If you come across an unfamiliar rhythm, try to figure it out, or ask someone to explain it to you.;
, Even in a very difficult piece of music, there's bound to be a half note or two. Even playing those will give you somewhere to work from.
 Figure out how fast you can play the hardest section of the music and practice the whole thing at that tempo. Continue increasing tempos until you can play the whole piece at the marked tempo. A metronome may be helpful for this.
 You're likely to find themes and rhythms that repeat, which will help you a lot once you get them down.
 Since most people practice starting at the beginning and slowly learning the rest, the beginning ends up being great, but the piece deteriorates as you play through it. If you learn from both ends and work to the middle, any parts you don't know as well might be more easily overlooked, because of your solid beginning and ending.
 If you take lessons, get your teacher to help you with the piece, or enlist the help of a band director, friend, or other person with more musical experience than you.
 A professional performance may add great insight into how the piece should be performed.

Count through the music, by saying the numbers out loud, using the pie game, tapping your foot, or any other method you know.
Look for areas that you can play.
Start slow.
Work on the music one section at a time.
Work from both the beginning and end of the piece.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Try to find a recording of the piece you are working on.
When you finally master the music, play it for an audience or a judge and be proud of your accomplishment.
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