<p>hi all,
I was wondering what a good amount of hrs for a flutist would be. ive heard of string/piano players practicing insane amounts & my brass player friends say they have a limit on practicing. does the level for flutists fall somewhere between the two? Just wondering whether im on par with everyone or if i should be doing more given how many flutists are out there??</p>
<p>Not in the flute world, though from what I hear serious flute players are in the multi hour range, I have heard 2-4 hours a day (and keep that as it is, hearsay). One thing to keep in mind is that wind instrument or brass players have physical limitations string players don’t have, the lips and lungs can take only a certain amount before they give out (and obviously, different again if you are playing a double reed, single reed or the flute I would guess…). Having played a woodwind (or loitered in front of it) I would suspect it would be closer to 2 hours then 4…</p>
<p>The other thing to keep in mind is that practicing is a funny thing, that while you have to put in the time, it also depends on how you are practicing. I remember reading an article by Itzhak Perlman talking about practicing the violin, and he said that practicing more then 3 hours can end up self defeating and that often many people practice those kind of hours without getting much more out of it then others doing 3. I am saying that in case you let’s say are practicing an hour and a half a day (hypothetically) and hear about someone practicing 4 hours a day, you could be getting more out of your time then they do:).</p>
<p>One good source is to talk to your teacher about it,if you already are studying with a high level teacher you would probably know if you weren’t practicing enough, your ears would be blistering:). Another source might be trying e-mailing high level flute teachers and ask them what they recommend to their students, you might get some good feedback there.</p>
<p>My only other piece of advice is if you practice X hours, allow break time in it (my kid does roughly 20 minutes on, 10 off, through the practice cycle of several hours, finds that works and keeps from getting too fatigued or hurting)</p>
<p>S averages 3 hrs per day, when school workload is not insane, plus rehearsal commitments with groups he belongs too. He keeps a log of what he practices (new/old pieces, excerpts, scales, exercises) which seems to help keep practice time on track. During the summer the time increases significantly. Imho the private teacher is the most important part of the equation and the direction they provide. Good Luck.</p>
<p>Something for young musicians to keep in mind is a stress injury from repetitive motion. I’ve seen too many students have to be sidelined for weeks or months, or worse, having to quit altogether because they “over did it” and the damage can’t be repaired.
Please discuss this with your instructor and follow his/her advice.</p>
<p>Working within the limits set by a good flute teacher is great advice. A few other things to keep in mind:</p>
<p>It is not only how much you practice, but also how well you practice. As one teacher I know puts it, “Practice does not necessarily make perfect. Practice make permanent.” You need to be certain that you are practicing the right things.</p>
<p>Not all practice involves physically playing the instrument. You can study and memorize scores and listen to different artists performing the same piece with an aim toward noticing the similarities and differences in their performances. My wife teaches flute and she makes her students sing their parts with attention to the correct dynamics and phrasing (even the ones who are not particularly good singers) because she wants them to have a mental image of what it is that they are trying to get out of the instrument and how that fits in with any other musical parts that may be involved. By interspersing some of the mental exercises in with the physical playing, it helps to avoid repetitive stress injuries and also makes it possible to stay mentally engaged for longer periods of time.</p>
<p>Warmups are important. My wife has been playing for more years that she would probably want me to mention, but she always starts her practice sessions with some stretching, then long tones and slow scales/arpeggios. Jumping in with the most difficult bits right away is asking for trouble.</p>
<p>Back when I was in high school (performing arts high school, first alto as music major) I was practicing 4-6 hours every day at my prime. It made me improve very quickly and I outshone nearly all of the other musicians in my county. However, now I can only practice for an hour or two before I have horrible pains in my forearm and have to wait a few days before I can practice again.</p>
<p>2-4 hours sounds about right, or however long you feel comfortable doing. Definitely stretch the arms, especially the forearms, periodically.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice! looks likei might have been overdoing it. One question though… do the flutists who get into juilliard & curtis still practice within the 2-4 hour range, or more???</p>
<p>My son practices (trumpet) around 2 hours a day 6 days a week, that is in addition to marching band (which is all 1.5 hours Tues-Fri and all day on most Saturdays), one master class and one hour private lesson a week. His trumpet professor tells him he should be practicing 3 hours a day but there is simply not time enough with a full course load in college. Maybe after marching band is over he can convert the 6 hours a week to individual practice.</p>
<p>I have no idea how that would translate to flute students trying to “get to the top”.</p>
<p>FW-
There is a law of diminishing returns with the amount you practice, while there is no doubt that someone who practices let’s say 1 hour a day will more then likely not progress as fast as someone who routinely practices 2 or 3 hours a day. However, it isn’t a linear progression, and eventually gains from extra practice may/will tail off, so practicing 5 hours may not buy you all that much over doing 4. </p>
