dizforprez

just thought i would see how much time every one is putting in, not counting gigs of course.

JackD

I find if I push myself to do more than 4 I don't do anything productive.

So - 3/4.

Tootsall

Might be a more effective survey if you added another "list" that read

"aging amateur"
"H.S. student"
"College music major"
"semi-pro"
"full professional"

and including a definition for "Semi pro" and "Full professional" (Many teachers consider themselves full professionals but don't have the time/opportunity to put the hours in on the mouthpiece that say... a "virtuoso" or full-time orchestral player might.

Then I think you'd see "who" is spending the hours in the practice room (I will presume that sitting in band rehearsals counts more-or-less equally with hours in the woodshed?)

dizforprez

yeah you are right tootsall, but i was just going for a rough idea here...and by the way some how my last option of 5 or more got left out.

i wouldnt count rehearsal as practice in most cases.

dont strings players have a saying. something like 'for every one hour i spend in orchestra i have to spend two hours getting my technique back'?

anyway something like that.

Heavens2kadonka

I'm averaging 3 to 4, though piano and voice is starting to eat away at my time in the ole' woodshed.....

Van

__________________
Stage 1 California Light
'94 Bach Strad 37
1900 Eb Cornet

LOUD Steve Patrick 10 1/2 C
LOUD LM93

MUSICandCHARACTER

Common wisdom says that 3 hours a day it what is needed to attain a high level.

Of course string players and piano players may practice for 8 hours a day. But they don't have chops to wear out.

I have always heard that if you do not practice 3 hours a day, then taking a symphony audition is a waste of your time.

Jim

__________________
Dr. Jim Fox
Licensed Mental Health Therapist
Mouthpiece chart: www.ibowtie.com/tmptmpccharts.html

dizforprez

in "trumpet profiles" I think most of the legit guys listed in there practice for 2 hours.

Johnleopold

So what should a beginner do for practice time. So far I take my mouth piece with me on my 1 hour long drive to work and buzz to a variety of latin jazz tunes. I don't know if thats as good as having the horn and playing but it seems to get my lips in shape... or is that a bad habit waiting to be born ?

__________________
MAN DO I LOVE TO PLAY...Always interested in music... don't know how to REALLY play yet... trying to learn... "Without stuggle... there can be no progress..." FD

Heavens2kadonka

Mouthpiece buzzing is a VERY good way to improve your playing, as you use your ear and embochure more to find the pitch (As long as you can tell you are in tune or at least on pitch with the notes being played!). I have to commend you for buzzing so early on in your career! Its hard to find trumpet players who buzz on their mouthpiece often!

An interesting thing to do is to place one of your free fingers over the opening at the end of the mouthpiece (Dammit, I forget if there is a technical term for it!!!) while playing. It creates resistance, and helps build chops. Of course, don't use too much finger, or there's no sound!

Another thing to do is holding the very edge of the mouthpiece between your thumb and index finger, which forces the player to play without using pressure. Since youre a beginner, I would suggest going ahead and doing the no pressure practice. Pressure playing as the ultimate bad habit...

Another good practice is to play an exercise (slur, long tone, etude exerpt), taking out the mouthpiece, playing the exercise using the mouthpiece, then placing the mouthpiece back into the horn, and playing it again. You'll notice an improvement.

A few weeks ago, my trumpet instructor made me purchase a thing called the BERP (Or "Buzz Extension and Resistance Piece"), and I have really noticed an improvement in my playing. It clamps onto your leadpipe (Under the mouthpiece reciever), and allows you to switch between buzzing and playing easily. Also, with the little resistance dial (Its like a nut you move over holes), you can really help build your embochure. I have a gripe with the newer plastic models not being near as versitile as the older metal ones (The old metal ones didn't need clamping), and the fact that the plastic wont be near as durable. However, its an excellent little practice tool, and really does improve playing (I'm using it with my student, and it has really helped!!). It costs $20 if you get it through Hickeys.com (The piece is 15, the 2-day UPS shipping, 5.).

Van

__________________
Stage 1 California Light
'94 Bach Strad 37
1900 Eb Cornet

LOUD Steve Patrick 10 1/2 C
LOUD LM93