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Do you have days off practicing? |
Never or almost never |
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23% |
[ 11 ] |
Sometimes, but never intentionally |
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27% |
[ 13 ] |
Intentionally, but quite rarely (once a month or less) |
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31% |
[ 15 ] |
Intentionally and often |
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17% |
[ 8 ] |
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Total Votes : 47 |
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Olijo New Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2022 Posts: 4 Location: Finland
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:03 am Post subject: Days off practicing |
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Hello!
This is my first post to this forum I used to play trumpet for 8 years when I was a kid. Then for maybe about 8 years I played only maybe once in few months, or even less. Then little over a year ago I started playing again, as often as I could. I found my motivation again. After getting used to practicing often, I started noticing that if I had days off every now and then, I would have a better tone, versus practicing every single day. And if I had a long streak with no days off, my tone would suffer, and I would only get frustrated and I would learn slower.
So here's my question to you! Do you ever intentionally have days off? Or is it probably just a sign that I play with too much effort and strain my chops too much if I get a notable benefit from days off? If you sometimes have days off, do you have them regularly (like once a week or something) or do you take a day off only when you feel like you need one?
With days off I don't mean unintentional days off. I think all of us have those sometimes. I mean days off that are a part of your training, and that you don't play even though you could. _________________ B&S Challenger 3137, Thomann TR 25
B&S 7c, A&S 3c, Monette B6LD S1 |
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trickg Heavyweight Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2002 Posts: 5677 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:54 am Post subject: |
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My practice schedule has been all jacked up for a while, so there really isn't a category up there that works for me.
There was a time when I'd literally go months without a day off of the horn - even on days where I'd really banged myself up the day before, I'd do a warmup of sorts at the very least before I put the horn away.
That was at a time where there was always a gig around the corner and that's what I did for my job. I'm very much a gig-oriented player - I'll practice every day if I have a gig coming up, but otherwise I find myself distracted doing one of a myriad of other things or hobbies I have going on in my life.
Ideally, if I was back in that phase of life again where I was working as a musician with a gig around every corner, I'd do what I could to practice daily, but I'd have to structure it so that I didn't overwork my chops, which is something that happens much more readily now at age 51 than it did at age 21. _________________ Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler
"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP |
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patdublc Heavyweight Member
Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1050 Location: Salisbury, MD
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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I'm pretty loyal to practicing. I practice most every day and spend most of my time on fundamentals. I spend very little time rehearsing music. However, there are some days when I'm really tired and just don't feel like practicing.
What does change about my practicing habits is upcoming gigs. For example, if I have a Messiah coming up, I'm sure to spend time on piccolo trumpet each day. If I have a music theater show coming up, I will modify my practice to the requirements of that show. If it is something like Les Mis or Into the Woods, I'll spend more time on C trumpet. If it is something like All Shook Up, I'll spend a lot of time dialing in my high range. _________________ Pat Shaner
Play Wedge Mouthpieces by Dr. Dave exclusively.
Experiment with LOTS of horn makes and models. |
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TrumpetMD Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2008 Posts: 2412 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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I practice daily, 45 to 90 minutes. I take off about once a month or so, either because my work schedule precludes practice that day, or if I'm recovering from a heavy gig the night before.
Mike _________________ Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns. |
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Jaw04 Heavyweight Member
Joined: 31 Dec 2015 Posts: 900 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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I play some rigorous loud gigs and sometimes take the next day off. I also sometimes get into really obsessive practicing for a couple days and then purposely take a day off. After taking the day off, I feel extremely strong. But most of the time, I play a lighter more moderate amount consistently each day and don't take days off, but will sometimes just get in 10-15 minutes.
If you are nervous about taking time off, please have the mindset that a day off the horn will not do you any harm.
On the flipside, if you are taking multiple days off every week, understand that building more consistency will be of great benefit to you. |
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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2022 2:26 am Post subject: |
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90 minutes a day everyday. Mornings 30 minutes fundamentals. Afternoons 60 minutes playing music. Occasionally I miss an afternoon practice when I have other commitments.
George _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet |
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Olijo New Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2022 Posts: 4 Location: Finland
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Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2022 4:28 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for all these replies. It seems that daily practicing without many days off is possible and good for some people. However, I assume that most of you who never take days off, mostly know pretty well what you are doing, like not straining your chops too much every day.
It's true that if I take multiple days off, I easily start to lose my touch in some parts of playing. But one day off can be good for me if I've played a lot. If I had a little more consistence on how I practice, I could maybe play every day without overly fatiguing my chops and frustrating my mind. _________________ B&S Challenger 3137, Thomann TR 25
B&S 7c, A&S 3c, Monette B6LD S1 |
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Seymor B Fudd Heavyweight Member
Joined: 17 Oct 2015 Posts: 1469 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:35 am Post subject: |
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Getting older (someone would call me old)has meant that practicing has become the general rule, everyday. When I was working fulltime I generally took 2 weeks off the horn in connection with vacation coming up. I thought that I had to allow my poor chops a rest. Simply got fed up!
On the other hand, young lips didn´t seem to require that much practice.
Well, before concerts I practiced a lot. The Brassband concerts and my front row chair meant that I should know the music almost by heart.
Also playing front row means that you will have to put down a fair amount of "lactid acid training" - few musical enterprises are that demanding in terms of an ability to withstand getting too tired.
Then there is the technical stuff that has to be "internalized"!
So in reality two challenges: 1)developing stamina 2)keeping up dexterity (Besides all the other requirements).
Short interludes may be possible but good enough chops seem to be surprisingly perishable.
Nowadays, I differ between "Concert mode" and "Everyday mode". Probably a result of this bl-y covid. I came to the conclusion that not practicing might result in a too steep uphill when the 'show' started again - on the other hand practicing my usual 3 hours does not seem reasonable. So I´ll side with Georg B: - 90 minutes. Somedays the spirit is more willing...
So here I am, every day lifting that horn practicing, longing for if not Norwegian fjords so the next bigband&brassband rehearsal. March??? _________________ Cornets: mp 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974) |
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giakara Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 3832 Location: Greece
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:47 am Post subject: |
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Usually If is possible I rest once a week after a heavy schedule of rehearsals,gigs and studio sessions (not practice, morning warmup one hour routine only) when I am not working for long periods like the quarantine days I also make a day off after 3-4 hours of daily practice for six days, I had periods that I was playing for 6-10 hours a day without a break for months and this is not very pleasant for me...
Regards _________________ Lawler TL5-1A Bb 2015
Lawler TL6-1A Bb 2004
Lawler TL5-1A Bb 2003
Getzen eterna 910 C
Getzen eterna 850 cornet
Selmer Paris 3 valve picc
Yamaha 731 flugel
Carol mini pocket
Reeves/Purviance mpcs |
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