With a new term beginning I thought it would be a good idea to provide a few pointers for success during the term.
- Write practise times directly into your class schedule. This way you know exactly when you practise each day.
- Warm-up prior to you lessons and rehearsals. This will save time and allow for more time to focus on technique and repertoire.
- Always practise with a mirror, tuner, and metronome.
- Keep your reeds in rotation so you always have a good reed to play on. A bad reed can derail a lesson or practise session. See this article by Reiner Wehle on how to break in reeds. My motto: Life is too short to play on bad reeds!!!!!
- Your warm-up is the most important part of your practise. A good warm-up should include long tones, scale technique, and articulation.
- Organize your practise time. Practising should include a warm-up, etudes/studies, repertoire. Your practise time will vary depending on how much repertoire you are working on.
- Set small achievable goals for your practise sessions.
- Measure your practise time by tasks rather than time. Putting in multiples hours is useless if you don’t accomplish anything.
- Listen to other clarinetists and see as many live concerts as possible of varying genres, styles, and ensembles.
Shawn Earle’s Clarinet Studio 