The purpose of this study is to describe the decision-making processes of novice band students while engaged in individual practice. Five seventh- through ninth-grade students were videotaped while practicing and subsequently interviewed using retrospective verbal protocol. Students were asked to discuss the goals they had while practicing, their choice of practice strategies, their self-assessment process, and their feelings of efficacy. Analysis of data and prior literature resulted in the construction of a model for effective practice and suggested three implications for teachers. First, student choices about what and how to practice seem more focused when motivations are goal oriented instead of time oriented. Second, practice goals tend to be vague, which leads to difficulty in defining criteria for success and strategies for improvement. Finally, though students have knowledge of various practice strategies, their understanding of the appropriate use of the strategies is lacking. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)