<p>So why the diminishing returns (and again, everyone is different)?..</p>
<p>-Fatigue. After a while, someone can get physically and emotionally tired out and not be able to learn much.</p>
<p>-Physical issues. Have known a number of music students, madly practicing for competitions and auditions, who crammed in a lot of practicing in a short time, and then ended up having physical issues. Can be anything from carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, strains, tears or simply lips turning to rubber, you name it…</p>
<p>-Brain fatigue, trying to process too much too fast, kind of the opposite of boredom. </p>
<p>What I have heard from musicians and successful music students is there isn’t a magic number, that in the end it is finding what works for you. I would bet there are kids at high level programs like Curtis who practiced 3 hours a day, some 4, others who practiced more. I have also seen music students who from an early age practiced a lot of hours a day (usually pushed by parents) and ended up not doing much, burning out, etc, and kids who put in those kind of hours, by rote effort attained some pretty tight skills, and failed auditions or if they got into music school, didn’t make it as musicians…</p>
<p>The point being there is no magic number per se. One suggestion I would have is to establish a regular practice schedule (which is the most critical part IMO, regularly practicing) at X hours (let’s say 2 or 3) and look at how you are progressing (or ask the teacher for feedback). If you aren’t happy with the results, increase it, and see how it comes out, until you find what you are looking for. Plus also take a look at how you are practicing, for example, do a half hour of scales, etudes, then pieces, maybe finish off with scales again, you get the idea…there has been a lot written about suggested practice techniques, or ask your teacher what they do:)</p>
<p>flutewoman: You ask, “Do the flutists who get into juilliard & curtis still practice within the 2-4 hour range, or more???”</p>
<p>Certainly most students that get into places like Juilliard and Curtis do not cut back on their practicing. Because they usually have more time in their day to practice once in conservatory, if anything the amount of playing per day usually increases. As well, once they are in conservatory and surrounded by excellent musicians, they usually have more motivation or inspiration to practice more.</p>
<p>Violindad makes a good point. The amount of time spent practicing probably does increase when you get into music school, plus keep in mind that not only will they be practicing their own stuff for their teacher, they also will be practicing orchestra parts, chamber parts and doing ensemble playing as well, so a good part of the day will be spent playing or practicing. I also suspect the amount of practice time might fluctuate because of what someone is doing, if someone has X hours of orchestra, Y hours of chamber, they may not be able to practice as much for their instrument lessons that day. </p>
<p>And keep in mind that in a conservatory or music school, the stakes may be higher then before getting in. Why? Students have juries at the end of each year, and if they are found not to have progressed enough, they can be asked to leave (kind of like getting on probation). More importantly, practicing at that level is now about a future career/vocation, rather then nailing an audition, winning some competition, and generally kids who get into music schools are already motivated to put the time in, the ones who were forced by parents or otherwise weren’t serious mostly drop off before getting in. </p>
<p>I have occassionally read posts elsewhere (I don’t think on here, people would roast them) where someone posts that getting into music school is the big hurdle and afterwords the level drops off, and if you ever read that or told that, don’t believe it. I suspect the people writing that have never been to music school, and are projecting a phenomenon that is known in some higher ed systems (where the big thing is to get into the top rated school, that is what matters, that sets your path…Japan was famous for that, for example), but take it from me, it is crap, along with some other gems:)</p>
<p>My D is a freshman flute student in The Shepherd School at Rice. Her teacher there expects 3+ hours a day split into 2 sessions just for her stuff. The orchestra and chamber music is in addition to that. As a HS student she practiced 2-3 hours a day.</p>
<p>thanks everyone, your replies have been really helpful! i’m trying out different htings now & it seems to be working. </p>
<p>violindad- i misworded my question i guess, i meant that did they still keep it to 2-4 hrs a day, to have a chance at the top schools.
flute1298 - i wont say who i am, or where, to keep anonymous, but ive met your daughter! hahaha</p>
<p>Sorry if I missed this, but how old are you and what stage are you at in your musical development. This has some bearing on proper answer.
I would describe flute on the higher side in terms of hours required compared to other instruments.
There’s a LOT to do. Some teachers have whole systems with all those books you have to run through - that takes time before you get to your new stuff.</p>
<p>Yes, one must be careful about injury - that could take you out for a year - I do know such a story. Nevertheless, Flute is super competitive and if you are serious you need to be professional all along in your approach.
I recommend travel/studying with as many teachers as possible - the top flutists are always thinking ahead to new opportunities - audition for and attend NFA; summer programs; YA programs; paid gigs, networking, wow it never ends aside from your standard studies and ensembles…(whether HS or college/conservatory)
Check with students and studio professors at places like Eastman and Rice - I think you’ll find the expectations a heckuva lot higher than 2-3 hours per day.
In one studio I recall - you’re expected to come in with a piece completed each week (for your studio lesson) - this rep isn’t easy and takes thoughtful work.</p>