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For those that blow the shofar daily (except on Shabbat) throughout Ellul, common custom is not to blow on Erev Rosh Hashannah.
Does this regulation apply to all blowing, or only the one done betzibbur (in shul during Shacharit)? Thus, may the toke'ah practice shofar blowing on Erev Rosh Hashannah?
There are different reasons one doesn't blow on Erev Rosh Hashana, one to differentiate between Elul (where the sounding is a custom) and Rosh Hashana (where it is a mitzva d'oraita), another to "confuse the Satan".
The Magen Avraham is strict according to the second reason but R Yaakov Goldstein (on OC 581:3) cites a number of sources allowing it for practice
It is forbidden to blow the Shofar, even for practice, in an open area. One is however allowed to practice blowing the Shofar in a closed room. [This applies whether one is learning how to blow or is trying to get used to blowing from a new Shofar. However one may not blow the Shofar for no reason even in a closed room.]
and sources it
The Magen Avraham writes that according to the reason that this custom is done in order to confuse the Satan, then one may not blow at all. This implies that one may not blow even for practice and even in a closed room. However from the Pnei Menachem and Mishna Brura it implies that even according to this reason in a closed room it is permitted to blow for practice.
