How many minutes do you practice daily?

[ick27]

You should only practice as long as you feel comfortable. If you get tired or experience pain, not only is that no fun, but your playing won't improve much either. When you start, you shouldn't practice too much. Just practice things you want to work on (certain notes, articulation, making a good sound, etc.,) but stop when you get tired. Then, come back and try it again several hours later. Practicing regularly is more important that just practicing for long amounts of time. If you can squeeze in 15 or 20 minutes before work in the morning, that's great, and if you do that regulary, it will help a lot!

As for breathing, I'm not a big fan of gadgets and whatnot. Breathing happens quite naturally without your even meaning to do it. Good breathing does inflate the stomache first and the chest last (from bottom up) and I think all the things mentioned in this post about this are correct. Sometimes, however, breathing is not the problem, it's blowing. If you get light headed or dizzy from playing, you are breathing too much actually! In this case, you are blowing air out too fast, and need to create more sound with less air. There are tricks to breathing that need to be learned, but blowing is generally more challenging than breathing (since that is when we actually play the flute.)

[flutestudent]

Thanks Burke, Powerflute, Melizard, ick27,

Melizard:
Thanks for mentioning about Arnold Jacobs & Rampal. I checked up their website. Which book of Arnold Jacobs you mean?. I found only 2 books at their website
Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind by Brian Frederiksen, Edited by John Taylor
Arnold Jacobs: The Legacy of a Master edited by M. Dee Stewart

but I found a small 5 min video clip on breathing by Arnold Jacobs himself!
http://www.windsongpress.com/almost%20 ... struments

Other clips as well:
http://www.windsongpress.com/breathing% ... %20gym.htm

Powerflute:
I was a smoker before, but have quit smoking for the past 10 years.
Devices like lungpower or powerlung sound good! But have to check out the reviews of other people who have used them.

http://www.lungpower.com/site/1263408/page/434503
http://www.powerlung.com/us/prod/prod_br.htm

Burke:
A toast to our mission "Third Register..."

-Best Wishes
Vish

[aw917]

It depends on where you set your goals. I practice at least an hour daily. When Region was in season i practiced nearly 2 hours daily. It matters on how much you love music and where your standards are.

[powayflute01]

It depends on where you set your goals. I practice at least an hour daily. When Region was in season i practiced nearly 2 hours daily. It matters on how much you love music and where your standards are.

That's a pretty bold statment there. I certainly wouldn't say that I love or appreciate music any less than anyone here, it's more of a matter of time and convenience. And I think my standards are pretty high, thank you very much.

[amhso]

The ammount of time that i practice varies. Today, I've done 3 hours...still playing taking breaks to post on forums (like this one) and play a few games now and then, but the actual playing varies each day from 10 minutes to like 5 hours.

[flutestudent]

I was going thru the old threads in the other forums....
And I found a similar one. http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=280

[LisaFlute2]

Our instructor says to play at least 5 days a week for 20-30 mins. at a time, to begin with. He says an hour is the best. Since I am a mother and adult, I find that some weeks I can get that in, and other weeks, I have a hard time. I can usually manage 4 days a week, at 30 mins. each time. Sometimes, if I have nothing I have to be doing, I get to practicing and loose all time, and end up doing it for an hour and a half or more. Our instructor says it is better to pick it up and practice for just 20 mins. a day, than not picking it up and doing it at all. I have had to make it a priority in my life, and after awhile practicing, just becomes part of you and your daily life.

[BrightFlute]

Hi everyone.
I hate to admit it, but my daily practice amounts vary according to other life issues. I teach flute in Texas, as well as participate in a local community band. What I recommend to students is this. Start out as a beginner for 20 minutes per day (10 minutes x 2 sessions). When they are used to this, I have them increase each session to 15 minutes, which increases their daily time to 30 minutes. As the student gets accustomed to practicing, I have them add to their schedule. Whether it's in the form of another session, or adding an additional 5 minutes to each session, they gradually increase their practice time. I also tell my students that if they are concentrating to "accomplish a goal" every practice session that practicing 5 days per week is fine. Yes, I have some students who never make it past the initial 20 minutes, but others are averaging 2 hours daily. Anyway, just a thought. If you are trying to increase your practice time, try the above. - Terri