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Band: How to keep in shape during the break!

Concert Update: 

No worries about concert prep.  We will postpone our concert dates until we get back on track at school; however, I want you all to be doing your best to keep up with your skills while we’re home...here’s some helpful ideas to do just that.


If you have your instrument at home: 

Please continue practicing your Band music and in your book.

  •  Challenge yourself!-- have fun working ahead in your book.  The gold boxes explain new concepts, so read those first before playing.  Learn new fingerings to increase your range. Keep that pencil (“best friend”) out and use--mark reminders.  The #1’s- scales on pages 40 and 41 are great warm-ups and use the #2’s- to see how fast you can work your fingers and tonguing!
  • Give a home concert!   Play for family members.  Play something you feel comfortable with.
  • Try to learn the chromatic scale by opening the back of your book to the fingering chart...playing each note in order.  Remember the fingerings with 2 note names are the black keys of the piano. We use their sharp (#) name on the way up the scale and their flat (b) name on the way down.  They are the same note with 2 names which is called an “en-harmonic”--a big name for a simple concept!
  • Do the breathing challenge!  See how long you can hold a note and keep track!  2 minutes a day will do wonders!
  • Practice tips:  Find the same time each day to practice or take out your instrument-play for 10 minutes and set it aside somewhere safe and come back later and play another 10 minutes.  You will probably end up practicing more than you thought!
  • Percussion players:  You can practice just about anywhere!  (If you don’t have your book or sticks at home, be creative you can use 2 pencils if necessary.  Also it’s a perfect time to try to learn the drum set. Just set yourself up by using a set using pillows,  flip clean plastic garbage cans etc!! Do an internet search. Lots of tips online!
  • Challenge for Fun!

Try to learn a song you like by ear--no music. I would like everyone to learn HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  Just sit down and figure it out!


If you don’t have your Instrument at home:

You can still help yourself improve...here are some ideas.

  • Brass players:  Just a few minutes a day of “buzzing” without your mouthpieces will help keep your lips and muscles in shape!
  • Everyone:  Now is the time to make sure you know your note names just like reading a book.  If you know you need some work on your note names and have access to the internet, there are lots of free sites and apps that are available to help you!  Just do a basic search and find one you like. “Staffwars” that we use at school is just one example of the type of games out there to help learn note names.  You know how I like to use flash cards: Make your own like I do or you can find them free online and print . If you want to make your own, just draw 5 lines for the staff and place notes on the lines and spaces. Put the note names on the back and anyone can help you play the flash card game!:

 Treble clef: lines are  Every Good Band Does Fine and the spaces spell the word FACE. 

Bass Clef:  lines are Good Bands Do Fine Always and the spaces are  All Cows Eat Grass

  • Breathing exercise:  Remember the paper against the wall exercise?

Just take a piece of paper or one of your Band pieces and hold it against the wall with one hand.  Make sure your air stream is at the right height and start close to the wall and see if you can keep the paper from falling down when you remove your hand.  Start getting farther and farther away from the wall and see how far you can go back and still keep the paper against the wall. Keep those lips tight and aim your air stream like a laser beam.  This is how strong you should always be blowing air through your instrument. Just a few minutes a day and you will see improvement. Again, challenge yourself!


Cleaning your instrument:

If you have your instrument at home, now is a good time to do a little cleaning.

Brass players:  You can give your instrument a bath by taking out the valves and slides.  Just make sure that when you take out the valves that you put a #1, 2 & 3 on a piece of paper and lay the valves on the number so you know how to put them back again.  Most valves are labeled 1, 2 & 3, but not all. Once the valves are out you can use a sink, tub or garden hose to run soapy water through the horn and slides and your mouthpiece.  Clean the slides good and if you have slide grease or (trombones slide oil), grease them and put them back on the horn. Then, use a rag to clean off the valves, use valve oil and put them back.  You will see a notch inside the valve casing that should line up with the valve. Once in, give the top a turn to tighten. IF YOU TRY IT AND AIR DOES NOT GO THROUGH...do not worry, the valve is simply not in the right spot so just work it until it plays.  I do the same thing at school! 

Woodwinds:

Time to clean your mouthpieces. Do not soak the entire instrument or put it under running water.  This will ruin your instrument. Clarinets and saxes just try not to get your cork around the mouthpiece wet.  Spray rubbing alcohol, or use soap and if you have a tiny wire brush or old toothbrush scrub it out. You can run water through it, just watch the cork...now you’re ready to put the reed on and play.  Flutes, you can use rubbing alcohol as well, just like at school. You should keep a tiny soft cloth--can be an old clean rag, to thread on your cleaning rod and simply run it through the parts after playing.  Leave the cloth on top of the keys in the case and it will dry naturally. DO NOT clean any other part of your instrument by soaking or using liquid silver polish!!  

Flutes, clarinets and saxes, simply use a cloth to spot clean off your keys.  Use an old small soft paintbrush or makeup brush to dust in between the keys.  That’s all you need to do!



Everyone with internet access:

Search for professional players on your instrument.  Get to know how they sound. Look for playing tips. Let me know who you found to listen to!


 

Looking Forward to Seeing All Of You Soon, until then, keep checking our page for up-dates!!--Mrs. Phelps
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