Member Practice & Preparation Guide
Use this guide to:
Increase musicianship
Be better prepared for rehearsals and performances
Increase your confidence and reduce stress
Heighten your focus on the musical issues
To improve technique, practice:
Chromatics, major and minor scales
Technical etudes
Remingtons
Base pattern/roll exercises
To develop tone and strength, practice:
Long tones with dynamics
Flexibility exercises (registers, lip slurs)
Embochure / mouthpiece buzzing exercises
Percussion stroke, roll, accent exercises
Rehearsal Best Practices
Isolate difficult passages, breaking them down to the small elements to guarantee success; practice within the context of the broader piece and your part’s role in the piece
Go “beyond the notes” - articulation, expression, style
Make musical decisions - dynamics, vibrato, breath/phrasing, creativity
Listen to the repertoire, professional performances or other ensembles who have performed the piece
Set aside time outside of weekly rehearsal for your practice
Opt for shorter, more focused sessions
Practice slowly, focus on precision, isolate small sections to focus on
Use a metronome, progress in small increments, work up to tempo
Minimize mistakes, focus on consistent fingerings through repetition