What Happens When You Don’t Practice

I last picked up my trombone around December 1 or so, sometime before we left for Oklahoma to go get our baby girl Melia, so it had been about sixty days since I even touched the instrument. I took it to school with me during reading week, but for the first three-and-a-half weeks back, it sat forlornly in my office. I really need a reason to play the thing other than “I went to conservatory and feel guilty every day that I don’t practice now.”

But, today, I got in forty minutes on the trombone, and it went something like this.

“I guess I will need the Super-Slick today after all.”

“Is this the right mouthpiece?”

“That note shouldn’t sound like that.”

“Did my lips get skinnier?”

“Hey, that note was in tune!”

“I used to have bigger lungs than this.”

“Ooh… that note was *not* in tune.”

“How does that warm-up routine go?”

“That felt better than I remember it.”

“That didn’t.”

“High notes don’t feel so bad.”

“Yes, they do!”

“That felt like that old guy I used to play with in high school that made me think I’ll never let my tone sound like that.”

“Definitely need to do this more often.”

“Maybe a couple of heads from the Real Book would be a good idea.”

“All the heads in the Real Book are in bad keys and emphasize the tubby range of the instrument, but don’t go low enough for me to take them up an octave. It’s a saxophonist conspiracy.”

“My left arm is tired.”

“My right arm is tired.”

“That was a passable attempt at Bitsch etude number 4.”

“Is that my spit valve cork coming loose?”

“No.”

“I still can’t play pedal tones like Chad Arnow.”

“Gotta get more gigs and have a reason to practice.”

“Time to go home.”

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2 Responses to “What Happens When You Don’t Practice”

  1. Aunt Fran says:

    I so understand this, from the point of view of so many activities that I have been involved in over the years. People used to say, “Just keep on keepin’ on.” Others would say, “Just keep on truckin’.” So Matthew, having received that advice, I pass it on to you, from me and my people to you and your people. (I think some kids also sucked on lemons to help the embouchure.) It is just something that I heard one time.
    So tell me, I have not heard of the term “pinging). What does it mean?
    Best of luck with your tromboning. Just remember, keep on…..
    Joy and blessings.
    Aunt Fran

  2. msaunders says:

    Thanks for reading, Aunt Fran! A “ping” just means that when I select keywords from my entry, the computer that stores my blog entries tells other computers that might be interested… or so I’m told. It apparently happens without my even knowing it, but it’s the way that the email you will probably get about my reply gets generated (I think). Talk to you soon!