The goal of practice is to sound better. When the procedure becomes the goal, the end result of producing a quality sound is sacrificed.
The procedure in practice is the means to achieving a better sound. When the procedure becomes the goal, the quality of sound is lost.
Practice without evaluation and correction fails to produce improvement.
From —Frank Gabriel Campos, Trumpet Technique, Oxford Press. ©2005
“Today, we gorge ourselves on huge amounts of information but rarely take the time to put a new idea into us…. Ideas about improving performance technique have no real value until they are applied in the practice room.”—p.4
“In pursuit of improved skill, success lies in the application of ideas….”— p.3
“Great amounts of practice may not necessarily contribute to the goal. Even the most earnest and sincere efforts are of little value if they are not done with the specific goal of refinement.” — p.14
“Some researchers believe that it takes about 1 million repetitions to attain skill mastery and a minimum of 10 years of deliberate and optimal practice to reach the expert level in a given field of endeavor.” — p.18
“There is evidence that focusing on one task per session produces poorer long-term learning retention then addressing many task in a session.” — p.19
“If we want to learn a skill correctly, we must repeat it correctly, and that usually means practicing slowly, at least initially.” — p.23
“Trumpet technique can be broken down into 6 main headings: Sound
(tone production), Articulation, Flexibility, Agility, Range, and Endurance.”—David Bilger, Philadelphia Orchestra
“Practice what you cannot play. Work on the hard stuff, and the easy will take care of itself.”—Clint ‘Pops’ Mclaughlin
