Just out of interest how much time do you spend on practising per week? I'm trying to get in an hour a day on the clarinet to keep my embouchure in shape but was wondering if this was too much/too little!!!!!!

I think it's about right.
I practice for about 2 hours per day...

edit: oops. I thought it was per day... oh well.

I've only been playing sax since last October and my embouchure can only stand about 30-45 minutes of concentrated playing at once so I usually practice once or often twice a day.
I'd like to be able to play for longer and I know that this will come with time as I'm working on Grade 4-5 material as well as concert band music which is mostly Grade 5-6 level and one or two sessions of 30-45 minutes doesn't allow me to cover all the material I feel I should.

Concert band rehearsals last for 3 and a half hours once a week but there are enough pauses to allow my lip to last the night usually.

One or twice a day for 30 minutes and a 30 minute lesson

Not enough!!!!

5-7 hours of proper focussed practice,

plus 3-5 hours of playing in groups/lessons etc.

It's just about enough time to make some slow progress, but ideally the practice time would be doubled.

5-7 hours of practice depending on what hours I'm working (more when I'm on holiday).

1 hour lesson

wind-band/orchestra rehearsals are variable. Minimum of 1.5 hours a week, maximum about 14 hours.

I do around an hour of singing a day, around the same for recorders but that will become a lot more when my new contrabass arrives and is played in, and piano is fitted in as and when I have things to learn. I do have days off when friends come to stay though unless I have really pressing stuff on the go. I used to do around three to four hours a day, seven days a week when I was working for dips though.

hmm.. there's a big difference between how much i practice and how much i play. on average, i probably spend 2-3 hours per day playing (on my own), split about evenly between fiddle and flute (but i'll spend more time on one if there's something in particular i'm working on).

how much of this is practice... well, my playing is split about half and half between playing things i already know (which isn't really practice at all), and learning new things. the latter consists of taking a tune, playing it a few times with the dots, and then trying to play it without. i'll repeat that a few times over a couple of days, and then i've learnt it. after that, i'll play it sometimes along with the other tunes i already know, so i don't forget it.

if a new tune requires some technique work, i'll do that while i'm learning it (for example, i'm working on high B intonation at the moment), but generally, i don't spend much time working on technique for its own sake. (but often i'll play something i know, and not be happy with a particular bit; then i'll spend some time working on that, which i suppose counts as technique.)

Ostensibly, I do 40 minute sessions between 5 and 8 times a week depending on how the week is going.

Lately I've somewhat scaled back my practicing, due to general tiredness/lack of inclination, and it's been much more like 5 times a week max.

I would find it difficult to summon up either the energy or the time to practice for 2 hours a day most days as I feel that I can only practice between 9am and 9pm to spare the neighbours, I work office hours and I can't last longer than an hour at best before my embouchoure goes.

Actually, that brings me on to a question. I practice until my embouchoure gives up and refuses to play high notes (or I get overly frustrated) is that right, or should I carry on a bit further or stop a bit sooner?

I'm not sure how much really gives the right idea - because in recent years I've had to learn to be more efficient with practice.
When running up to grades 7 and 8, probably about 5 hours a week, peaking at about seven hours. For grade 7 almost half of that time was wasted trying to learn scales by heart.
Coming up to ATCL, four hours per week, peaking again at about seven hours.
Coming up to LTCL, had difficulty making time for even four hours per week, and in the last month before the exam that plummeted to only about two.

My mind boggles at the very idea of four hours a day - to achieve that, I'd have to run away from Life for the duration...

On when an oboist should stop - I used to stop when my lip gave out, as it was telling me I'd had enough. Not much point trying to carry on, but useful to keep going until it does, so that it gains a bit of stamina.

If my recorders ever decide to sort themselves out and stop messing around cracking and needing to be played in again, I would do about 2 hours of practice per day on average. As it is, I probably average at a bit less than an hour a day.

On clarinet between 40 minutes and an hour a day depending on how long my lip lasts. When the notes stop coming out I know it's time to stop.
Fridays I have orchestra so that's an hour helping with the junior band, half an hour break to eat then a 2 hour rehearsal. I don't always do any other practice on a Friday.

I practise on the alto sax for 30-60 minutes 4-6 days a week and havea 30 minute lesson once a week.

I'm doing my grade 2 exam in March, so am probably practising a bit more than usual. After the exam I'll go back to fortnightly lessons.

I don't think I practise anywhere near enough. I'm a lot better than I was however.

Monday- 1hr
Tues- wind orchestra 1hr
Weds- 1 hr 40mins
Thurs - 40mins then recorder ensemble rehearsal
Fri- 30mins lesson, 40mins practise
Sat/Sun- flexible and varied dependent on work
totals about 3 and a bit hrs practise definate, often do more at weekends but it's not set slots
and 1 1/2 hrs lesson and orchestra

Actual proper "sit down and practice" probably only a couple of hours a week, if that.

Probably have about 7-10 hours of rehearsal per week though, so I suppose that makes up for some.

I go for an hour a day, split it up into four fifteen minute bits (roughly) and split the time between scales, technical exercises and pieces. This works for me but everyone is different.

Like a lot of other people, about 5-7 hours per week, depending on what else life is throwing at me. Just recently it's been less than that because I've been quite tired and not really had the inclination...and I'm packing to move house. So much rubbish, so little time!!
As well as that there's a 1.5 wind band rehearsal each week and a 1 hour lesson monthly.

I tend to practice until my embouchure tells me to stop too. Its getting better every day so I don't think its doing me any harm. I've only just recently taken up the clarinet again after 25 years and its just great!
Only trouble is I have to play alone as there are no bands in my area so motivation can be a bit of a problem at times!

Sbhoa's got that absolutely on the button - and it happens to all of us. When you're embouchure tires, it's time to take a break.



For one off events, see if there's anything near you on the forum event calendar (forum events sub-forum) Kath.

Normally 2~3 hours per day... well that includes some disturb from friends in school... then rehearsal with orchestra is like 5 hours per week... well.. my reed worn out quite quickly... haha

Not enough this week!!! Been poorly

my general plan though:

mon,tues,wed and fri I work 12 hour days, get home at 7.45/8pm and aim to do 30 minutes whilst dinner is cooking, sometimes a little after dinner but wary of playing after 9pm in a semi-detached (play piano after that as we have a digital and can wear headphones).
sat and sun, two or three sessions each 30-60 minutes, easily get carried away at weekends
thursday, aim to do one session in the morning (30 minutes or so), lesson in the afternoon (30 minutes), and then usually another hour in the evening playing new things from lesson!

So - that's roughly 7 hours a week??

This week however played masses at the weekend, really improved on a lot of things, and then haven't picked clari up until this morning as I been poorly and not felt like doing anything after work apart from sleeping in front of the telly. Mad last minute practicing for lesson in half an hour - stuff isn't too bad but it's frustrating as I know I was playing it better on sunday!

I worry about upsetting the neighbors too.. especially as our walls are paper thin . My two octave scales must sound awful . I tend to practise between 8 and 9pm then make myself put it away.The neighbours do stil smile at me!