How to practice at home in 15 minutes
Fifteen focused minutes is better than an hour of just playing through your music. Most improvement comes from working on the few spots you can't play yet. Here's a plan you can use every day.
A 15-minute plan
| Minutes | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | Warm up: long tones or lip slurs | Gets your air, tone, and embouchure going |
| 3 to 6 | One or two scales, slowly and in tune | Builds technique for everything else |
| 6 to 12 | Work on your hardest spots | This is where you actually get better |
| 12 to 15 | Play something all the way through | Practice keeping going, and end on a good note |
Your long tones are a good time to check your tuning (see Playing in tune). Getting ready for a chair test? Preparing for a chair test or audition has a week-by-week plan.
How to fix a hard spot
Don't start at the beginning of the piece. Go straight to the measures that give you trouble.
- Make it small. Pick one or two measures, not a whole line.
- Slow it down. Use a metronome at a tempo where you can play it right every time.
- Repeat it right. Aim for three correct times in a row before speeding up.
- Speed up a little. Move the metronome a few clicks faster and repeat.
- Connect it. Add the measure before and after so it fits into the music.
If you keep missing the same note, figure out why. Is it the fingering, the rhythm, or the note name? Fix that one thing on its own, then put it back.
Make it a habit
- Practice at the same time every day, even if it's short.
- Keep your instrument out and ready so it's easy to start.
- Write down what you worked on and what to do next time.
- Record yourself once a week. You'll hear things you miss while playing.
When you can't play
Some days you can't make noise. You can still practice: count and clap rhythms, finger through your music silently, or do a few minutes of reading practice. Rhythm Trainer and Note Trainer work well on quiet days.