Rest: How You Can Practice All Day

Rest often during your practicing. This principle will allow you to practice longer with much less fatigue to the lips. The idea of resting as much as you play is something most of my students have never heard of. So what does this mean exactly? Well, let's examine this in a little more detail.

Rest, in the context of practicing the trumpet, can mean a few things. There are basically 3 levels of rest we probably want to consider.

The first level is the rest we utilize within a particular study. Let's use as an example a study or exercise that goes through major scales in every key. Rest between each key rather than running the entire exercise in one  big blast. Play the example in each key, rest the same amount of time as it took to play that example, (horn off the lips!), then proceed to the next key. This will allow your lips to stay fresh and allow you to always play with the best possible tone quality.

The second level of rest is utilizing smaller sessions in our practice throughout the day. Rather than sit and practice for 2 solid hours, break up that total time into 20 or 30 minute sessions with 15-20 minutes of rest between each session. It may be a little more difficult to plan your practice using this method, and may even result in slightly less overall time on the trumpet. That's OK because the time you do spend will be more focused and productive. You will be playing with a more beautiful tone because the lips will be less fatigued. Most importantly though, you will eliminate the chance of bruising or possibly doing damage to the lips: something which should be a concern for the developing student!

The third level of rest is when we decide that an entire day away from the trumpet is needed. This may be for physical reasons after a period of intense practice and playing, but may also be for emotional reasons as well. No matter how much we love to play the trumpet, sometimes a day off allows us to mentally rest and come back invigorated. I know after I have taken a day off that I can't wait to get back to the horn. The physical rest does me some good, but I find a day off to "let the clutter clear out" is equally valuable. Be honest though when evaluating the need for a day off. I advise my students to take a day off ONLY if they have been practicing their prescribed lessons diligently! For developing students the need for a consistent, systematic practice routine is crucial for development. Too much time off will impede progress and make improvement almost impossible!

So now perhaps we have a better understanding of the concept of resting as much as we play. Is that all there is to it? For some people maybe. But read on for some more ideas about tweaking and utilizing that rest time.

I find my mind will start to wander a bit during the "horn off the face" periods. This is a bit more of a problem when I'm tired, or if the  rest time is after a strenuous or lengthy piece. Regardless of how  long these rest periods are, for me, the potential for distraction is always there.

Here are a few suggestions about how to utilize rest periods between studies that might help you stay focused and keep you from being distracted.

1)  My personal favourite... run the fingerings on your valves for the next exercise, or the same exercise if you are going to play it again. Do this at a nice even tempo, concentrating on banging the valves down firmly. Use a  metronome just as you  would if actually playing. Hum the melody or hear it in your mind so that it matches what your fingers are doing. Visualize in your mind's ear the ideal sound you would like to produce. Try to do exactly what you would if you were actually playing the music. You might even try to breathe in the same spots if applicable.

2)  If you are practicing sight reading, sound the first note on your trumpet, then try to "sight sing" the passage you are about to attempt before you play it. If singing isn't your thing, then try to clap the rhythms instead.

3)  Do some breathing exercises in between each study. This is a really great way to keep the air moving. Be careful about overdoing it though, we don't want you passing out!

4) If you are learning a new jazz tune, see if you can recite the chord changes for the tune without looking at the lead sheet, then check by looking back at the lead sheet.

5) Do a few stretches or practice sitting or standing with correct posture. You can never overdo practicing the fundamentals!

6) Use a combination of these ideas within a single practice session, or think of your own variations. The main thing is to do something that makes good use of the "horn off face" time.

If you are not used to practicing this way it will take some time to get the hang of it. Some of my students comment how they really have to force themselves to rest, and not cheat on the length of the rest time. Some may feel this is an inefficient way to practice, but consider: by practicing in this way you will be training your mind as well as your "chops". You will be fresh and able to produce a more beautiful, fuller trumpet sound. You will be less likely to ingrain poor habits such as using too much pressure, playing with poor tone quality, or playing playing on tired lips.

Remember, playing on tired lips can do more harm than good. If you are truly tired, then rest and come back for more later. By using the principle of resting as much as you play, you can practice for hours and still be fresh enough to produce a good sound and reduce the chances of doing any harm. Hope this has given you some ideas to try.

Regards,

Terry