The basic outline of a Left Coast practice plan looks like this
Each of our exercises can be extended or leveraged. For example Exercise 1b might be played as plain as possible or with decrescendos on the last note, or continued on as low as possible, etc.
For a young student or beginner the entire routine before the music might only take ten minutes, for an advanced player it can be an hour or more.
Sample Beginner Practice Plan
Ten minutes
Sample Intermediate Practice Plan
Half hour
Sample Practice Plan for a Professional Player or Advanced Student
45 minutes to an hour
- Breathing exercises and routines
- Buzzing exercises
- A simple exercise done the same way every day
- Arpeggio exercises
- Tonguing exercises
- Exercises for special problems or to develop other techniques
- Long tones
- Scales
- Reading and learning music
Each of our exercises can be extended or leveraged. For example Exercise 1b might be played as plain as possible or with decrescendos on the last note, or continued on as low as possible, etc.
For a young student or beginner the entire routine before the music might only take ten minutes, for an advanced player it can be an hour or more.
Sample Beginner Practice Plan
Ten minutes
- Reverse Ho Ho Ho and 6 Places
- Mouthpiece buzzing exercise
- Exercise #1b (done allegro with brick shaped notes)
- Exercise #8
- Long tones
- Scales
- Etudes, solos and music preparation
Sample Intermediate Practice Plan
Half hour
- Reverse Ho Ho Ho and 6 Places
- Mouthpiece buzzing exercise
- Exercise #1b (done allegro with brick shaped notes)
- Exercise #2
- Exercise #3
- Exercise #4
- Exercise #6
- Exercise #8
- Long tones
- Scales
- Etudes, solos and music preparation
- Exercise #1a
Sample Practice Plan for a Professional Player or Advanced Student
45 minutes to an hour
- Reverse Ho Ho Ho and 6 Places
- Mouthpiece buzzing exercise
- Exercise #1b (done andante and going down as low as possible)
- Exercise #2 (with extended variations)
- Exercise #4
- Exercise #5 (all versions)
- Exercise #6 (two octaves)
- Exercise #7
- Exercise #8 (for double tonguing, high and low range practice)
- Long tones
- Scales
- Etudes, solos and music preparation
- Exercise #1a
