"Tackling the Monster:" Twelve Practice Tips from Wynton Marsalis
(With some explanations by Ms. Mattison)
1. Seek Instruction--We always hear about the self-taught musicians who make it big without any assistance, but the truth is that so few of these people exist in the world of professional music. For most of us, we can get to a high skill level based on our natural talent, but that talent isn't enough when you hit a musical plateau or wall; private teachers can help you get past these frustrating moments on your instrument. While your band directors are knowledgeable musicians who can help you with general tips and tricks, they often see 60 or more musicians at a time in rehearsal, and they can't give you the one on one time that you need. In addition to private instruction, seek out heroes on your instrument and read articles written by them, purchase recordings made by them, and watch them perform. You can learn a lot about what your instrument is capable of when you find these musical heroes.
2. Make a Schedule--Setting up a practice schedule will help you accomplish more on your instrument in a shorter period of time; agendas help you eliminate wasted time working on music and techniques that you don't need to practice. Also, set aside a regularly scheduled practice time so that you can get into the habit of practicing. When I was first starting out on trumpet, I hated to practice, but I loved to watch television. My father made a deal with me that I could watch a show as long as I practiced during the commercials. During the first commercial, I would work on a specific scale to memorize it and make it perfect--during the second commercial, I would work on pieces from my band method book. With this plan, I started to make a lot of progress on the trumpet, and I was sounding really good. I found that the better I sounded, the more I wanted to practice, and eventually, I was watching only two or three minutes of TV, and practicing my trumpet for an hour. If you don't like to practice, set an agenda for yourself, and you will find that you will become more efficient and waste less time. You may even like the product enough to learn to enjoy practicing.
3. Set Goals--Successful people in all walks of life share something in common: they set goals for themselves. When making goals, think about the word SMART. Set goals that are Specific; they are easier to accomplish than general goals. Set goals that are Measurable, so that you know when you have accomplished the task. Attainable goals will keep you from being frustrated in your practice. Be honest when setting Realistic goals that are Timely.
4. Concentrate--Believe it or not, outside distractions can be heard in your performances and practice sessions. If you’re thinking about the stack of homework that you need to finish for math, you can’t be thinking about the Major Sixth interval that is giving you issues. If you’re concerned with the drama that is taking place between your two best friends, you’re not able to to correctly subdivide that passage of septuplets in your concert music. Having the TV or instant messenger on during you practice time will cause you to lose effective practice time. Some people are easily distracted by smart phones in their practice space. Get rid of internal and external distractions; find a quiet place to practice where you won’t be bothered, and leave your issues at the door. Many professionals sing their parts in their minds, and focus on making sure that the sound that comes out of their instruments matches the sound in their heads.
5. Relax and Practice Slowly--In this fast-paced society, we often forget that superior performances are the product of hours of slow, methodical practice. Musicians are small muscle athletes, and must treat their practice time like a weight-lifter would. Nobody has ever walked in on their first day of weight-lifting and bench pressed 400 pounds--they start at a manageable weight, and increase it every day. Musicians must do the same with practice tempos. Slow your tempos down to a manageable speed where everything sounds good and where you can play a section cleanly ten times in a row. Increase your tempos by 3-6 bpm every ten reps, and you will find that you’ll be playing everything at a performance tempo cleanly after a few practice sessions.
6. Spend time on the parts that you can't play--It’s human nature to avoid working on the skills and concepts that we don’t do well. Nobody likes to hear themselves sound bad, but the truth is, you will continue to sound bad if you never work on the hard stuff. We only improve through working on the parts that we can’t play. In order to make these challenging passages more attainable, isolate the tricky spots. If you’re only struggling with one interval in a phrase, then work on those two notes until you can play it every time--then add notes, one by one, until you’re playing the entire phrase. The worst thing you can do in your practice is to always start at the top left hand corner of the page and finish at the bottom right hand corner without stopping to make corrections. You will forget about what needs to be fixed, and you will also waste time on parts that you already know that you can play. 90% of your practice session should be spent fixing the tough spots; 10% can be spent perfecting the performance. Notice that in our group rehearsals, this percentage also applies. We rarely just run a piece a music from top to bottom.
