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Playing Tips
EPN Travel Services proudly presents: The Playing Tip of the Month!
Enter your warm-up, rehearsal, performance, or teaching tip for a chance to win a special prize from EPN Travel Services!
Winning Playing Tips will be published in School Band & Orchestra magazine.
Previous Winners:
- Details
- Published: 01 September 2016
A great practice method is the Penny Game. There are three versions of this, so it can be tailored to the student. Put ten pennies on the left lip of your music stand. The goal is to get all ten pennies to the right. Easy version: If it's played accurately, move one to the right. If it isn't accurate, leave one to the left. Hard version: Accurate = move right; inaccurate = move one back to the left. Sudden Death version: Accurate = move right; inaccurate = move ALL pennies back to the left, and start over again!
Liz Harwood
Kasson-Mantorville Middle School
Kasson, Minnesota
- Details
- Published: 12 August 2016
Most sax players use too little mouthpiece in the mouth. I use my "rule of thumb": have them put their thumb in their mouth so their bottom teeth are at the bottom of their thumbnail. That's how much mouthpiece should be in their mouth. If they match that to their mouthpiece, it will open up their sound and help with their pitch.
Dan Hodgkins
Torrington Middle School
Torrington, CT
- Details
- Published: 01 July 2016
Play loud, and act confident until you are confident with your playing.
Razan A. Badr
Riverdale High School
Jefferson, Louisiana
- Details
- Published: 01 June 2016
Never play to "impress" others! I have seen dozens of musicians tie themselves in knots at auditions, performances and even rehearsals trying to impress someone else — the conductor perhaps, the anonymous committee at auditions or even people in the audience! Play for the joy of the music, the composer and for yourself!
Stephen Heyde
Baylor University
- Details
- Published: 12 April 2016
To accelerate learning for B above the break, I put 1/4" round color coding labels on both pinky keys. Students learn that B is the bulls eye of the music staff and played with both pinky's.
Michel Nadeau
Burr Intermediate School
East Northport, NY
- Details
- Published: 01 March 2016
The dot makes a note longer by half the notes value. I first teach the dotted half note, then the dotted whole note. Learning to read the dotted quarter note becomes much easier for students to grasp the concept of augmentation dots.
Michel Nadeau
Burr Intermediate School
Commack, New York
- Details
- Published: 01 February 2016
Before playing your flute, take the mouthpiece only and do a few slurring exercises (going from the lower octaves to the high octave) and play around with your sound a little while looking into a mirror. Listen carefully how your sound changes by either pushing more air from your stomach, or loosening/tightening your embouchure. Make sure that your bottom lip is covering half of the mouthpiece! Do this as a 5-minute-warm-up and it should improve your tone quality!
Anahi Nanez
New Caney High School
New Caney, Texas
- Details
- Published: 08 January 2016
Tip: I always start my practice with a stretch of my hand. By doing this, I can play more efficiently and easily with my hand not cramping up. To protect my hand from any strain, I also rub out my hand when I am through.
Nicole Reed
Bartlett High School
Anchorage, Alaska
- Details
- Published: 11 December 2015
Play it again!
Often in rehearsal, we are quick to stop playing and "fix" something. Many times, simply playing a passage again and getting some repetitions in will "fix" the problem we wanted to stop and work on. Our students can "iron out the kinks" pretty well themselves if we give them the time and opportunity!
Lloyd McDonald
Feagin Mill Middle School
Warner Robins, GA
- Details
- Published: 11 November 2015
Practice articulations by using visual representations. Draw a picture of staccato.
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