Practice, practice and more practice! That's what we bards do. We also have practice techniques which help us focus our minds and prepare us for performances. You can ask the guild leaders about these techniques and they will tell you which ones you can learn.

To learn a technique, type ask leader for <technique>.

There are three techniques to learn from the Guild Leaders: Breathing, Stretching and Self Assessment.

Breathing is the practice technique for using steadying breaths to prepare you for a vocal performance. Ezruh told me, "Using steady, deep breaths, you draw upon your inner strength, focusing your mind and expanding your lungs so that you are better able vocalize and perform upon wind instruments. Use of this practicing technique is calming, and you will find yourself better able to utilize your abilities afterwards. If you wish to learn this ability, ask me for it."

To use this ability, type practice breathing.

Stretching prepares you for an instrumental performance. Ezruh's explanation of this technique was: "Using this routine for stretching, you loosen and limber up the muscles in your body, preparing yourself for physical activity ahead. Stringed and percussive instruments, especially, should pose a bit less of a challenge to you once you have properly stretched first. Use of this practicing technique is calming, and you will find yourself better able to utilize your abilities afterwards. If you wish to learn this ability, ask me for it."

To use this ability, type practice stretching.

Self Assessment is the way bards can assess their bardic mojo, or their ability to perform bardic abilities well. Ezruh says the following about it: "Assessing your strength in your own abilities, your confidence, your state of mind, is not an easy task by any means. However, at a certain point in a Bard's life they are taught several ways in which they may do this, through singing, playing, and dancing. The success at which you complete each task will give you a good indication of how strong of self you are."

To use this ability, type practice assess <sing/dance/play instrument>.

Note from Elenelear:
When I learned the two practice techniques of Breathing and Stretching from Ezruh, he warned me not to get distracted while employing them, because I might lose my focus and need to start all over again and that I might not be able to use the focusing technique again for a while.

Type ask leader about practice.

You can
practice sing
You clear your voice repeatedly, then run through a few short scales to warm up. Whoa do you sound good!
practice area
You look around for a comfortable spot to settle in before practice.
practice parched
You briefly run a few vocal scales to warm up -- feels like a good drink is in order!

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We thank Elenelear for the generous contribution of materials from her site.