My February

One of the big things I like to do is set monthly targets for what I wish to accomplish. I usually do this on the first Sunday of the month. I like to reflect on the goals I set the previous month, carry over anything I have not fully accomplished to my standards, and set new goals. I like to do so in my T's framework, selecting one to four things to practice in each T, on each instrument. In December, I took some time for myself after a very busy 2024. In January, I got back to practicing every day, trying to set my face and mind up to have an extremely productive February to April, where I have some real time to accomplish some long-awaited practice goals. With this in mind, my goal is to be practicing 20 to 25 hours a week. I like to have five heavy practice days where I practice between four and five hours and two light days where I let my face rest and I just do 30 minutes or so of some long tones on the flute. I like to practice only three instruments in a month. With this in mind, here is exactly how I plan what I will be doing for the next month. Feel free to copy anything you like, and if you have any questions, hit me up on my contact page!

Flute

Practice minimum 1.5 hours everyday

Tone:

• Long Tones

  • Alternate between octaves every day working in chromatic half steps down

  • Max 15 min a day

• Harmonics from Robert Dick’s “Tone Development Through Extended Techniques”

  • Alternate exercises everyday

  • Max 15 min a day

Technique:

• Taffanel and Gaubert EJ 7

  • Have it rock solid in C maj and Db maj

  • 80 BPM goal tempo

  • All three octaves

  • All articulation patterns listed practiced

  • Max 15 min a day

• Major Scale 3rds in all 4 directions

  • All 12 keys solid

  • 60 BPM 16th note goal tempo

  • Practiced all slurred and all articulated

  • Max 15 min

Time:

• Practice with a metronome

  • All beats counted out

  • Beats only on 1 and 3

  • Beats only on 2 and 4

  • Beat only on 1

Tunes:

• Liebermann Mov 1

  • Practice back to front focusing on the final 3 pages

  • Practice a yellow color in the return of the first theme

  • Practice a red color in the return of the second theme

  • Practice a nice orange in the slow lyrical sections

  • Max 30 min a day

• Handel Passacaglia for 2 Violins Arranged For Flute and Violin

  • Practice with Monica once a week

  • Work slowly on the parts where there are octave jumps making sure to lean on the lower octave notes

  • Have everything up to 90 BPM

  • Experiment with tone colors and dynamics since not much is notated. Create a game plan for how you want it to sound color wise

  • Max 30 min a day

Alto

Practice minimum:

2 hours a day

Tone:

• Long tones

  • Alternate between octaves every day working in chromatic half steps down

  • Max 15 min a day

• Rascher Top Tones 

  • Page 12-18

  • Max 15 min a day

Technique:

• 3rds in all 4 directions over rhythm changes

  • Smooth transitions between each change

  • Practice jumping around octaves and chord tones in between changes

  • Goal tempo fluid 180 BPM

  • Max 15 min a day

• 1,2,3,5 over rhythm changes

  • Sequence at least 3 different variations

  • Goal tempo 180 BPM

  • Max 15 min a day

• 1,3,5,7 arpeggios in all 4 directions over rhythm changes

  • Since you already have a good foothold, if you get this to 220 BPM, do 3,5,7,9 and 3,5,7,b9!

  • Goal tempos 180 BPM for both

  • Max 15 min a day

Time:

• Practice with a metronome

  • All beats counted out

  • Beats only on 1 and 3

  • Beats only on 2 and 4

  • Beat only on 1

Theory:

• 5-1 resolutions on rhythm changes bridge

  • Use wide intervals

  • Use the altered sound

  • Use enclosures

  • Use maj arpeggios built off diminished

  • Max 15 min a day

Tunes:

• Run through my list of tunes I have memorized throughout the week

  • Max 15 minutes a day

• Rhythm Changes Heads

  • Anthropology

  • Oleo

  • Moose The Mooche

  • Cottontail

  • Lester Leaps In

  • Rhythm-a-ning

  • Allens Alley

  • Max 15 min a day

Transcription:

• Waynes Thang - Kenny Garrett

Clarinet

Practice minimum:

30 minutes a day

Tone:

• Long tones

  • Chromatically down

  • Different octave everyday

  • Max 15 min a day

Technique:

• Major scales

  • All 12 keys

  • Practice with many articulation patterns

  • Max 15 min a day

• Major triads

  • All 12 keys

  • All slurred with a drone for intonation

  • Max 15 min a day

Time:

• Practice with a metronome

  • All beats counted out

  • Beats only on 1 and 3

  • Beats only on 2 and 4

  • Beat only on 1

Tunes:

• Learn as many of the heads you know on alto and transfer them onto clarinet

  • Max 30 min a day