Re: Manic practice syndrome


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Posted by Tom Caudron on February 11, 1999 at 09:25:16:

In Reply to: Manic practice syndrome posted by Sean Chisham on February 10, 1999 at 17:10:10:

Although we don't normally think of it as such, the physical part of playing is largely an athletic endeavor. We're dealing with breathing techniques and precise muscle control. Exercise physiologists caution against doing hard workouts on consecutive days. Whether you're a runner, a weight lifter or a baseball player, the hard, hard, hard program turns out to be counter productive.

I would suggest that the same can hold true for tuba playing. Maybe the answer is to take the occasional day off. Forget the excerpts and edutes for a day and pull out those solos you played in Jr. High School. Take a long walk and play mental tuba, no buzzing or finger movement allowed. Do nothing music related.

Taking a break will cost you absolutely nothing and the gains might just be waiting for those with the nerve to do it.


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