[Tenortones]

I tried this before under the wrong heading and recieved some good response. Hopefully there will be more insight...

Please post what you consistently practice on a regular basis. How much time do you spend in key areas, etc.

My current routine:

I start my practice session with a ballad, play through the melody slow-try to come up with a new melody. I have also been taking a standard melody and doing it in every key.

I move on to some sort of line/vocabulary practice w/metronome. I have been working on a couple lines and variations rhythmically. At this point, I'm more concerned with the rhythm benefit.

Transcribing:

I transcribed a Bergonzi solo and am working on it-developing my own ideas based on what got layed down, writing some things out, etc.

Learning tunes very slowly and on a need basis. I play with usually a duo setting with guitar and am checking out tunes off a particular album. (transcribe the melody, etc.) Sometimes I go over to the cats place and we check out a tune together-stopping the thing and going over the tune, blowing along with the recording, eventually try it on the gig.

I don't spend too much time on the piano right now other than trying this thing chops 2200 gave me working out a countermelody to a tune in the left hand etc which seems hip.

I spend an average of four hours a day.

 

[Livia]

15 min One scale with patterns
20 min Etudes on this scale
20 min Transposing by sight + Longtones (an etude with many long tones which I transpose by playing)
10 min Overtones + Altissimo
15 min Book Dapper 2
20 min Bach
30 min Jazz etudes + Parker

1,5 to 2 hours.

 

[Wonder woman]

I'm a classical player, but I think it still counts...

15 minutes on etudes
10 minutes of sight reading
20-30 minutes of technique work (scales, arpeggios, thirds, fourths, different patterns that have been handed down, chromatic stuff, palm key exercise)
10 minutes of voicing/overtones
20-30 minutes of repertoire

Total is anywhere from 1-1.5 hours in one sitting.

Lather, rinse, repeat 2-3 times per day.

 

[Tenortones]

Lather, rinse, repeat 2-3 times per day.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,...
lets see, where was I?
oy yeah-
practice:

out of 75 people who read the thread only 2 practice!!!!?

 

[saxmaam]

Lately ...

* Rhythm - Play subdivisions of a slow beat (4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) + rhythms from a book with drum sticks on a practice pad. This is fun. I use the "Big Metronome" concept (muse-eek.com), implemented with Band-In-A-Box Styles. Current Book: Rhythm Primer, from the same site.
* Long tones - for tone and intonation
* Method book with SmartMusic - record everything and have objective "pass criteria" for every piece. This provides relentless depressing reality, but I think it's working. SmartMusic makes the play/record/listen cycle very easy.
* Legato scales - slur everything for now to work out fingering and airflow problems. I use a delay pedal (4 to 16 seconds) so I can hear what I just played
* Fun - Right now I'm fiddling around with some software called "Starplay" that is aimed at kids but has some cool features. I've got a looping pedal that's fun, too.

 

[cleger]

Play some tunes, noodle around for a few minutes, go back to work.

Seriously, that is about the extent of my practicing. I don't have a heck of a lot of time (usually ~ 30 minutes) so I maximize my fun potential. I realize that I am never going to progress very far this way, but I'm having fun and there are no specific opportunities on the horizon for playing out. If I had a specific goal, I might focus my practicing a litte more.

 

[vonbraig]

Mostly playing along with recordings grabbing things, playing in other keys. Doing some writing trying to isolate things I want to get better at. I enjoy warming up with Kenny Werner "Free Play" My students do lessons like the one on www.myspace.com/christopherbraig.

 

[selmer]

Half an hour of long tones
One hour on scales all keys all modes (straight, in triads, in fourths etc)
One hour on chords in all keys (maj/min/all the 7ths/dim etc)(straight, in triads, in fourths etc)
one hour on one tune in all 12 keys ( different tune daily)
Half hour of free playing

 

[tjontheroad]

This is a prior thread on this topic
http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=53128

Lately, I've been focusing on reading and absorbing as many melodies as possible. That and perfecting my timing through the chord changes by playing each chorus with shorter notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth) and varied tempos.

 

[Jayn]

I like these kinds of threads on the forum, because they remind that I should be practicing and not reading everyone's interesting posts!