7. Play Musically--If you strive to sound musical every time you pick up your instrument, you will be inspired by how good you sound. Even if you’re working on the so-called boring stuff like scales and long tones, make them sound like a concerto. Use your scales to develop proper phrasing; use long tones to develop vibrato or pitch control--whatever you do, don’t just go through the motions. That creates truly boring performances. Play with expression and put your all into your craft. Perform--but most of all, never let a bad sound come out of your instrument!
8. Don't be hard on yourself--This is a tricky practice tip. While it’s important to set a high standard for ourselves, there is a scary point in some musicians’ lives when they always feel that they are never good enough. If you reach that point, stop and relax. You will reach your standard, but it may take a longer or more challenging journey. Remember the common expression: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” And don't be afraid to fail; when we mistakes, it allows us to learn and grow from those mistakes.
9. Don't show off--Most people don’t sound great when they show off. There is no benefit to playing as loud as possible, as high as possible, or as fast as possible. The best way to impress others is to play well. Also, be confident, but humble as well.
10. Think for yourself--Trust yourself, and be honest with yourself. If you have a method that works for you and you're getting a musical product, keep doing it. (On the other hand, don't dismiss your coaches and teachers because you're being lazy). Also, you are an important member in the group, and your contribution is important--don't let others do things for you. Don’t let your peers influence you negatively or tell you what you should be doing. Stand up for yourself, but don’t let your emotions get in the way of working with others. Ask questions about things you don’t understand. Don't watch others practice--take out your instrument and get to work for yourself!
11. Be optimistic--With a effective practice schedule, you will meet your goals. Also, your instructors will often give you feedback on your performance. Don’t mistake negative feedback from your instructors as criticism of your character. Your instructors have the job of making you a better performer, and sometimes that involves hearing things that we don’t like to hear about ourselves as performers. Trust that your instructors are here to make you a better musician and to prepare you for your life outside of high school.
12. Look for connections--Practice your scales! They frequently show up in your music. Beyond that, apply your fundamentals and prior knowledge towards learning new music. When you make connections, the music making process goes faster and smoother, and it becomes more enjoyable.
1. Seek Instruction--We always hear about the self-taught musicians who make it big without any assistance, but the truth is that so few of these people exist in the world of professional music. For most of us, we can get to a high skill level based on our natural talent, but that talent isn't enough when you hit a musical plateau or wall; private teachers can help you get past these frustrating moments on your instrument. While your band directors are knowledgeable musicians who can help you with general tips and tricks, they often see 60 or more musicians at a time in rehearsal, and they can't give you the one on one time that you need. In addition to private instruction, seek out heroes on your instrument and read articles written by them, purchase recordings made by them, and watch them perform. You can learn a lot about what your instrument is capable of when you find these musical heroes.
2. Make a Schedule--Setting up a practice schedule will help you accomplish more on your instrument in a shorter period of time; agendas help you eliminate wasted time working on music and techniques that you don't need to practice. Also, set aside a regularly scheduled practice time so that you can get into the habit of practicing. When I was first starting out on trumpet, I hated to practice, but I loved to watch television. My father made a deal with me that I could watch a show as long as I practiced during the commercials. During the first commercial, I would work on a specific scale to memorize it and make it perfect--during the second commercial, I would work on pieces from my band method book. With this plan, I started to make a lot of progress on the trumpet, and I was sounding really good. I found that the better I sounded, the more I wanted to practice, and eventually, I was watching only two or three minutes of TV, and practicing my trumpet for an hour. If you don't like to practice, set an agenda for yourself, and you will find that you will become more efficient and waste less time. You may even like the product enough to learn to enjoy practicing.
3. Set Goals--Successful people in all walks of life share something in common: they set goals for themselves. When making goals, think about the word SMART. Set goals that are Specific; they are easier to accomplish than general goals. Set goals that are Measurable, so that you know when you have accomplished the task. Attainable goals will keep you from being frustrated in your practice. Be honest when setting Realistic goals that are Timely.
