I Have No Time… Efficient Practice for the Busy Musician

As musicians, we have all faced the same question at some point: How do I tackle this stack of music before the next concert?! My students often bring their overwhelmed schedules to lessons to seek assistance in finding time for adequate practice. Because I know the reality is they truly do not have extra time between homework, jobs, and so many other items on their plate, I begin triage mode.

I was blessed by patient, wise flute teachers who helped me focus my overwhelmed type-A brain and recognize that I already had many tools at my disposal. Because of these models, I know there are ways to practice away from the instrument, practice room, and traditional expectation of a practice session. Not all humans practice in the same way! Additionally, the famous Moyse quote referring to the need for “…time, patience, and intelligent practice” urges me to remember that practice is not about quantity but quality (and, of course, consistency!)
Recently, I was faced with over fifty new pieces of music to prepare in an extremely short time, and rather than give in to feeling overwhelmed, I took a deep breath and began to contemplate how I would address efficient practice strategies for situations like this with my students. And, considering time of day, I find it particularly important to address the difference between practice strategies with and without the instrument.

Without the instrument:

• Listening: Like so many of my students, I live in a situation where I cannot practice all hours of the night—my ideal practice time—so I know it is important to find a way to maximize my energy at that time of day. Spend time with YouTube, Spotify, etc. and listen to numerous recordings to identify a variety of quality performances of the desired piece. Learn to listen to the music for various reasons. Focus on the flute part, then the piano/collaborator part, and then how they interact with one another. Are there any surprising moments? Does one recording have a special moment that inspires you to strive for the most heart-wrenching taper you can achieve? Be inspired, be thoughtful, and be present to train your ears and your mind for your daylight practice sessions with the instrument.
• Score Study: This strategy easily pairs with listening! Sit down with the score, a pencil, and your favorite recording (or five of them!) and learn the music from the pianist’s perspective. You should know how the melodic line flows easily from the flute to the piano, what the harmony implies musically, how it informs the patterns in the flute part, what rhythmic intricacies exist between the parts, and even if there are any discrepancies between the parts. I once sat down with a score and realized my collaborator had one less measure in their part than mine – yikes! Through these first two methods, not only are you training your ears and eyes, but you are also training “future you” to be more observant of new ideas, similar patterns, and potential issues for your upcoming rehearsals.
• Breathing/Breath Work: Alongside the first two strategies, you will begin to become aware of where you naturally breathe while listening and studying the score. Let yourself physically feel the breath needs of the piece and yourself (where do you want the music to phrase, have space, or need rhythmic breath preparation?) and mark them for future trial and practice with the instrument!
Once you mark the intended breaths, practice breathing with calm, tension free goals. Want a relaxed and full breath? Look up Carol Wincenc’s description of the “Hawaii Breath” for access to expansion in parts of the torso that many flute players seem to neglect because of tension. This was the exact guidance I needed to calm and focus my breathing for security during lengthy phrases that must project over an orchestra. (Ref: https://www.tonebase.co/flute-blog/debussys-syrinx-a-complete-flute-practice-guide)
• Plan: When faced with the fifty pieces situation previously mentioned, I made a plan, which personally led to less stress, and my ability to then tackle small, focused tasks. My biggest advice: experiment to find what works best for you! I typically set aside 30 minutes to make a general plan, make a list of 5-10 goals, and then place them into practice blocks (suggestion: 10-15 minute increments) in a chart or list that outlines an upcoming week. More detailed breakdowns occur as I delve into the music and discover specific areas of focus. However, this can also be done by simply creating sections in your music and setting aside time each day to tackle x measures/page on Monday with technical facility or breathing goals, moving to the final page on Tuesday to focus on challenging articulation, etc. Also, add into your plan a chance to run through the piece(s) after a certain date, because endurance and focus are just as important as the technical and musical work in your plan! Finally, remember that your teacher, peers, and colleagues may not be the same type of learner or have the same physical build as you, so always consider their suggestions but make them efficient and useful for YOU!

With the Flute:

• Efficient Warm-up: Save time and mental energy by focusing on the topic or issue that is causing you the most stress in your repertoire and build it into your warm-up. Struggling with those various articulations in your piece? Work on 2-3 articulation styles in your warm-up scales. Octaves got you down? Focus on them in a slow octave warmup that builds flexibility (Harmonics and Moyse, 24 Melodic Studies, No. 4 are great for this!)
• Fundamentals!!!!! Remember that you are always evolving as a person and player, so you must remain faithful to practicing the fundamental skills that set us up for success as flute players. For example, if my vibrato needs attention, I spend time with old faithful exercises and then research new ideas from colleagues, voice teachers, string players, etc. What can I observe and strive to replicate or transfuse into my own vibrato study? Of course, once I begin to feel confident about vibrato progress, my posture needs attention, or articulation begins to sound less clear, and I repeat the same process to revive and improve my work in the new area. We require maintenance just like a car – give yourself that tune-up, and revel in the familiarity of revisiting exercises along with the new research!
• Balance: I am 99% sure this exercise came from a masterclass with Jill Felber, and I adore the fact that it continues to allow me to practice with the flute in my hands, but without sound. The goal is to create balance and stability in the hands and counteract tension due to holding the flute in the air asymmetrically. Hold the flute in front of the body away from the face – with natural hand position between the right thumb and left forefinger balance points – focusing on the instrument balance between the hands. Think of the flute like a seesaw in this exercise. Example: When changing from C to D in the staff, make this fingering change intentional, extremely slow, and deliberately keep the fingers close to the keys for minimal movement, but without tension. While doing this, watch the headjoint and aim for zero to minimal disruptive movement; adjust with support from the opposite side when obvious movement occurs in the headjoint. (Example: if the headjoint moves toward the floor, counterbalance with the left hand, because something in the right hand was jarring the flute downward.) Once you have stability and balance between the hands for each interval, your difficult passage will become more fluid! This is always more efficient for me than repetitive practice alone, provides focus, and has improved my technical facility dramatically.
• SLOW Practice: You might be tired of hearing this, but it works! If you practice slowly and mindfully, you can also give your body the chance to process proper tension-free movement in the fingers, quality breathing, accuracy in technical passages, and focus on musical intention, inflection, and phrasing. This means, when done properly, you have built effortless playing at a consistent tempo and the first layer of good preparation for the next efficient strategy…
• Metronome Work! How long do you have to prepare the piece? Use this planning strategy to set your tempo goals. Know your goal(s) and work backwards from your necessary performance tempo date. Then, use a graduated method of upward movement – accepting and planning for backward movement in tempo as well. Start well below the target tempo and always use the metronome to not only speed up your passage, but to maintain evenness, rhythmic accuracy, and consistency in your tempo. If you are consistent and approaching items in the correct way for you, positive changes will occur! [Check out Jessica Dunnavant’s article about metronome work here: https://thefluteexaminer.com/watch-your-speed/]
• Make ONE small change…If all else seems beyond your ability in a practice session, set one small goal and aim to achieve it with an equally small change. Progress is progress, and it is important to be kind to our bodies as much as our deadlines! Please be kind to yourself when practicing. Acknowledge the “wins” and “successes” as much as the continued goals that you set.

Remember that all of this aims for efficiency, but with the goal of effectiveness as well. Quality practice is key, but perfection is not our goal – we should always aim to make music! And, if you find yourself becoming frustrated, pause for a break, breath, or even a walk! Sometimes, that walk is the most efficient way to make progress…until next time, happy music-making!