Skills for Practice

Skills for practice is an essay on effective methodologies for becoming familiar with technically challenging pieces of music. The essay sets out a sequence of practice methods relevant to the accurate reproduction of the music.

The sequences are specifically set out to obviate the predilection to use some form of happen chance in preparation practice. This approach to practice provides an opportunity for mental control of the messages from the brain to the fingers, and energy to the air stream (wind). I have deconstructed practice into two skills.  

Servicing the instrument

Servicing the instrument entails the method for relaying the appropriate information gained from reading or hearing the music

• Brain
• Messages
• Fingers
• Finger placements

          = technique.

Energy approximation

Approximating the amount of energy to be added to each stream of wind for each and every note.

• Abdominal muscles for establishing an air stream
• Abdominal muscles for approximating the amount of energy to be added to each air stream, to produce the appropriate vibrations of each note.

You can practice energy approximations away from your instrument and then put the stream of energised wind through the aperture to see if you need more or less muscular activity in the wind for the correct vibration frequency.

These two practice methodologies will help to develop a player’s skill in technique and sound production.

John St George

2024