Playing Tips

Begin each rehearsal with a warm-up routine that focuses on some basic playing. This will develop good tone, intonation, blend...

Young clarinet players often play with unsupported, flat sounds in the upper register. This is often caused by a mushy...

“One of the most common contributions to a non-characteristic brass sound from a young player is the approach to articulation....

Quick knowledge assessment: To get all students involved and to quickly assess their knowledge I will pose a question and...

Don’t start playing until you are ready: both mentally and physically set to commence.

Imagine a story as you perform, whether the music at hand is an étude, a concerto, or a set of...

The warmup process is one the most important factors in developing musicians.

We all worry about how much students practice. For the last 47 years I have asked band students if they...

When tuning, lightly articulate your tuning pitch a few times. Not only will this allow you to hear if you...

Saxophone and clarinet players: look in the mirror, place the mouthpiece in your mouth with your normal embouchure and DON’T...

When practicing at home, leave your case open, with your instrument ready to play.

Some of the logistics of running an ensemble can be cumbersome. To alleviate this, I hire a student in the...