Practice routine

[Andante cantabile]

Last March Chris98 started a thread on practice routines. It might be time to start another discussion.

This is what I currently do in a standard two-hour practice (I only play classical music):

A. Long tones and vibrato (about 15 minutes)
B. One page of the 60 exercises for mechanism in the Universal Method (about 15 minutes)
C. Exercises for about an hour on all sorts of things, nearly all drawn from the Universal Method. I also use the Baermann Foundation Studies
D. Learning pieces included in the Harry Gee book of etudes and Guy Lacour book 2 (about 30 minutes).

Separately I usually find another hour for simply playing. Material is drawn mainly from Gustavo Rossari (book 1) and Guy Lacour (book 1).

As a general observation, I find that as I go on, the amount of time spent on technical exercises increases.

 

[SaxyMalcolm]

Practice Routine

I am more into getting my sound/tone as good as it possibly can be as I am already a decent sightreader and technician.

A. Do some singing for 10 mins to get my Larynx working as it should be
B. Practice scales and arpeggio's on my mouthpiece only until I am satisfied with the range and resonance.
C. Play through the Sinta voicing book until I'm happy with my sound
D. Practice the altissimo register with a tuner using different fingerings
E. More harmonics until I start to get tired/bored
F. Play from Universal method's 50 exercises from low Bb to F keeping the airstream fast
G. Scales, appegios and chord studies
H. Practice my tune of the week so I can play it and can improvise on the chord progressions from memory

I would like to do more but I am normally knackered!!

If I have time later on I will work on a transcription

Malcolm

 

[B'dragon]

Personally, I'm lucky if I get 2 or 3, 1 to 2 hour per week.

But despite that, when I do practice first I do a new warm up by Tim Price. Takes about 2-3 minutes. That's all I need to get going. All want to do here is get the reed and lungs going, not a major exercise. (Had too many gigs where I just had time to put the horn together and then start playing the gig.)

Next I do one of my triad exercises. Got about 35 different exercises that I do in a series. I do the next in line and go through six progressions, chromatic, whole tone, minor thirds, major thirds, fourths and fifths. Last night I did all minor triads in eight note triplets descending then ascending at 100 bpm.

Next I work on a bop lick going through chromatic and fourths progressions.

Then I either work on band music, memorizing a new tune (or brushing up on old ones) or work on some home recording project.

When I can't get to the horn I've been trying virtual practicing with limited success, but it does help my focus and retaining of music.

I've also got a few arrangements I'm always working on, but that's the quietest thing I can do in the house.

I was working on scales but I found I just don't have enought time for everything and they weren't my weakest ussue.

Lastly I've been keeping a journal of my practicing. Helps keep me on track and see where I've been.

Sorry for the long post.

B'Dragon

 

[rudjarl]

Intended practise routine:

A. Exercises from Taming the Saxophone (about 15 minutes)
B. Sound/tone control, sound effects and altissimo (about 15 minutes)
C. Practice a Jazz standard (about 30 minutes)
D. Sax licks in all scales (about 30 minutes)
E. Practise a few tunes with backing track (about 30 minutes)

Real Practise routine:

A. Feel guilty for about 20 seconds for skipping scales and long tones.
Occasional A. Practise Ex 1-01 from Pete's Taming the Saxophone to feel good.
B. Flicker through Hal Leonard's books to find something I'd like to play.
Occasional B. Just play something by ear
C. Record something and be annoyed for not getting it to sound good.
Extremely rare C. Feel good because it sounded good.

Rune

 

[cannonballer]

practice

I usually pracitce longtones chromatically from low b flat to f. I start at pp, get to forte, and go back down to pp

Then i pracitce all major scales, arpegios, 3rs by going around the circle of 5ths
THen i get into modes and repeat
Then I practice sight reading solos from the omnibook
then i learn a new jazz song
then play with Jamey!

 

[Two Voices]

My Practice

Start in the morning!

1. Ex 1-01 (Warm Up and Chords tones) Taming the Saxophone
2. Then do another exercise from Taming the Saxophone – i.e. Ex 1.02 then next day Ex 1.03 until I reach the end of the book and start again at Ex 1.02.

