3 Practice Tips for Beginner Clarinetist

Learning to play the clarinet means practicing what you’re learning in order to make progress. But how do you “practice”? Well, the first thing for beginners to understand is that if they’re in an ensemble, such as a school band, is that the time spent in your school band period is not technically your practice time. This time playing with your band counts are rehearsal time. You’re rehearsing pieces to get them ready for an upcoming performance, contest etc.

When you are told that you have to practice by your teachers it has to do with the time you spend on your own developing your skills and learning your music. So you’re ready to practice on your own, but need some guidance on where to start. Below are 3 tips on how to get started with practicing!

Have everything you need 

There’s nothing that’s more unmotivating than being excited and ready to get into your practicing and realizing that you don’t have what need to make it happen. This includes all your playing supplies, music, and charged devices. Make sure all of these things are ready to go and within reach!

Have goals in place for your practice session before you get started 

Knowing what you’d like to work on before you sit down to practice will make a huge difference in the use of your time. Whether it’s a section from one of your band pieces or an assigned exercise out of your method book, going in knowing what you need to tackle means you will have better focus. Which leads to…

Quality over quantity

This is a tip you want to always keep in mind! When students first start practicing they will ask “how long do I need to practice for?” The length will depend on several factors including your level of playing, how much music you’re working on/need to prepare, and the time you have available for practicing. Typically for a student who’s just started playing clarinet I recommend 10-20 minutes a day. But here’s the thing, whether you’re practicing 10 minutes or 2 hours the quality of your practice is what matters! You want your practice to be intentional. You want to know that you touched on all the goals you set before you started practicing. 

Leave a comment below if any of these tips have helped you with your practice! And if you’re looking to sign up for one-on-one lessons, you can book a lesson with me here!

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