How to practice
Lesson time: (2min 55sec)
James Rae explains why regular, frequent practice beats cramming, and lays out a simple routine - long notes first, then scales, then your pieces.
Copyright © 2023 Universal Edition (London) Ltd., All compositions by James Rae except where otherwise indicated.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Saxophone: First Notes
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
The Importance of Regular Practice
As I mentioned earlier, it is very, very important to practice an instrument. You can't expect to improve without practice, just like you can't expect to score a goal without kicking a football.
Consistency is Key
- Effort Equals Results: You have to put in the effort to see results. With practice, it's essential that you do it regularly and often, not cram it. You can't practice once a week, that simply doesn't work.
- Think of it Like Eating: It's like eating food once a week, you wouldn't do that. Your body has to digest music in the same way it has to digest food.
Building a Routine
It's good to get into a routine, starting with:
- Long Notes: Begin with long notes for sound practice.
- Scales: Once you're warmed up doing that, move into scales.
- Foundation of Music: Scales are the building blocks of all music.
- Pieces: Finally, devote time to your pieces, such as the well-known song "Twinkle, Twinkle," which appears later in the book.
What you do in the first two sections, long notes and scales, can be applied in the third section, which is working on your pieces.
The Impact of Technique
Many people leave the scales for the last minute and then cram. This just leads to confusion and very sore lips.
- Regular Practice: I suggest practicing regularly and often as the best way to digest music.
A Good Practice Routine
If you have time available, which most people do if they're honest with themselves, a good practice routine might look like this:
- 30 Minutes a Day:
- 5 minutes of long notes
- 10 minutes of scales and exercises
- 15 minutes on your pieces
Advanced Practice
As you become more advanced, you might also practice sight reading. This is another topic entirely, but you will encounter sight reading during your musical journey when you're presented with a piece of music you've never seen before and expected to play it.
Frequency Over Duration
Many of us don't have the time to practice daily, but it's beneficial to aim for that. If daily practice isn't possible, aim for every other day or three to four times a week.
- Avoid Cramming: Whatever you do, don't leave it for a week and try to cram on a Sunday, it won't work.
Muscle Development
Certainly in the early stages, when muscle development is so crucial, regular practice is essential for improvement.
About the instructor
James Rae was born on Tyneside in 1957. He studied clarinet, bass clarinet, piano and composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1975 to 1979, under professors Yona Ettlinger, Stephen Trier, Meriel Jefferson and Patric Standford respectively. Since leaving the Guildhall, he has pursued a highly successful and varied career across three areas: performing, writing and teaching. James Rae has worked in many West End and Royal National Theatre productions, including Sir Peter Hall's award-winning Oresteia with music by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, and has received many freelance engagements with some of the country's leading orchestras and ensembles. He is the leader of the Phoenix Saxophone Quartet, who over the years have given many recitals and BBC broadcasts, and have recorded the complete works of Carey Blyton on two albums, 'The Return of Bulgy Gogo' and 'Sherlock Holmes meets Dr Who'. As a composer, James Rae is one of Europe's most published writers of educational wind music, with over 250 publications to his credit, mainly published by Universal Edition. His music includes instrumental study books, sonatas, tutors, baroque, classical and jazz transcriptions, plus many volumes of duets, many of which feature on all the major wind examination syllabuses worldwide. He has also written four musicals for schools with Mike Cornick, and his larger commissions include The Turn of a Wheel, a major work for concert band that premiered in November 1999 for the North Tyneside Concert Band, of which he was a founder member as a boy, and the overture Moving On in 2012. James Rae has worked extensively as a syllabus consultant and composer for both the Associated Board and Trinity College London, and has been highly involved in developing the woodwind sight-reading requirements for both exam boards. As a teacher, he has held many posts in both the state and independent sectors, and currently works at King's College School Wimbledon, where he directs the Wind Orchestra and Concert Band, and Shrewsbury House School in Surbiton, where he coaches three large bands and a chamber group. That teaching experience runs right through his saxophone series for MusicGurus, which takes you step by step from your very first notes to a confident, stylish player: First Notes, New Keys & Low Notes, Expanding Your Range, Scales & High Notes, Extended Range & Rhythm, and Polish & Style. read more