Take a break

3. Do all the Major Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

4. Do all the Minor Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take an even longer break (usually lunch)

5. Do all the Chromatic Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

6. Do Scales in Thirds at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.
7. Followed by Whole-Tone Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.


Take a break

8. Do all the Major Arpeggios at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

9. Do all the Minor Arpeggios at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

10. Do the Dominate Sevenths and Dimished Sevenths at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

11. I learn a new song once a week and play it until it sounds more or less right. Will probably spend an hour a day doing this.

Take a break, usually tea time

12. I’ll then play a mixture of songs that I know for an hour or so then clean the sax down.

I will play one instrument a day. So one day it’ll be a Soprano the next the Alto and the day after the Tenor and then back to the Soprano.

 

[AndyG]

Blimey...I wish I had the time and a more understanding neighbour :shocked:

 

[kevgermany]

Crikey, wish I had the time and the inclination. But a routine like that would be purgatory for me. I'd soon lose interest in the sax.

 

[Two Voices]

I don't live close enough to anyone to be a nuisance unless I start practicing at 2am then the folks I live with might get somewhat annoyed ))

As for my routine, it is quite established and most is committed to memory apart from the individual Taming the Saxophone Exercises so gets completed quite quickly. It seems to get faster every day. Not sure if I'll keep it up for ever, just while I'm learning. A year perhaps.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Practice routine?

On the rare days that this happens:

Pick a Hal Leonard playalong of the shelf. Play it all. Stop. Have a beer.

 

[VirusKiller]

Start in the morning! <etc. etc.>

Trying to do a Charlie Parker? I wish I had the time...

Edit: And you forgot to insert "check the forum" a couple of times!

 

[dooce]

Good grief. I feel so inadequate.

 

[Andante cantabile]

Start in the morning!

. . .

I will play one instrument a day. So one day it’ll be a Soprano the next the Alto and the day after the Tenor and then back to the Soprano.

This is amazing. Even an army drill instructor would stand in awe.

 

[dooce]

Not sure if I'll keep it up for ever, just while I'm learning....

So that will be forever then..........

 

[Two Voices]

Practice routine?

On the rare days that this happens:

Pick a Hal Leonard playalong of the shelf. Play it all. Stop. Have a beer.

That's the stage I want to get too ))

 

[Two Voices]

Trying to do a Charlie Parker? I wish I had the time...

Edit: And you forgot to insert "check the forum" a couple of times!

Oh, yeah forgot the check the forum a couple of times

Love Charlie Parker heehee just not his life style!

 

[Two Voices]

Good grief. I feel so inadequate.

Why? You can play the sax!

 

[Two Voices]

This is amazing. Even an army drill instructor would stand in awe.

)) )) ))

 

[Two Voices]

So that will be forever then..........

Oh, ****! )) ))

 

[visionari1]

Start in the morning!

1. Ex 1-01 (Warm Up and Chords tones) Taming the Saxophone
2. Then do another exercise from Taming the Saxophone &ndash; i.e. Ex 1.02 then next day Ex 1.03 until I reach the end of the book and start again at Ex 1.02.

Take a break

3. Do all the Major Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

4. Do all the Minor Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take an even longer break (usually lunch)

5. Do all the Chromatic Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

6. Do Scales in Thirds at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.
7. Followed by Whole-Tone Scales at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.


Take a break

8. Do all the Major Arpeggios at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

9. Do all the Minor Arpeggios at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

10. Do the Dominate Sevenths and Dimished Sevenths at speeds 50, 56, 66, 73, 80, 104, 116, 132 and also Slurred, Tongued, Legato-Tongued and Staccato.

Take a break

11. I learn a new song once a week and play it until it sounds more or less right. Will probably spend an hour a day doing this.

Take a break, usually tea time

12. I&rsquo;ll then play a mixture of songs that I know for an hour or so then clean the sax down.

I will play one instrument a day. So one day it&rsquo;ll be a Soprano the next the Alto and the day after the Tenor and then back to the Soprano.

Most impressive...... You will either get to your musical goals very fast.... or burn out in the attempt..... Please check out the youtubes by 1cpdrum77, which is promoting his Monster Jazz Formula
http://www.youtube.com/user/1cpdrum77#p/a

Plenty of good practice advice for free!

Keep up the " Take a Breaks"

Ciao
Jimu