What's an effective way of practicing your musical instrument?

Question:I mean how much time I should spend on scales and arpeggios, assigned music, technic book(rubank),sustained long notes, favorite songs, warm up(what kind) etc.
I feel like im not improving much cause most of the time I spend too much time on my assigned music than the technique etc. etc. (i just improve on that certain piece not on my overall musicianship).
p.s. i play the clarinet

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I mean how much time I should spend on scales and arpeggios, assigned music, technic book(rubank),sustained long notes, favorite songs, warm up(what kind) etc.
I feel like im not improving much cause most of the time I spend too much time on my assigned music than the technique etc. etc. (i just improve on that certain piece not on my overall musicianship).
p.s. i play the clarinet

well, when you practice, no matter what you're doing you should work on your technique. It doesn't matter if you're playing scales, songs, stupid exercises (b/c let's face it, some of those exercises are just stupid), you should always play with proper technique. Playing any song should improve overall musicianship.
When i practice (I play clarinet), i normally start with long sustained notes. mostly open g, and octaves of c. then i start as low as ican, go up as high as i can chromatically holding each not for two or three slow beats and then go down again. depending on the day, i'll next go through my scales, but if i don't feel like it i don't. however if you aren't strong with scales you should run through them every time you do home practice. next i work on whatever song or assignment i decided to improve for the day. i normally do this for around twenty to forty minutes. and then i always end with one of my favorite songs that i enjoy playing because it's always good to end on a high note. The whole time i play, i concentrate on having good support, good posture and good technique. if you only use good technique when you're specifically working on it, you're less likely to have good technique when it really matters, like at a performance. Using good technique all the time, makes it second nature, and then you're overall musicianship will improve dramatically.

I always tell my band students to practice 30 minutes a day 5-6 times a week.
5 minutes on sustained note scales. Start with comfortable notes, work low, then go back up high.
10 minutes on scales and arpeggios, play all that you can. Learn a new one if time. 2 Octaves even better. Play them on quarter notes, then eighth notes, then triplets, then 1/16th note groupings.
10 minutes on Rubank technique exercises....pick and learn slowly, then speed up. Go over hard passages.
Clarinet players should work on going over break notes and alternate fingering exercises for 5 minutes a day.
Pick 1 hard passage from class music and work slow until you have mastered.

froggie and teacher girl have given excellent answers!!!!

one thing i would like to add is that practice is about improving your skills, it is the art of sounding bad until you sound better. it is the craft of patience and tenacity! remember that there is always somebody practing an extra 15 minutes after you stop for the day.

if you dont push yourelf, nobody will!!