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Play-AlongsTop of Page
One Step at a Time (Exercise #25)
For [Your Instrument] Only (Exercise #55)
Feel free to practice along with the video!
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone
Trumpet
Trombone
Snare Drum
If you want to try other exercises from the book, here's a playlist on YouTube that plays the background music for you: Standard of Excellence
Popcorn Prelude
Donut Factory
Invasion of the Slimy, Five-Headed, Slow-Mo Monsters from Outer Space
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Advanced BandTop of Page
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Not Sure How to Practice?Top of Page
Practicing can seem really tricky when you're at home without someone to guide you. If you'd like, here is an online metronome and a picture to help reading pitch (mostly for wind players). Here are three common ways of practicing something:
Chunking:
Chunking is when you learn the piece/exercise small bits at a time. This can be as small as learning one note, then learning the next, then playing them together. You could also take it one measure at a time: learn one measure, then the one after it, then play them together.
Pitch-by-Pitch:
Pitch-by-Pitch is when you play through the whole piece/exercise, but you only play one pitch. For example, you can play through your piece/exercise only playing the C's. Then the next time you play through it, you play the C's and the D's. You keep adding pitches until you can play the whole piece/exercise. This practice technique is not meant for non-pitched percussion (snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, etc.)
Tempo:
This method is best when you have a piece with lots of complicated fingerings/position movements. What you do is you play through a section of the piece/exercise very slowly. Much slower than is comfortable. Then, you play the section again, but a little faster. Then again, but faster. Keep going faster and faster until you're playing it as fast as you can. Then play it at the speed it should be. It should feel slow and easy at that point.