I've been doing clarinet long tones--15/20 min
Artie Shaw technical book--15min
Rose etude--15min

Tenor long tones and overtones--20 min
working on playing tunes I know on alto in Bb--??
Play over changes with metronome on 2 and 4--30/45 min
transcribing Sonny Rollin's "Without a SOng" on tenor--45min
It's been challenging to "stay away" from my alto while I get my tenor more together

 

[rs1sensen]

(#s are in minutes)
5-Long Tones
10-Scales (Major, 3 forms Minor, Maj and m arpeggios)
5-Spatula keys exercise
5-Palm keys exercise
20-Ferling Etude
10-Klose Etude
60-Solo/Repertoire


Which scales and technique exercises I use do vary, and I may work on 3rds, 4ths, etc. I also try and fit in some fun stuff at the end if I have time. On top of this I'm playing for a minimum of 2 additional hours a day in ensembles, quite often an additional 4 hours.

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

10 minutes long tones , slow scales
5 minutes overtone matching
10 minutes working on Mixolydian Bebop patterns out of Steve Neff's book
10 try to either work on a tune from our bands set list (Jami Jamison Band) or I'll work on a real book tune. Projects this week are Well You needn't and Four
If I have time I like to play WITH something or someone. I've spent way too many years just doing the pushups and not playing the game. K

 

[playitfunky]

I tend to not have a regimented practice formula and it shows in my lack of skill on the horn when compared to real pros. I'm going to listen to my teacher more and use some of the routines i get from all you cats.

 

[playitfunky]

Half an hour of long tones
One hour on scales all keys all modes (straight, in triads, in fourths etc)
One hour on chords in all keys (maj/min/all the 7ths/dim etc)(straight, in triads, in fourths etc)
one hour on one tune in all 12 keys ( different tune daily)
Half hour of free playing

You're really going to have to try a bit harder if you expect to get better.

All kidding aside if you keep up with that you are going to be a monster player if you're not already.

 

[selmer]

i figure it's my job, so it starts when i wake up and not just when i'm on stage.

 

[Tenortones]

discouraged

I realize that I am never going to progress very far this way,... and there are no specific opportunities on the horizon for playing out. If I had a specific goal, I might focus my practicing a litte more.

Responsibilities, employment, relationships, finances-all take over (understood)...

Have you tried to isolate something specific and practice only that for a month or two? (like a particular line in every key).

I say this not as a teacher or expert-only my philosophy: thirty minutes to the good is better than 3 hrs. of unfocused practice-perhaps you could practice the minimum in terms of material.

Don't play-practice: then at the end of the month go to a session let go of everything and blow.

 

[captorquewrench]

Depending on the time I have:

15+ minutes on the MP alone. Mostly pitch matching and long tones to work oral cavity.

30+ overtones

10+ vibrato exercises (including on overtones)

45+ technical

45+ rep

10+ SR

and viper, I agree. 30 minutes of being focused is better than unplanned time.

 

[Tenortones]

interesting

I went back to practice long tones before any material the last few days-I felt good when I played Staurday night in terms of the horn. Although it takes me over an hour to do the long tones and overtones but I feel relaxed notwithstanding adjustment (slight) problems on the tenor.

I played on Sunday without anything but a short warmup. I played good but there were times during a couple solos where I wasn't as connected to my ideas.

Then last night after practicing for hours, I went and played another session, I notice the same thing sometimes.

I find that when you practice something very specific, you either try to force it into your playing which I don't necessarily think was the problem so much as me trying to NOT play something old which of course is very difficult-we all have things that we go back to. But I had a good drummer and I continued to try to explore rhythmically and have a drummer willing to go there with you was happening.

I have found that you have to play from the same relaxed state you practice from.

 

[bluesaxgirl]

It seems like I've responded to a post similiar to this about half a year ago. (more posts for me. ) Besides, my practice routine has changed since:
15 minutes long tones and warm ups
15 minutes scales and various rhythms using the scales
30 minutes prepared music and other pieces
15 minutes doing something fun (this may get out of hand and become an hour which is why I do this last.)

 

[John D SAX]

Could someone give me a suggestion for a metronome with a little volume. It looks like I need to spend a little money to get one and I'd like to get it right the second time. (Since I blew thirty bucks on my first attempt)

15 min. long tones and altissimo
15 min. scales and arpeggios
The remainder is spent on tunes and fun stuff and can last an hour or more.
I would also recommend Phil Barone's exercises "Tone Production 1 and 2" on the forum in another thread. I do those also now before the fun stuff.

I have alot of kids and little time but am sure enjoying playing in a little jazz ensamble and at church.