[mi000ke]

For those of you whose main horn is tenor, what percent of your practice time do you devote to your tenor vs soprano in an average week? How do you manage getting adequate time on both horns? Do you play on both each day, or alternate, or what?

I fear not practicing tenor enough, but on the other hand I see the challenge of ever getting reasonable command of my soprano without putting a lot more time into it (I've had my soprano for a few years but have just recently decided to learn to play it properly).

Too many horns, too little time...

 

[Norbert]

My soprano stays in the cupboard mainly. Just during traveling it is the only instrument I play. The fingering is not so much the issue. It is about intonation and embouchure. I will not get it right.
You may need to play them both daily to become and remain fluent.

 

[Gary59]

My main horn is alto, not tenor,but, i play alto one night, then my soprano the next. Sometimes I play them both the same practice session. All depends on how I feel and how long I want to practice. I don't let either horn sit for too long, as i don't want to let my embouchure slacken,weaken.

 

[echoes]

Sometimes I play them both the same practice session. All depends on how I feel and how long I want to practice. I don't let either horn sit for too long, as i don't want to let my embouchure slacken,weaken.

I do the same (tenor and sop that is). Although, I find sometimes that if I'm having a bit of an off day with my tenor, switching to the soprano for 30 mins to an hour will help me back into gear on the tenor. All the intricacies of playing the soprano (intonation and tone) helps me re-focus. I probably give the soprano about 20% of my time when practising.

 

[drphilginnl]

I appreciate what you folks have said. I just bought a soprano at around Christmas time. I have a teacher and she's helping me with embouchure and how to hold it, etc. However, when I asked her about how to practice, i.e. how to divide my practice time between my alto and my soprano she didn't really have an answer.

I liked Gary59's comments, but it's not working for me at the moment. If I start on alto I tend to spend 45 minutes of my practice time on it and 15 mins. on soprano. (I know I am an amateur. I can only spare an hour to 1 1/2 hrs / day for practicing). If I start on the soprano it's the other way around. If I go soprano one day and alto the next I feel like I'm losing ground on both. Practice routines that I have seen are for several instruments or different types of woodwinds. I admire these gods of the sax world, but is there some advice for us mere mortals?

Also I have looked at practice routines, but they tend to be two hour deals. Does anyone have some advice for practice routine with the two instruments besides alternate days... How long on long tones? How many scales? How many arpeggios? How long on tunes you're working on?

Thanks, Befuddled Phil

 

[Debber]

I play soprano and alto and treat them as different instruments. So i practise them both on a daily schedule, with an interlude of half an hour.

 

[drphilginnl]

Thanks, Debber!