Practice routine

[sharon]

If you've only got say one hour available per day to practice - what and how much would you do. Much as I enjoy playing toones I know that I have to learn scales, arpeggios, new notes, ear training etc. How much of each should I be doing do you think?

Sharon

 

[philthd]

i would advise variety, both within and between practices.

if you practised everything you need to practice every time it would take you hours and hours.


and save the bits you really want to play to the end.

also - remember if youre sounding good in practice its probably because youre just doing things youre already good at which is no practice at all.

 

[frankb]

The routine I've been doing (Not a recommendation! I'm a clueless newbie!) is as follows -

15 mins - Long tones for the range of the sax
10 mins - Major scales (I don't know any others!)
10 mins - Tonguing 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 to the bar to a metronome, increasing speed gradually to point of failure (currently 80 bpm up from 60 bpm)
10 mins - Sight reading exercises from Team Woodwind book
15 mins - Noodling through whatever tunes I fancy by ear

Times and durations vary depending on how tired / frustrated I am! I try and do a 1 hour session per weeknight and a couple each day on the weekends.

No ASBO yet so I must be improving! :whistle: However I would welcome advice / feedback on this routine.

Additionally, I try and work out a few scales and chords on a keyboard I've acquired, but I'm less diligent at this!

 

[sharon]

Phil you're right about sounding ok practicing - I hadn't thought of it before but of course it's the stuff I don't like which I should be doing.

Frank - that sounds like a nice little routine. I do most of that stuff although I don't like tonguing so don't practice it :whistle: I know I should spend more time with this basic thing but I just can't seem to get it. What I usually do is the scales and new notes and a few songs all week and then I just play songs at the weekend.

I've also been going through my songbooks and grading them to my ability. Then when I get the books out I've got the choice to play something I enjoy/am reasonable at or something which is more of a challenge, then I find if I play it better I regrade it. Not very scientific I know but it helps with the sight reading and new notes.

 

[therudest]

I like playing scales and apreggios))) really!I just enjoy it)...so if I have only 1 hour...I'd play scales) and maybe learn 1 tune (right now I'm kinda stuck with Take "A" train, tryin' to make it perfect)))) still cant, always have some glitches)

But I really dislike long notes...dunno why) it's so boring))) just to hear 1 note....especially for me, cos If I do them I really make em LONG ( I used to swim a lot, so I have really good lungs)...so it's boring))))))))))
:S and If I'm playin' them...it would be like Low C like LONG and upper C will be like 1/4 of it))))

 

[Linky Lee]

You need to find the balance between, disciplined practise to progress and enjoying it so that you don't feel like it's a chore etc.

After all, everyone who plays a musical instrument is doing it for their enjoyment.

If you have 1 hour for playing your saxophone in a day then I think 30mins of that should be practise, and the other half should be enjoying by doing whatever you want.

The important thing with a practise routine is to keep it varied, otherwise you get stuck in ruts.

since you're only practising for 30 mins, focus on your weaker points your teacher/yourself has picked up from your general playing.

So maybe you need to do some long tones for a few days, and then you notice your vibrato isn't quite as good as you want it for a certain piece, so you start practising that etc.

I would work out a 30minute session that focuses on one aspect of your playing and touches slightly on other areas. Then chose one of these appropriate to what you are playing generally and want to achieve in the short term.

for example, you are having difficulty with a fast bit of music. You may realise that the problems are

1. finger and tongue co-ordination
2. not being able to get the fingers to play the notes
3. reading the rhythms

I would then say, find a bit of music to sight read, for 10 minutes.
If the piece is in C major, play C major, A minor, G major, E minor, F major, D minor scales. As these are the most likely to be used in the piece. And play these scales slowly to a metronome gradually increasing speed for 20 minutes.

 

[sharon]

Thanks Lee - I agree, I'm doing it just for fun as I'm never going to be a professional musician so I feel that I don't have to be as exacting. I want to be able to play to the best of my ability but my real enjoyment is playing songs that I enjoy. Otherwise it does feel like a chore (although I do enjoy scales).

I know my weak spots as they are many and varied but I'm happy to work on them. I've been feeling a bit guilty about the time I'm not spending on the "grind" of excercises and practice but I took up the sax as a long term hobby to do in my own time. You can sort of lose sight of why you started something in the first place.

I have got a problem with sight reading unfamiliar songs and I know this is a timing thing. Would it improve with a metronome. I'm kicking myself as a few years ago I sold one at a car boot sale. It was one of those little wind up ones perhaps I should get another.

