Take a break

[8parktoollover]

So many people underestimate the importancr of taking breaks from playing. I have been practicing a lot recently and I got a cut in my mouth so I took a two day breal from playing. When I came back a felt like I played better than before. Without warming up I hit a high e flat and the triple tounging passafe I was strugglung with came out like butter.

[BurckhardtS]

There definitely seems to be a weird stigma surrounding taking days easy or off. I prefer days easy, but if I need it I will take a day off. It gives your brain time to process things, and your chops to recover. You won't forget how to play the trombone, and you can always mental practice (listen to recordings, score study, singing and conducting, transcribing etc) and if done well this is just as effective. Recovery is an incredibly important part of the process.

Also, I see a lot of people practicing in ways that makes taking breaks almost mandatory, because they play too hard or so much in an unproductive way that taking time off is the only way to recover, and they're surprised how much better it feels when they do that.

My family and I went to Hawaii last Christmas time and I didn't take my trombone with me. I didn't regret it at all. I know how to get back in shape fairly quickly, and I played a dance band gig 3 days later. It was fine.

[Doug Elliott]

I think the very best way to "take a break" is to plan days when you still play, but only for two or three minutes. Alternating normal playing with days like that can be very effective.

At this point I sometimes go a week without playing at all. My many years of totally correct practice sustain me so I really don't lose anything. I don't recommend that unless you really know what "correct" is and have spent a lot of years doing it.