Practicing is the most important part of learning anything new, including a musical instrument. Many people want to be able to simply sit down and PLAY. As much as I wish that were possible, it just isn't going to happen. It takes determination, discipline, and hard work...but you'll have fun at the same time. As with anything, you only get out of it what you put into it. Here are some hints I have learned through the years to make my practice sessions more productive and successful:

Rest as much as you play: The muscles of your embouchure (the lip area) are fairly fragile, especially for a beginner/intermediate player who has not yet developed the endurance to play for long periods of time. You will double your playing time if you rest often. **This can be difficult to do...we tend to want to play a lot.

Blow warm air through the lead pipe, without the mouthpiece, before playing any notes: This warms the horn up fast and also promotes a free-flowing air stream, which is what you want to strive for in playing. (Compliments of Thomas Gause, my trumpet professor from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington.)

Warm up thoroughly: There are several schools of thought on this subject. Most players and instructors agree that long tones in varying dynamic levels (volume levels) are the most important feature of a warm-up session. This gets the blood flowing to the embouchure, makes the muscles limber, and promotes proper breathing in a relaxed manner. The range played during the warm-up is where the differences seem to occur. Some think it is necessary to warm up the full playing range, from the lowest possible notes (pedal tones) to the highest possible notes you are able to play as an individual (this range varies from player to player). I tend to warm up from my lowest to medium high range, which works best for me. As you learn and play more, find the routine that works best for YOU...we are not carbon copies, so what works for one may not work for another.

Follow your warm-up with flexibility exercises and scales: Although these can be boring at times, they are invaluable. To play the trumpet well, you must become limber, much like an athlete. These exercises help develop strength, agility, and endurance...VERY important. Scales, in particular, also prepare you to understand the theory of music, and prepare you for the unlimited fun of improvisational playing. Again, REST AS MUCH AS YOU PLAY.

Break down your practice repertoire into categories: Articulation, lyrical studies, scaler studies, etc., and try to develop a routine for these. You don't have to touch on them every practice session...create a schedule and stick to it. For example, Monday you can work on lyrical studies, which focus on tone quality, smooth articulation, phrasing and expression. Tuesday, you may want to work on double or triple tonguing, or possibly work on passages with quick fingerings...etc.

Solo repertoire, ensemble music, and jazz/improvisation: This is where it really gets fun....where you can apply everything you've been working on in the previous steps. This is what it's all about....PERFORMING. Learn your music so well that you can sing it without looking at it. If you can walk around whistling or humming your music, you know it well, and then you can create art...but NOT UNTIL YOU HAVE LEARNED IT. Once you know your music, then it's time to make it yours by putting your individual style and signature to it. Major fun!!

Finally, and most importantly, practice what NEEDS to be practiced: If you sound great while practicing, you probably aren't practicing the right stuff. Spend time on things that you don't play well. My students (I am guilty as well) tend to practice what they enjoy the most, which also happens to be what they play the best. If you already play it well, it doesn't need practice. We tend not to enjoy playing the things that don't sound good, so we avoid them...and those are the very things that need practice. And please, please, please remember...Practice makes PERMANENT. In other words, make sure you are playing the passage correctly, for once you commit it to mental and muscle memory, it's as good as carved in stone, and very difficult to correct.

I hope this information was helpful to some of you...it has been for me. Happy trumpeting!!