MIDDLE

SCHOOL

BAND

PACKETWICHITA PUBLIC

SCHOOLS

Middle School Band Practice Ideas Try to practice at least 15 minutes a day or 90 minutes a week to keep your skills up. Take care of your instrument by properly cleaning and storing it each time you practice. If your instrument breaks, do not attempt to repair it yourself.

Essential Elements 2000 Book 1 or 2:

● Use the Daily Warm Ups on page 6 or page 18 to warm up each time you practice.

● Continue practicing from where your band class left off in the book. Use this sequence to learn new lines: say the note names, count the rhythms, sizzle the rhythms while doing fingerings, say the note names in rhythm with fingerings, play the line of music.

● For everything you play, ask yourself: ○ Did I play correct notes and rhythms? ○ Did my instrument sound good (tone quality)? ○ Did I use my tongue correctly? ○ Did I breathe in the correct places?

Explore the book:

● Start from the beginning of the book and play all of the lines you already know. Then go back and play them twice as fast.

● Practice the Rubank Scale and Arpeggio Studies on pages 40 and 41 (Book 1) or pages 34 and 35 (Book 2).

● Use the fingering chart at the back of the book to play each note from your lowest note to the highest note you can play. Study the notes you don’t already know. More advanced-See how fast you can play from lowest to highest.

● Write in the counts for the rhythm studies on pages 42 and 43. ● Play the rhythms on mouthpieces. ● Pick 2 lines from the rhythm studies and make up your own notes to go along

with those rhythms. ● Pick a composer from the index and practice all of the songs listed for that

composer. ● Pick a country from the index under “World Music” and practice all of the songs

listed for that county. ● Do the composition assignments on page 44.

BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR BEST PRACTICE

Before Practice:

● Set a goal o Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish by the end of this session?” This will give

you a clear idea of the task at hand and help you practice smarter, not harder. ● Find/create a productive space

o Find a quiet, uncluttered space that has little to no distractions. Also, make sure you have everything you need, such as instrument supplies and a pencil.

● Silence unneeded technology o Phones are beneficial to use as tuners or metronomes, but can be a huge distraction

when trying to focus on your practice. Switch to airplane mode so helpful applications can be used while other notifications are turned off.

● Have a routine or plan in mind o You need to warm-up just like any exercise. Think about what sequence is going to help

you get the most out of your practice. I like to start with breathing exercises, move to scales, then hyper focus on what I want to accomplish or the problem area I want to solve, and then revisit old music or play a piece that I have already learned.

During Practice:

● Isolate the Problem o Rather than simply running through passages or an entire piece, isolate the actual

problem. What is it that you’re having an issue with? Going from one measure into the next? The rhythm? Articulation? Notes/fingerings? Focus on the one skill you are having problems with and just practice that. After you can confidently perform this skill several times without mistakes, gradually put back in the others.

● Chunking o This goes along with isolating the problem. After you have practiced the one section

you are having issues with, put it back in context with the music before and after the passage.

● SLOW IT DOWN!!! o Any skill can be more efficiently accomplished by slowing it down. Set your metronome

at a slow tempo and practice the difficult passage. After you have played it perfectly 5 times, bump up your metronome by 10 bpm. Continue to do this until it is up to tempo.

● Set a timer o Over-practicing or concentrating on a passage for too long can eventually lead to a lack

of focus. Set a timer for 5-15 minutes for each section of your practice. If you didn’t fully accomplish your goal in that time, make a mental note to come back to it next practice session.

● Mix it up! o Not every practice session has to be the exact same. Try some different techniques to

keep your mind engaged ▪ Record yourself and listen for areas of accomplishment and improvement ▪ Try to play a passage backwards ▪ Sight read a piece that you want to learn

▪ Listen to a popular piece and try to figure out how to play the melody on your instrument

After Practice:

● Make note of work that still needs to be done o Write down or make a mental note of things you did not fully accomplish or noticed that

you need to practice in the future ● Celebrate your successes

o Acknowledge and celebrate what you accomplished! Practice is hard work and you should feel proud that you took the time to develop your skills.

● Clean your instrument and practice space o Take care of your instrument by properly cleaning and storing it. Make sure your

practice space is ready for your next session by organizing and putting away materials.

Music Terms Scavenger Hunt

NAME:__________________________________

These music terms are found in your Essential Elements Book 1. Find each term and match it to

the correct definition.

