we're all using "screamer" pieces
These made the trumpets sound v professional for a mere high school Jazz band. But by then I'd switched to trombone. Where I became literally typecast. It wasn't until I got accepted into a good college music department when I finally got to play in a real trumpet section.

I probably shouldn't complain, but my musical experiences in high school were kinda depressing. I just wanted to play trumpet but the very same teacher wouldn't allow it.
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deleted_user_687c31b
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PostPosted: Mon May 17, 2021 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's certainly an interesting approach. The concept of practicing methodically and goal-driven seems sensible. Writing everything down sounds a little daunting to me though. I've never been one for meticulous planning and documenting.

Setting specific goals appeals to me though. One of the possible pitfalls of playing an instrument is that there's always room for improvement. It's easy to get into a rat-race mentality when you're always chasing the next 'perfection' without specifying for yourself what it is.
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JayKosta
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PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2021 4:29 am    Post subject: Re: List your goals before you practice Reply with quote

Lionel wrote:
...
Before practicing.

1. Write down your goals for the day, week and month. Then list those exercises that you believe would best help assist you in developing those goals. ...

-----------------------------
The method you describe could be very useful to help someone keep the 'reason for practice' clearly understood.
A possible drawback is that some 'over achiever' types might view the 'goals' as being 'must make happen' requirements. That could lead to over work, etc.
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Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2021 8:43 pm    Post subject: Re: List your goals before you practice Reply with quote

JayKosta wrote:
Lionel wrote:
...
Before practicing.

1. Write down your goals for the day, week and month. Then list those exercises that you believe would best help assist you in developing those goals. ...

-----------------------------
The method you describe could be very useful to help someone keep the 'reason for practice' clearly understood.
A possible drawback is that some 'over achiever' types might view the 'goals' as being 'must make happen' requirements. That could lead to over work, etc.


I'm among the biggest sinners of that group lol. But you're right. Overtraining is a detriment. Here's my dilemma,

Prior to my dental injury of 2018 I was a capable, strong lead trumpet. Big sound. Good enuf register. No double Cs but nice high G.

But upon restarting on the Stevens embouchure I was an absolute raw beginner once again. Except of course that I know the fingerings and read music. However I had the brain of a man well used to blowing high notes. This does not mix well with an immature embouchure. Despite knowing better? I push myself into an overtrained condition often.

Has been my number 1 issue since 2019 started.
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