"Rest as Much as You Play"

[Craig S]

Please, forgive me for the what will certainly be to many a naive question, but what does this saying mean? I keep reading it in posts on here, but it's not an idea that I'm familiar with. I'm just getting back into playing, after nearly two decades. It's not something that was stressed to me in middle or high school. So, I would like someone to explain it to me.

I understand that it doesn't mean play for 20 minutes straight, then rest for 20 minutes, and repeat. That would do little. But, does it mean do a warm up, then don't play for a couple minutes, work on a tune or exercise, then not playing for another couple minutes (maybe working on fingerings or phrasing while not playing), etc.? I'm just hoping that an understanding of this concept will help me to not tire out my chops so quickly until I can strengthen them back up.

Thanks in advance, and, once again, I apologize for the elementary question.

[BeboppinFool]

Particularly in the early minutes of your playing day, try playing one measure, resting one measure, repeat that procedure several times and rest for a moment.

Now play two measures, rest two measures, repeat that procedure several times and rest for a moment.

Now play four measures, rest four measures, repeat that procedure several times and rest some.

If you play jazz, try playing a 12-bar blues, rest 12 bars, play 12, rest 12, etc.

Eventually you will be able to build up the amount of time with the horn against the lips, but starting with baby steps can be very helpful to most players.

When you're just playing those first few minutes of the day, if you can try to take the horn off your face while you still feel fresh, your chops will "remember" that fresh feeling. If you play and play and play until your chops are fried, your chops "remember" that crushed feeling.

Which makes more sense to you?
_________________
Puttin’ On The Ritz

[khedger]

Rich is right, and as you progress as a player you might find yourself doing things like playing through an etude, then resting for about the length of time it took to play through it before playing it again or moving on to something else.

It's just a good common sense measure to keep yourself from overextended and wearing your chops out and damaging them. When you get to the point that you do your short rest and then restart and still feel really fatigued, STOP PLAYING. Either resume your practice the next day or at least take an hour or two to rest......that's when you do your piano practice

[Nonsense Eliminator]

First of all, I wouldn't say this has to be a mathematically exact relationship. Sometimes I rest a little less than I play, sometimes I rest a LOT more.

But I "rest as much as I play" on two levels. Within a practice session, I play something, then I take a little break. Maybe that's one long tone, maybe that's a page-long etude -- but when I'm done, I rest. Sometimes I check my email, sometimes I sing through the passage or otherwise engage with what I just played or am about to play. But, as Rich says, the objective is to avoid teaching yourself to play "crushed."

Then, after 20-30 minutes, I put the thing down for a while. So in an hour, the trumpet is at hand for 30 minutes and on my face for about 15 -- give or take, depending on what I'm doing. When I play my routine, I might not take any long breaks, just 5 minutes or so every now and then to, I dunno, post something on Trumpet Herald...

Time for Clarke!
_________________
Richard Sandals
NBO

[Craig S]

Thank you all for the responses. I appreciate the insight. I did a little of this last night, and I was able to add some time to my practice session. I will definitely try some of those ideas to extend my practice time without killing my chops, which can get frustrating. I'm already employing Nonsense Eliminator's idea (I'm typing this during my practice )!