practicing

During Summer Band students will learn many new concepts to help them play their instruments better and of course learning how to march.  Students who take the time to prepare for Summer Band will get a much more rewarding and enjoyable experience out of it, which will result in a much more rewarding and enjoyable school year.  Therefore, we highly recommend that students take action now, before Summer Band begins, in order to get the best possible experience out of Summer Band  and the school year.  There are two components to successfully preparing yourself for Summer Band, which are practicing your music and preparing your body physically.

Practicing Music

Download the 2014 show music from CHARMS if you have not already done so, read this for help.

1. Work on one section of music at a time.
   • Do not try and work on an the entire piece at once.
   • When you have completed the steps below successfully, then you may move on to the next section.
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. Tap your foot
   • This will help with marching
   • If this is easy for you, then you can practice taping your left foot on odd beats (1, 3, etc…)and right foot on even beats (2, 4, etc…)
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.
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
   • Listen to the recording 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

Note:  There are many more practice techniques that can be used in addition to the ones listed above and I encourage you to use any that you may know.

Preparing Your Body

It’s hot in Texas, and while we will not be outside during the hottest part of the day, (we normally go inside around 10am and don’t go back outside until around 6pm)  there are some simple things that you MUST do to better prepare yourself for Summer Band.

1. Drink Water!
2. Go outside!
   • Seriously, go outside.  Yes, we know it is hot, but you need to get used to it.
   • Start off just going outside in the shade and then move to the sun, working your way up to longer times spent outside in the sun (wear sunscreen).
3. Drink Water!
4. Get some exercise (outdoors)
   • Some simple suggestions would be to go for walks or go swimming.
5. Drink Water!
6. Stop eating processed foods
   • I mean it, if it comes in a sealed plastic wrapper, has an expiration date that is more than one week away, and has hard to pronounce words on the ingredient list, then it is probably bad for you and will make you feel terrible when you do any physical activity.
   • Eat real food, normally found around the perimeter of the grocery store.
7. Drink Water!
   • Have you gotten the hint yet that you need to be drinking water?
   • Stop drinking sugary beverages, they are bad for you and will make you feel terrible when you do any physical activity.

If you have any comments/questions about practicing music or preparing your body, please use the comment box below so that others may benefit from your comment/question.