My Practice Philosophy Described in a Best-Selling Novel!

[davewerden]

Well, it's not an exact parallel, but the main point is pretty close to what I do every day. My routines vary from day to day, depending on what I'm preparing for and the condition of my chops that day. And because I don't feel I have any time to waste while practicing, I seldom do routines that work on one thing only. Something similar is described in this adventure novel.

"The Innocent" by David Baldacci. The main character, Will Robie, is a government agent. In Part Two, it describes his session is the gym:

"In one respect Robie's routine never varied: he never did the same workout twice in a row. He focused not on strength, or stamina, or flexibility, or balance, or coordination, or agility. He focused on them all. Every exercise he did required at least two and sometimes all of those elements."

https://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Will.../dp/1455519006

[highpitch]

I knew it all along. Dave is an undercover agent for the intonation police.

Dennis

[mbrooke]

I always play while doing squats. Playing while bench pressing is a bit more of a challenge...

Mike

[davewerden]

I always play while doing squats. Playing while bench pressing is a bit more of a challenge...

Gee, I should think about something like doing squats! In my post I was referring to combining different playing techniques, like fingering and tonguing. But as I age I find that my "wind" is not what it used to be, and it is worsened by some of the meds I take. Maybe doing something more physical as I play would help me learn to deal with it better.

[John Morgan]

Speaking of wind and breath control, since that is near and dear to my heart as a former smoker and an old guy, I am reminded of a story I heard about either Nick or Bob Childs. One of them was asked about how they control their breath when playing in front of people or playing solos. The answer was that when he was practicing for a concert or solo, he would put on a heavy coat (to get very warm), run up and down the stairs of his home a few times, and suck on a lemon. THEN play the piece he was preparing. Interesting, but I must admit I have not added this routine to my bag of tricks.