Sharon

 

[griff136]

I would try do do at least some tonguing as this will help your overall technique and tone. it will also help with your breathing and phrasing.

I skippped the scales and arpeggios and minor scales when I first learnt because i didnt like doing them and it came back to bite me in the ass. I then had to go back to undo my bad habits and learn the scales.

 

[Rogerb]

post deleted as no longer relevant 🙂

 

[sharon]

Griff I know I should practice the tongueing but It just seems harder than playing legato. It's my shameful sax secret I don't like doing it and it seems to make the notes sound wet (too much spit I suppose) This is also the reason I need to practice it more I know, but I just don't get it :S.

I can play a song without tongueing but If I tongue it, it sounds awful and is more difficult. I'm sure I'm missing an important basic skill which will bite my arse. Should I perhaps practice my scales in a tonguey way to start?

Sharon

 

[Rogerb]

Sharon, I have just started, following teachers advice, both 'staccato and legato tongueing' practice.... playing scales first staccato, with quite 'definite' tongueing and clipping the note to about half normal length, then legato, just the faintest of tongues... every note is 'softer-edged' but clearly separated from the next, which distinguishes the scale from a slurred one.

I hope I have, as a relative newbie myself, explained this reasonably clearly?

I found it a very useful practice for the whole idea of tongueing.

 

[sharon]

Thanks Roger. That's good advice. I have started tongueing my scales but doing staccato and legato one after the other seems like a better idea. I suppose you get a feel for the difference in sound and the feel in you mouth (if that makes sense).

I will get onto it today! Do you (or anyone) know when staccato and legato are used in music (apologies if this is a really stupid question) I assume that you only use legato when the written music asks for it i.e. when it shows a slur or tie. If that's the case does it mean that all the other notes are played staccato. If that's the case I am in real trouble 😉

Sharon

 

[philthd]

certainly in more traditional or classical thinking you only play full legato when a slur is written, but you only play full staccato when notes have dots above them. this is an extreme form of the tonguing you should normally be doing

in other genres things are less clear cut and choosing the appropriate articulation is part of the way you choose to phrase the music

 

[sharon]

So Phil - am I right in thinking that if I'm playing alone it's up to me as it's my interpretation, and if I'm playing a piece with others I should play it as it's written.

There's more to this music lark than you think - the more you know the more you don't 8|

Sharon

 

[philthd]

i think theres a lot to be said for playing things "right" - or at the very least to be able to play things right - but all rules are breakable in the right situation.

if you want to pass exams you need to get your articulation right - or if youre playing in a section you should be trying to articulate the same.

if youre playing for yourself, make sure that youre not just playing it a different way because its easier and youre lazy (says a man who has been the victim of his own shortcuts more than once - shortcuts lead to shortcomings)

 

[Linky Lee]

Classical:
If it is marked with a 'slur' you tongue the first normally (neither legato nor staccato) and do not tongue the other notes under the slur.

If it has a dot with a line over the top, then you use legato tonguing.

If it has a dot you use staccato tonguing.

Jazz: Open to interpretation, but you do need to tongue. There are many types of 'jazz phrasing' Pete has some great examples on his info pages of his website.

I think you may be using too much of the tongue. There are two ways to tongue basically. One is to use the tip of your tongue on the tip of the reed. The other is to arch your tongue so it is convex in shape and touch the reed further down.

Whatever works best for you is the one you should use.
Because I'm cool I use both... at the same time 😛 It's called slap tonguing and is very percussive (I use the latter of the two actually).

 

[sharon]

Oh Lee you're such a clever clogs 🙂 Thanks for all the advice chaps. I'm really gonna knuckle down to tonueing. I think I probably am using too much tongue as the sound starts to become "wet" (revolting isn't it >.< )

Phil - I am playing without tongueing because it's easier although I do stick to the tune and it sounds ok to me. The thing is when you first start learning you just want to play things so I suppose rather than being lazy it's using shortcuts :whistle:

Ah who am I trying to kid it is lazy isn't it.

Sharon

 

[Linky Lee]

If you listen to any of the greats it's the articulation and phrasing which makes their lines so good.

You can see the use of tonguing by vocalising a tune. Take 'happy birthday' sing the first line. The notes have definition via the tonguing and a greater or lesser accent giving the melody movement and rhythm.

If you now sing it and only use the tongue to start with, no 'la la' or anything. Pretty rubbish really, sounds boring and muddy.