← Saxophone · Keep it going · about 10 min
Your 10-minute practice plan
A simple daily routine that works, and how to know you are improving.
Little and often wins
Ten focused minutes a day beats an hour once a week. Your lips and fingers learn by repeating a little each day.
No timers will lock you out. Use this as a guide, not a rule.
The routine
Breathe (1 min)
Three slow belly breaths. Warm air out for eight counts.
Long tones (2 min)
Low G for 8 counts, five times. Then B and A if you like.
Scale (3 min)
G major up and down, slowly. Then once at the next tempo up.
Song (3 min)
Play Hot Cross Buns or whatever you are learning. Play the hardest part three times.
Finish (1 min)
Play something you enjoy. End on a good note, literally.
How to practice
Slow beats fast
If you make a mistake, go slower, not faster.
Repeat the hard bit
Don't play the whole song again. Play the two measures that tripped you up, five times.
Listen to yourself
Pause now and then. Was it steady? Was the tone clear?