just 5 minutes

Do you think you could play for 5 minutes?

Maybe the next day 10 minutes?

...and the day after that 15 minutes?

Can you see the pattern?

There have many times in my life where the proverbial wheels came off of my awesomely in-shape-horn-playing wagon. Sometimes I just couldn't pick up the horn and play.

There have been lots of differing amounts of time for lots of differing reasons: several months during and after childbirth, several weeks after abdominal surgery, a week here and there with things like the flu, and even most recently, after the death of a dear horn player friend.

And I dare say, a day or two, now and then, when I just haven't felt like it (because I don't even know - it doesn't matter).

No judgement.

Nowadays, we have the trifecta of reasons not to play.

One: Covid (which means no concerts, no gigs, no rehearsals) Two: the semester is finished, and,

Three: there is a vast amount of unknown time ahead until the next time we are expected to play in front of…well, anybody.

BUT DO YOU WANT TO BE IN SHAPE? I do.

Since I have all that experience getting chops back after time off of the horn, let me share one strategy. It really can be as easy as adding 5 minutes a day.

Day 1. Play 5 minutes of the easiest range you have, even if it's just some scales.

Day 2. Add 5 more minutes of the same thing.

Day 3. You're up to 15 minutes...can you play all of your scales in 15 minutes?

...by Day 12 you're playing 1 hour.

If my math is correct, you're practicing 2 hours a day in just 24 days. Not too shabby.