___accent ___trio

___time signature ___phrase

___mezzo forte (mf) ___breath mark

___duet ___scale

___fermata ___measure

___fortissimo (ff) ___chord

___Andante ___Allegro

___slur ___harmony

___accidental ___key signature

___crescendo (cresc.) ___quarter note

___piano (p) ___solo

___tie ___tempo

___ flat ___diminuendo (dim.)

___Moderato ___ eighth rest

___dynamics ___sharp

___embouchure ___beat

___dotted half note ___repeat sign

1. emphasize the note

2. sharp, flat or natural in a song which are not in the key signature

3. lowers the pitch ½ step

4. curved line connecting two note of the same pitch

5. 3 beats

6. 2 dots that tell us to play the song once again from the beginning

7. shows how many beats are in one measure

8. 1 beat

9. between 2 bar lines on a staff

10. how loud or soft the music is

11. speed of the music

12. gradually getting louder

13. gradually getting softer

14. lowers the pitch ½ step

15. curved line that connects 2 notes of different pitch

16. cancels out a flat or sharp

17. musical sentence

18. composition with 3 parts played together

19. a sequence of note in ascending or descending order

20. ½ beat of silence

21. 2 or more notes played together

22. hold the note longer than normal

23. tells which notes to play flat or sharp during a song

24. a comma mark that tells us where to take a breath

25. soft

26. very loud

27. medium loud

28. fast tempo

29. medium tempo

30. slower walking tempo

31. 2 pulses, down-up

32. how your mouth forms to play an instrument

33. one person playing alone

34. two or more notes played at the same time

Find the following songs in your book. Write the name of each song:

1. a song from Austria________________________________

2. a song from Canada_________________________________

3. a song from Africa__________________________________

4. a song from Italy___________________________________

5. a song from Germany_______________________________

6. a song from France________________________________

7. a song from England__________________________________

8. a song from China___________________________________

9. a song from Israel____________________________________

10. a song from Mexico___________________________________

Find the following composers (authors) and list one piece they wrote next to their name.

1. Brahms________________________________________________

2. Beethoven_____________________________________________

3. Mozart_________________________________________________

4. Grieg___________________________________________________

5. Rossini__________________________________________________

6. Sousa____________________________________________________

7. Dvorak___________________________________________________

8. Bach_____________________________________________________

9. Haydn____________________________________________________

10. Schubert__________________________________________________

Music Terms Scavenger Hunt

NAME:__________________________________

These music terms are found in your Essential Elements Book 2. Draw the symbol and write the

definition for each:

1. accent

2. tenuto

3. ritardando

4. fermata

5. fortissimo

6. slur

7. crescendo

8. quarter note

9. flat

10. diminuendo

11. eighth rest

12. repeat

13. dotted half note

14. sharp

15. triplet

Find the following songs in your book. Write the name of each song:

1. a song from Australia________________________________

2. a song from Thailand_________________________________

3. a song from Jamaica__________________________________

4. a song from Italy___________________________________

5. a song from Puerto Rico_______________________________

6. a song from France________________________________

7. a song from England__________________________________

8. a song from Ireland___________________________________

9. a song from Scottland____________________________________

10. a song from Mexico___________________________________

11. a song from the Bahamas_______________________________

12. A song from Germany__________________________________

Find the following composers (authors) and list one piece they wrote next to their name.

1. Bizet________________________________________________

2. Beethoven_____________________________________________

3. Mozart_________________________________________________

4. Elgar___________________________________________________

5. Tchaikovsky__________________________________________________

6. Strauss____________________________________________________

7. Dvorak___________________________________________________

8. J.S. Bach_____________________________________________________

9. J.C. Bach____________________________________________________

10. Sousa__________________________________________________

11. Tallis_____________________________________________________

12. Brahms___________________________________________________

Matching:

1. A Tempo ___play lightly and separated

2. staccato ___cut time

3. accelerando ___1 note with 2 different names

4. maestoso ___a series of 8 stepwise notes

5. alla breve ___moving by half steps

6. syncopation ___resume original temp

7. chromatics ___a curved line connecting

8. rallentando different pitches

9. tie ___majestically

10. slur ___a curved lined connecting

11. scale 2 notes of the same pitch

12. enharmonics ___ gradually slowing down

___gradually speeding up

___rhythm with accents on weak beats

MS Band Bingo 

Play “Hot Cross Buns”

Backwards

Call a friend or relative and play a song for them over the phone

Play your favorite one octave scale

Play rhythms using pizza toppings

Draw a picture of your

instrument

Play your instrument

outside (as long as the weather is

nice!)

