The Ultimate Practice Tip For Trombone Players

Efficiency in the practice room begins with honesty, and there is nothing more honest than a recording of one’s playing. Even your teacher might lean towards softening the blow when delivering critique, but a microphone is never biased, always available and, I’m afraid, always right. Over many years of performance and instruction I have found that those who record advance faster and develop the ability to be their own teacher, which is after all the ultimate goal for any musician.

Using recording in your practice

Making recording a go-to tool in your practice will force you to face your shortcomings. Looking in the proverbial mirror is rather difficult, because one, there’s a part of you that loathes being vulnerable and two, that part has a tendency to erase any trace of wrong doing. This is evident in musicians who think they sound great, when the opposite is true. Compound that with the fact that when we play we cannot possibly hear, let alone remember, all the areas for improvement. Recording is a simple solution that prevents you from ignoring or forgetting your flaws.

Learn to play musically

It is impossible to be both the player and a listener, so delegating one job to a recording device leaves you free to perform. When it comes time to assume the position of the listener you will find that some areas such as tone and musical style are immediately noticeable, but there is another level of utility; sound wave tracks. Most audio recordings produce sound waves that you can visually examine within a program or app. These are perfect for identifying issues with articulation and dynamic contrast, because sound waves display the trajectory of sound. Analyzing yourself just became much, much easier.

Track your progress

Progress is oftentimes something musicians belittle, falling in the trap of thinking little to no progress has been made. This is where practice journals come in, but do you know what is better than written proof of progress? Sound proof. Imagine having an audio recording documenting eight weeks of practice. This playing history acts as proof and reassurance that you are in fact marching toward your goals.

Go achieve your goals

The benefits of recording go beyond the contents of this article and I have no doubt that you will gain the ability to listen from the outside, becoming an exceptional musician in the process. Next time you play, press the red button.