All-State & Region Band Etude List and Practice Recomendations

TMEA has posted the etude lists for the 2014-2015 All-State & Region Band auditions which can be view by clicking here.

If you have not purchased the etude book for your instrument we will be posting copies of the etudes on CHARMS.  This may take several weeks once we have time to scan everything and get it uploaded.  We will send out an email when they are available for download, please do not email asking when they will be available.  If you want the etudes faster, please purchase the etude book.  The list of etude books can be found by clicking here.

All-State & Region Practice Recommendations

Do NOT immediately sit down and start playing through the etudes.  You will learn bad habits from doing this that will be hard to fix later.  Instead, break the etudes into small easily manageable sections, work through the steps below until successful and then play through the sections of music. (A section can be a couple of measures, one line, or maybe 2 lines, but do not do more than 2 lines at a time.)

1. Read the Performance Guide
   • This can be found on TMEA’s website by clicking here.
2. Use a metronome
   • Seriously, use a metronome 100% of the time that you are practicing, and focus on completing the steps below, in-time with the metronome.
   • Start slow, only get faster when you can complete all of the steps below successfully.
3. Determine the key of the section and practice the scale, scale in thirds, and arpeggios for that key.
   • Memorized
   • Full range
   • With a metronome
   • Both slowly while focusing on getting every note to sound the same, and fast while focusing on getting your fingers to be even.
4. Count the rhythm
   • Count as strongly as if you were playing (don’t whisper under your breathe)
   • Instrument should be in playing position
   • Finger/position your part as you count
   • Only continue when you have counted and fingered/positioned 100% successfully.
   • If there is a rhythm that you are not sure how to count, work on a different section until you have asked for help.
5. Say note names
   • Always do this under tempo, you won’t be able to do it as fast as counting or playing.
   • Say note names as strongly as if you were playing (don’t whisper under your breathe)
   • Say flats and sharps (e.g. if you have a B-Flat, then say “B-Flat”)
   • Finger/position your part as you say the note names
   • Only continue when you have said the note names and fingered/positioned 100% successfully
6. Play the part
   • Record yourself with an app that can playback the recording slower than it was performed
   • Listen to the recording at different speeds and analyze
   • Did you stay with the metronome?
   • Did you play the correct rhythm?
   • Did you play the correct pitches?
   • If you are having trouble playing the correct rhythms, then spend more time counting.  If you are having trouble playing the correct pitches, then spend more time saying note names.
7. Move onto next section or repeat this section at a faster tempo

For more information about the All-State/Region Band process please read our previous All-State/Region article by Clicking here.