Just a quick poll. I’m stuck in China with few other Irish musicians and I was wondering if you all could write back with a description of what and how often you practice. Are there excercises you do for breathing, embouchure, speed? Scales?
Any info would help a struggling musician.
MBB
A couple of hours each evening during the week, loads more at weekends.
I’m trying to cut back a bit now on the evening practice, I’ve been ‘feeling it’ in my left hand for the last week or so. I reckon I’ll have a day on and a day off, with concertina on the days off.
I try to pick up a new tune on a Sunday, and then spend the rest of the following week getting it firmly into the fingers. Of course it would get incredibly boring playing nothing but the same new tune over and over again, so I intersperse the practice on the new one with tunes I already know or need to improve.
Rarely play scales these days, but I do give time to long tones (especially above G in the second octave) particularly if I don’t like what I hear myself doing when a tune goes right up there.
I don’t have any formal schedule. Usually, though, I’ll warm up my lips a few minutes going up and/or down a scale or two to see if my embouchure position is OK and to get the flute a little warmed up. Being a reader, I’ll open a book I like and play any number of tunes very slowly till I find one I really like then work on it for a while. Then, if time is there, I’ll work on a few tunes I’ve committed to memory to smooth them out.
When I was a kid my teachers pushed for a formal practice routine. I hated it then and won’t do it now. I just like to play. If I find a sour note I’ll then go into some long tones to smooth it out. Things change from day to day and I work on what isn’t working that day to make it better. The key is, to me, having fun while playing. I’m not sure I see practice as “practice” but as playing for enjoyment. I’m not a pro so am not “practicing” for performance. When I do have a schedled event then, PPPPPP, as below.
Enjoy,
BillG
I practice an average of about an hour to and hour and a half each day (weekends 2+ hours). I think it was Terry McGee either on his website or on the woodenflute list who said he preferred to find a tune that emphasized what he wanted to practice as opposed to scales or exercises (he can correct me if I’ve misattributed the sentiment), and I’m the same way. While I memorize by ear most ITM tunes (usuing the dots only when stuck on a passage or something), I play a lot of classical and ragtime with the notes. When I want to practice long tones or anything in particular, I look through my music books for those things and play those tunes over and over to achieve a similar effect to playing exercises or scales.
I do check the moisture pattern outside the embouchure from time to time if I’m not sounding quite right (small focused arrow shape moisture is when I’m just right on).
Eric
Well, I’ve been feeling a bit bad lately since I don’t practice as much as I would like when I’m alone. We usually have three times each week with my band and we practice 3 or 4 hours on each of these occations, then I always have smaller and to me, less important ensembles on ocation, one is about one and a half hours practice each week. Other than that I don’t practice a lot, maybe two hours a week of alone practice to pick up new tunes to bring into the band and to practice tunes that other band members have brought up. I rarely play scales or do such practice, I sometimes practice my ornaments and stuff, when I feel the need I work on double-cut rolls and cranns and stuff which can always be improved. I do other things however which I have noticed improves my flute playing, such as singing. I have both individual singing lessons and choir practice and I have noticed that it really helps my breath support and controll. I really need to get more practice done when I’m alone, there are just so much stuff to do, I rarely have a lot of spare time, and the time I actually get I value very high and often find myself spending it on other things than music.
I practice/play during my commute to and from work! I have about 20 minutes uninterrupted highway time, where I can hold the wheel with my knee, and play to my heart’s content. As far as what I practice – sometimes I’ll try to play along (on flute) with what’s in my CD player (recently Danu - “All Things Considered”, and Green Linnet’s “25 Years of Celtic Music”, or I’ll play my fife, just working on my F&D Corps’ tunes du jour. I get some funny looks from people passing me, and once I even had some guy take a picture of my with his cell phone while I was playing!
I picked up a hitch hiker, w/ guitar, just west of Fargo one time. We were half way to Montana before he relaxed enough to accompany me.
I picked up a hitch hiker, w/ guitar, just west of Fargo one time. We were half way to Montana before he relaxed enough to accompany me.
That one made me laugh out loud!
Eric
Well, there wasn’t any good reason! It was a '63 3/4 ton Chevy panel truck. There was plenty of room for the flute, gear shift, and guitar!
Fyffer, have you ever considered taking up Lilting instead? Much safer for everyone.
I practice about 1.5/2 hours a day. Warm the flute up/ find my lip by running through old tunes. Then, its scales or octave jumps (mainly looking at intonation), from there I work on new stuff. I also play along with recordings to work on timing.
However all this is “playing” to me. I’m fairly well addicted to holding my flute.
Byron
I’m jealous. With a full time job and five kids, I consider myself lucky if I get 20 minutes of uninterupted practice a night. My new plan is to wake up an hour early each day and get in more practice time while the family is still sleeping. Its not working out so well though (damn snooze button).
Father Emmet - I always knew you’d get yourself into trouble…now that Father Ted has gone to a better place. Five kids in six years since the good father left us, and I’m guessing you’re now out of the priesthood, unless you still have that video of the Bishop.
You need to train the family. Get all wild eyed and holler at them when they interrupt your practicing. Foam at the mouth, speak in tongues. It’ll make them think twice about even looking at you when you’re playing.
Seriously though, with one kid and full-time work, there have been times where I have a hard time practicing. My son’s old enough now that it’s easier to get in practice time, but I’m sure that will change as he gets more involved in after school activities (he’s just in kindergarten now).
Eric
The main problem is when my daughters hear me playing they seek me out and dance around the room. This makes me smile and ruins my emboucher. My sons just hum along (except for the eldest, who couldn’t care any less).
(BTW- The screen name is from a recurring character in Shane MacGowan songs, the avatar just seems to fit!)
I am like Father Emmet. I am lucky if I can play 20 minutes in a row at home.
At work that is better. Usualy I can spare 30 minutes before lunchbreak.
Much better to practice before rather than after lunch. After lunch sessions tends to clog the flute’s bore.
Hey le_koukou. Welcome to the boards 
I’ve known some clogged bores
Denny
I practice just about any spare moment I get, my fiance is always catching me moving my fingers and asks “What tune are you playing now?” I solved her contemptuous tone by buying her a bouzouki to back me up…in all honesty probably about 1-2 hours a day, start out by playing long tones to get my embochure right and to get the flute warm…then scales for a bit then I work on rolls & crans…then I start in on the tunes I know, playing them very simply, then add a bit more ornamentation and by that time I can jump in with a new tune…
The only instruments I “practice” are Boehm flute and piccolo. I play all the others (especially trad ones). I usually noodle around to get whatever I’m playing warmed up, and then I just play through tunes I like. Sometimes I’ll stop and work out some ornamentation or something, but I just play as opposed to practice.
Father Emmet - I can’t believe I mixed up Father Jack Hacket with Emmet…it’s been a while since I watched the show.
Still, it is hard to practice with dancing kids around your feet…
Eric
That is Father Jack in the avatar. DRINK!!!