Smoke & Mirrors

Practice tip of the day: using a mirror.

1. Practicing in front of a full-length mirror will give you a good idea of what you look like when performing. It will also help you identify any "parasitic motion," that is, motions that you make while playing that hinder your performance. You may or may not be aware of these parasitic motions, and you may or may not realize that these motions hinder or disrupt your playing. But once you identify and address them, you'll discover that, for example, the little head bob or shoulder twitch you've been doing for years actually disrupts your flow of air, and you can stop blaming your lung capacity for not making it to the end of phrases.

2. Practicing in front of a wall-mounted mirror (bathroom, hallway, anywhere you find one) will enable you to examine what your embouchure is doing while you are playing. You may not realize that you are making more tension than you need, or that you are doing exactly the opposite of what you thought you were doing.

For both of these mirror experiences it will be helpful for you to memorize a short passage, or some exercises that take you through all the registers (slow or fast; doesn't matter), or a passage or exercise in which you have to articulate quickly, as in a Presto in 3/4 or something. You'll also notice just how efficient your finger technique is (if your fingers are moving too high above the instrument, you'll have to have a chat with them and convince them to move less, thereby making you more efficient, and therefore more relaxed, and thus able to play faster with less effort).

Practicing in front of a mirror gives you the added benefit of playing music with someone standing right in front of you. And that person in front of you just cannot stand still. This will help your concentration. And when you step in front of an audience, you'll be relieved that everyone in front of you is both sitting down and not right in your face.