Hold a concert Bb in tune for as long as you can

Play your instrument in every room of

your home

See how many words you can

make using just the letters of

your instrument name

Play something 5 times in a row

without making any mistakes

Figure out which pitch your microwave

beeps at when it’s done

Play a page from your book while

marching in tempo

Practice for 20

minutes

Learn how to say your

instrument’s name in at least

one other language

Play charades using only

sounds you can make on your

instrument

Listen to a recording of a professional playing your instrument

Try to play while dancing (and keeping your instrument

safe!)

List as many instruments as you can in one

minute

Find a song on the radio that

has a band instrument in

the background

Make a band meme and send it to your band

director

Practice 5 days in a row

Find a TV show or movie with a musician, and see if you can figure out if

they’re actually playing

Watch a Drum Corps

International (DCI) video

Play a line from the book

changing all quarter notes to 2 eighth notes

Play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little

Star” as fast as you can

Music Math - Level 1(Add the beats)

( )( )Music Math - Level 2

(Add the beats)

Name:___________________________________

Rhythm: It All Adds Up Complete the math questions below using the rhythm values shown.

1. + = 13. + =

25. + =

2. + = 14. + =

26. + =

3. + = 15. + =

27. + =

4. + = 16. + =

28. + =

5. + = 17. + =

29. + =

6. + = 18. + =

30. + =

7. + = 19. + =

31. + =

8. + = 20. + =

32. + =

9. + = 21. + =

33. + =

10. + = 22. + =

34. + =

11. + = 23. + =

35. + =

12. + = 24. + =

36. + =

Bonus Question:

+ + + + + + + + + + + =

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Rhythm Worksheet #1Directions: Write in the rhythmic counting for the exercises below. Write the counting directly undereach note, circle the counts that contain rests, and use parenthesis to enclose the counts for notes thatget more than one beat.

Name:___________________________________________

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Rhythm Worksheet #2Directions: Write in the rhythmic counting for the exercises below. Write the counting directly undereach note, circle the counts that contain rests, and use parenthesis to enclose the counts for notes thatget more than one beat.

Name:___________________________________________

RhythmSheetReviewWritethecountingundereachmeasure.Payattentiontothetimesignature!

8

7

6

4

5

3

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1

Parents, below is information regarding purchasing an instrument:

The following instruments are available to rent from the district for only one year: flutes, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, and violins. After one year, parents are expected to provide an instrument for succeeding years. Most parents prefer visiting with local music dealers regarding their “Rent to Own” plans for as little as $20-$35 a month (see below for stores and recommended brands). One word of caution when buying a new instrument on your own; some popular big box retail stores have been selling brands of instruments that are of very low quality. While the price may initially seem appealing, the instruments are poorly made and no reputable repair person will guarantee the repairs on these instruments. Ultimately, the instrument would have to be replaced. Please be sure to talk to your band director before making any purchases. Good used instruments are acceptable if checked first by a reputable music instrument

repairman.

Local Music Stores

Couch Musical Instrument Repair

131 S. Hydraulic

Wichita, KS 67211

(316) 265-8100

www.couchmusicshop.com

Damm Music Center

8995 W Central

Wichita, KS 67212

(316) 773-9060

www.dammmusic.com

Lighthouse Music Services

5918 Clarendon St

Bel Aire, KS 67220

(316) 744-8530

www.lighthousemusicservices.com

Senseney Music, Inc.

2300 E. Lincoln

Wichita, KS 67211

(316) 262-1487

www.senseneymusic.com

Wichita Band Instrument Co.

2525 E. Douglas

Wichita, KS 67211

(316) 684-0291

www.wichitaband.com

Music Scene

546 N Andover Rd.

Andover, KS 67002

http://www.musicsceneks.com

Recommended Brands

You can also purchase instruments from pawn shops, the Penny Power, E-Bay, or Craig's List.

Every child can be successful when playing an instrument, but only if that instrument is in good

condition. Too many times students get frustrated and quit band because their instrument is

not in playable condition. If you are planning on purchasing a used instrument, I strongly

encourage you to have any used instruments examined by an experienced repair person.

Here is a list of good quality brand names:

Accent

Armstrong

Artley

Bach

Besson

Buffet

Cannonball

Conn

Gemeinhardt

Holton

Jupiter

King

Selmer

Vito

Yamaha