What to practice?

trumpetchops · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 2645

Should I always look for new stuff or keep playing the old stuff and try to make it better?

JohnL · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:52 pm Post subject:

BOTH!!!

trumpetmike · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:20 pm Post subject:

Here is what I do;

I like new challenges, so I try to start at least one new piece each month. I find that this helps me keep me on my toes and makes sure my brain never gets too bored with playing (highly unlikely!). Through doing this I am able to get a rough idea of what new pieces I might like to add into my recital repertoire.
I try to vary what sort of new pieces I bring out. Sometimes it will be a cornet solo (well, they are sooo much fun), other times a piccolo trumpet concerto.

As well as these newer pieces I like to keep a fairly large number of pieces in my repertoire, covering all periods of music, from Renaissance recorder music I have arranged, through to 21st century pieces. On average I carry about 10-15 pieces with me, depending what I have got coming up.

The way I think of my repertoire is to put together a few lists;
The pieces I could perform today
The pieces I could perform in 3 days
The pieces I could play in a week
The pieces I could play in a fortnight
The pieces I could play in a month
The pieces I could play in 3 months
The pieces I could play in 6 months.

It is very satisfying to see pieces move up the lists as I get to know them.
This was the way we were taught to think about our repertoire whilst at university. Their thinking was that you should always keep the standard repertoire (Haydn & Hummel are probably top of the trumpet player's lists) in the first three or four categories (anything up to a fortnight). Should anyone ever need a dep at the last minute, you will be able to stand in.

Once you have got a piece into the top four categories, the thinking is that you should try to keep it there. Onec you have got a piece up to performance standard I find it relatively easy to keep it there, at least easier than getting it to that standard in the first place.

It doesn't always work, but it is a lovely theory!

trumpetchops · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 2645

I have a bunch of concertos down, and I try to slip in a new one now and again.

I was thinking more of stuff like Arbans or Clark or Charlier.
I pull them out every now and then and work them up. It doesn't take very long to polish them again.

I have not worked on any new studies in a long time.

_PhilPicc · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 3:41 pm Post subject:

I always look for new stuff.

Try "Saint-Jacome's" grand method part II published by Carl Fischer. It's very good and a nice change of pace from the ones you listed.

Enjoy,
Phil
_________________
Philip Satterthwaite

We cannot expect you to be with us all the time, but perhaps you could be good enough to keep in touch now and again."
- Sir Thomas Beecham to a musician during a rehearsal

tcutrpt · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 3:54 pm Post subject:

I think it's largely a matter of your personality. If you can play the same studies day after day and still benefit and not lose focus over time, then it is perfectly alright to keep playing the same exercises. If you tend to get bored with studies and lose focus, switching to a different fundamental book or varying the studies will help keep things fresh and keep focus. I tend to be ok doing the first way, but every once in awhile change is a good thing.
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Matt Cyr
trumpetmc@gmail.com