| Chris,
As I mentioned above, this is a huge topic and one where different points in my response can be debated.
I think that it's fair to say that the amount of time spent practicing greatly influences the amount of time that it takes to reach a certain goal. We haven't met, but judging by your former school and the one that you're attending now I assume that you have set your sights on being a professional player (perhaps even one that raises the bar a little) and that you're putting in at least three hours per day in the practice room. The key, as you probably know, is the quality and efficiency of your practice . . . and the key to that, in my opinion, is found within your own ability to concentrate.
I believe strongly that many students suffer from distractions while practicing - a cell phone ring, worrying about events beyond the door, short attention spans from watching too much television, etc. What separates the practice of somebody like Hakan from the practice of most others is the way he was able, over time, to train his total concentration. His rare ability to remain on task for 80 minutes results in four hours of practice per day while others (who can only stay in the saddle for an hour) are practicing three. Pity those who can only concentrate for 30 minutes. I hope they have wide-open schedules!
After that, it's only a matter of being truly comprehensive (working on your liabilities as well as remaining in touch with your assets) in your daily practice - covering absolutely everything that you can each. Make a plan and execute that plan. Evaluate your execution. Make a new plan, based upon your evaluation, and execute it. Evaluate your new execution. If you're happy with the result, repeat it a few times before going on. Find a balance between your imagination, your ear, and your horn.
How sessions are broken up depends entirely on the needs of the person doing the work. Some need more work on flow than others. Some need to spend larger chunks of time on flexibility, articulation, or extended techniques. All need musical challenges (and most need to expand their own self-imposed musical boundaries).
Lastly (cue: drum-roll) I'm not very keen on wasting time “warming up” other than the few minutes that it takes to find out where things stand at the moment. I encourage my students to get into fully concentrated building mode as quickly as possible. This might mean exercises that are commonly used by others to warm up, but I prefer an active, not semi-passive, relationship to the work at hand.
I'm looking forward to reading responses.
Best,
EC |