Morning Session
Typically, my students and I set annual, big-picture goals, along with short-term goals that align with these long-term objectives. We also explore how daily practice can be scheduled. Because this is highly individual, I offer my own daily routine as an example and then help the student develop a daily routine that suits their interests.
I practice in the morning and in the evening. I start my day playing my large-bore, orchestral trombone. I play ascending long tones (60 mm., eight beats, low E to high E) chromatically. I then turn to a warm-up study from either the Schlossberg or Remington warm-up books. I complete this with long pedal tones.
During this portion of my daily routine, I keep the metronome clicking at 66 m.m., and always count a measure and take a natural ("oh yeah") breath on the beat preceding my playing.
Next, I play chromatic scales on various articulations (legato, tenuto, or staccato) from the lowest E to the highest E. I use a 6/8 time with eighth-note motion at 60 m.m.
I next turn to orchestral excerpts. Tannhauser for breath control, La Gazza Ladra for staccato articulation, and Mozart's Requiem for legato articulation. I then play Valkyrie for staccato articulation and breath control. Finally, I play Bolero and Also Sprach Zarathustra for the upper register.
To conclude my morning practice on the orchestral trombone, I play Rochut Etude number two.
At this point, I turn to my small-bore, jazz trombone. I begin by playing all major and minor scales, two octaves. Finally, I conclude by playing all Major 7th, dominant 7th, half-diminished 7th, and augmented 7th arpeggios in two octaves.
Evening Session
I devote my evening practice session to repertoire. If I am working on a classical solo piece, I use my orchestral trombone. If I am working on jazz, I use my small-bore instrument.
I warm up with chromatic studies one through ten in my book, Advanced Elements for Trombone Playing. I then play studies twenty-four through twenty-seven, playing against the grain.
Next, I spend time focusing on one of the twelve blues and one of the twelve Rhythm Changes backing tracks. I work on improvising using major, minor, chromatic, and blues scales. I focus on one key per day.
The new repertoire I am learning comes next. I usually focus on one new tune for a week, or several weeks for a longer piece of solo repertoire.
The remainder of my evening session is devoted to refreshing old repertoire.
I conclude with sight-reading out of Arban's, the real book, as well as Koprasch, Mantia, Blazhevich, and other works that are around and unknown.
Morning and evening sessions typically last about two hours each, totaling four hours of practice each day. On days that I am teaching lessons or working with other musicians, to preserve my lips from fatigue, I often shorten each practice session to one hour.