4. Concentrate--Believe it or not, outside distractions can be heard in your performances and practice sessions. If you’re thinking about the stack of homework that you need to finish for math, you can’t be thinking about the Major Sixth interval that is giving you issues. If you’re concerned with the drama that is taking place between your two best friends, you’re not able to to correctly subdivide that passage of septuplets in your concert music. Having the TV or instant messenger on during you practice time will cause you to lose effective practice time. Some people are easily distracted by smart phones in their practice space. Get rid of internal and external distractions; find a quiet place to practice where you won’t be bothered, and leave your issues at the door. Many professionals sing their parts in their minds, and focus on making sure that the sound that comes out of their instruments matches the sound in their heads.
5. Relax and Practice Slowly--In this fast-paced society, we often forget that superior performances are the product of hours of slow, methodical practice. Musicians are small muscle athletes, and must treat their practice time like a weight-lifter would. Nobody has ever walked in on their first day of weight-lifting and bench pressed 400 pounds--they start at a manageable weight, and increase it every day. Musicians must do the same with practice tempos. Slow your tempos down to a manageable speed where everything sounds good and where you can play a section cleanly ten times in a row. Increase your tempos by 3-6 bpm every ten reps, and you will find that you’ll be playing everything at a performance tempo cleanly after a few practice sessions.
6. Spend time on the parts that you can't play--It’s human nature to avoid working on the skills and concepts that we don’t do well. Nobody likes to hear themselves sound bad, but the truth is, you will continue to sound bad if you never work on the hard stuff. We only improve through working on the parts that we can’t play. In order to make these challenging passages more attainable, isolate the tricky spots. If you’re only struggling with one interval in a phrase, then work on those two notes until you can play it every time--then add notes, one by one, until you’re playing the entire phrase. The worst thing you can do in your practice is to always start at the top left hand corner of the page and finish at the bottom right hand corner without stopping to make corrections. You will forget about what needs to be fixed, and you will also waste time on parts that you already know that you can play. 90% of your practice session should be spent fixing the tough spots; 10% can be spent perfecting the performance. Notice that in our group rehearsals, this percentage also applies. We rarely just run a piece a music from top to bottom.
7. Play Musically--If you strive to sound musical every time you pick up your instrument, you will be inspired by how good you sound. Even if you’re working on the so-called boring stuff like scales and long tones, make them sound like a concerto. Use your scales to develop proper phrasing; use long tones to develop vibrato or pitch control--whatever you do, don’t just go through the motions. That creates truly boring performances. Play with expression and put your all into your craft. Perform--but most of all, never let a bad sound come out of your instrument!
8. Don't be hard on yourself--This is a tricky practice tip. While it’s important to set a high standard for ourselves, there is a scary point in some musicians’ lives when they always feel that they are never good enough. If you reach that point, stop and relax. You will reach your standard, but it may take a longer or more challenging journey. Remember the common expression: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” And don't be afraid to fail; when we mistakes, it allows us to learn and grow from those mistakes.
9. Don't show off--Most people don’t sound great when they show off. There is no benefit to playing as loud as possible, as high as possible, or as fast as possible. The best way to impress others is to play well. Also, be confident, but humble as well.
10. Think for yourself--Trust yourself, and be honest with yourself. If you have a method that works for you and you're getting a musical product, keep doing it. (On the other hand, don't dismiss your coaches and teachers because you're being lazy). Also, you are an important member in the group, and your contribution is important--don't let others do things for you. Don’t let your peers influence you negatively or tell you what you should be doing. Stand up for yourself, but don’t let your emotions get in the way of working with others. Ask questions about things you don’t understand. Don't watch others practice--take out your instrument and get to work for yourself!
11. Be optimistic--With a effective practice schedule, you will meet your goals. Also, your instructors will often give you feedback on your performance. Don’t mistake negative feedback from your instructors as criticism of your character. Your instructors have the job of making you a better performer, and sometimes that involves hearing things that we don’t like to hear about ourselves as performers. Trust that your instructors are here to make you a better musician and to prepare you for your life outside of high school.
12. Look for connections--Practice your scales! They frequently show up in your music. Beyond that, apply your fundamentals and prior knowledge towards learning new music. When you make connections, the music making process goes faster and smoother, and it becomes more enjoyable.
