Sometimes life just overwhelms us, and we're left feeling like giving up might be a reasonable option. But why give up if taking one step yields the fruit of our labor? Figure out what that one step for today will be, and push into it. You have nothing to lose.
For example, here's a short term idea that will wake up and sharpen articulation. Spend an entire practice session in which everything is tongued, slur absolutely nothing. Turn all notes into groups of four sixteenth notes so a quarter note becomes four sixteenths, a half becomes eight sixteenths, etc. In order to strengthen muscle, and the tongue is a muscle, you must bring the muscle to failure. So fail away! It will only make you stronger. Try it and see. Runners and other athletes are experts in this. Rest when needed, but push past the comfort zone before giving in to the desire to cease from your efforts.
Here's another example of a one-session goal: Do you find yourself unavoidably tense in the upper register despite all your best efforts to retrain old habits? Or do you find yourself becoming more and more tense the longer you play? Imagine what would happen to a distance runner if s/he fell victim to that scenario! Try this: Relax (muscles of shoulders, or neck, or face) AFTER you reach a high note that produces tension or AFTER a long time of not taking the horn off the face. Hold the identified note while making a slight crescendo and decrescendo staying as relaxed and easy as you can. Did you feel that relaxation happen? Now rest, and try approaching the note again with the muscles you just coached into relaxing and attempt to APPROACH the note relaxed. Continue to relax AFTER reaching the goal note or goal area where you first identify tension has increased. Try adding in some articulation on the note while maintaining the relaxed flow of air. Start with eighth notes first, then triplets (and sixteenth notes if you can maintain the relaxation.) Otherwise, make articulation in the upper area tomorrow's goal. This approach adds just enough variety to the exercise to keep our minds engaged.
By now, the idea must be occurring that long term improvement happens in steps so small, we can't hear the improvement right away. This kind of practicing requires us to have faith in ourselves, and faith in the process of practicing. I'm talking as much to myself as to anyone in this respect. It's so tempting and easy for me to put some time in mindlessly doing a few well worn exercises, and then go on about my day. But then I realize, wait, this IS my day. This is what I enjoy most: performing well with enough endurance to burn bright through an entire concert or recital. So with that, I'm off to spend some time practicing a few specifics. I prefer working on etudes or excerpts, but because I need to get a solo ready for a recital, I'm going to work on a specific area of the solo that I've identified as a problem area for me. After that, I'm going to work on endurance by playing the solo all the way through very slowly. I expect to be quite worn out in about an hour or so, but it will be the best kind of tired. Join me. Go get tired! Slow progress is still progress!
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GlendaI'm a trumpet player and music teacher aiming in this blog to help other Trumpeters, Music Enthusiasts, Music Educators, and aspiring professionals reach their highest potential in life through the study and cultivation of musical skills. Music Education
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