Does Anybody have any suggestions on how to practice music for honor bands more

Question:I am a sophmore i high school. I take lessons from the proffesor of percussion at the University of Northern Colorado. I technically know what i'm doing, i just get stressed out when practicing. Any suggestions will help. Thanks!!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am a sophmore i high school. I take lessons from the proffesor of percussion at the University of Northern Colorado. I technically know what i'm doing, i just get stressed out when practicing. Any suggestions will help. Thanks!!

I would suggest the following:

1) Plan your practice time in advance by determining which passages you want/need to work on.

2) Warm up using your standard "basic" material until you feel comfortable playing the hard stuff

3) Practice slowly enough to play the passages perfectly. If you play fast enough to make mistakes, you're playing too fast.

4) Take breaks every 30 minutes.

5) Practice no more than 2 to 3 hours a day. Total time playing per day should probably not exceed 5 hours.

6) Remember that "practice does not make perfect - practice makes permanent - perfect practice makes perfect."

7) Use techniques like groupings to learn fast passages securely.

Well your the prime examle of an exceptional band student, you take lessons from an EXTREMELY qualified instructor and you practice. The only thing i could suggest is that you figure out where colorado picks their All-region music from and buy that books and Learn how to play that entire book with the help of your lessons teacher, the rhythms you will learn there will carry over universally, also try finding various solo books for: Snare, Two mallet Solos, Four Mallet Solos, Marumba solos, Timpani Solos, and that will carry over.

just keep practicing the basics, you will be less stressed out, trust me

If you get stressed out during practice, you are not "letting yourself go" and getting into the music. Regardless of your technical ability, your music will not be anything more than what a computer program could generate if you are not putting your feelings, your heart, into the music.