The Art of Practice, Part I: An Overview

The basics of the basics.

An integral part of the daily practice ritual for any musician is calisthenics – the process of building physical and mental strength and flexibility though the concentrated study of the basics. This process is given many different names and terms including the “warm-up,” routine, exercises or daily ritual.

Rather than giving specific suggestions in this post, I would like to begin this series with the basics of a comprehensive practice routine. Many students I find, neglect to keep these basics in mind when developing their daily routine.

In short, a daily regime should  include, in one form or another, these three elements:

1. Long tones
2. Arpeggios
3. Scales

Because these elements in one form or another constitute that vast majority of the music we play, it is crucial to work on them daily at the rudimentary level.

Long tones in their basic, most simplistic form are held, sustained notes. Their main purpose is to focus on and build tone production and breath control. Long tones – or “quality” tones as one of my former teachers put it – can be accomplished in many forms; from slow sustained melodic patterns played in various dynamic ranges, to isolated, sustained notes performed with crescendos and decrescendos.

Arpeggios (for brass players) involve breath control as well, but also involve embouchure control and strengthening throughout the range of the instrument. Arpeggios utilizing open harmonic series – in whole or parts – are of particular benefit because the player must rely solely on air and embouchure control to execute them, without any aid from valved fingerings.

Scales are beneficial in many ways, but as I get older I find that they are particularly helpful for finger dexterity.

It also is quite practical to occasionally combine these elements to add interest to variety to the daily routine. Scales and arpeggios done with crescendo and decrescendo patterns, for instance, can have tremendous benefits.

Most teachers, including myself, advocate the daily routine to be done in the first practice session of the day. I look at it as a return to what is fundamental in everything we do as musicians.

As the title of this post suggests, balancing these three elements is an art and not a science – one size does not fit all. Some people only require 10 to 20 minutes while other may need a full hour or more. Some may require a more concentrated focus on long tones while others may need more scale or arpeggio study.

The journey in discovering what is best for you is an ongoing process highlighted by regular experimentation, exploration and evaluation. Working with a private teacher can be a valuable and integral part of this process.

Be flexible and honest with yourself – delusion and denial are easy pitfalls to fall into. As time marches on you will find that your needs may change.