Tips for Teaching the Trombone
by
Deb Scott, DMA
SFA Instructor, Trombone
Trombone Basics
· Place the case on the floor in front of the student. (Youngsters will inevitably knock over a case that is on a chair -- probably with the instrument in it!)
· Pick up the slide section first. Hold in left hand.
· Gently place the bell section on the slide and bring to proper width from slide -- carefully! Many slide dents are caused by a bell section that is not properly attached.
· Screw the two sections together. I recommend screwing backwards until a "pop" is heard so that the threads are aligned properly. This will prevent a "floppy" bell section later.
· Gently set the mouthpiece into the slide section and turn until it is secure.
· Left Hand -- Make a "gun" with the left hand. Index finger should rest over the top of the trombone. Thumb should rest over the brace of the bell. The other fingers should grasp the first brace of the slide. Support the entire weight of the trombone with the left hand.
· Right Hand -- Hold the bottom of the brace of the slide with two fingers and a thumb. The third and fourth fingers should rest gently on the underside of the slide. Make sure that the palm faces in.
· Elbows should be held out slightly away from the body.
· The trombone will probably have a slight downward angle.
· Do not lean the head off to one side.
· Water (spray) bottle
· Slide-O-Mix
· Paper towels
· Mouthpiece brush
· A "Snake" -- a long flexible cleaning brush
· Lanolin or tuning slide grease
· Toothbrush/Toothpaste (for brushing teeth after meals)
· If F-attachment: 1 small screwdriver, extra rotary valve string, rotary valve oil
· Remove the slide from the bell section when cleaning.
· Carefully remove the outer slide.
· Wipe off each inner slide using a paper towel. Hold each inner slide by the top of the side you are cleaning. This will help prevent misalignment.
· Apply a few drops of the small bottle of Slide-O-Mix to the bottom of each inner slide.
· Carefully replace the outer slide and move back and forth a few times.
· Apply the large bottle of Slide-O-Mix to the top of the inner slide and move slide back and forth.
· Spray entire inner slide with water liberally.
· If slide becomes sticky over the course of the week, apply more water or repeat the entire process.
· Repeat as needed, usually not more than every other week.
Cleaning the Trombone (annually)
Remember that bacteria can live in the gunk inside a horn and cause illness!
· The slide section (inner and outer) should be cleaned with dishwasher soap, lukewarm water not hot, and a snake. This can be done carefully in a bathtub, shower, or with a garden hose outside.
· The interior tuning slides can be cleaned with Brasso. (NOT THE LACQUERED PART)
· The bell section can be cleaned like the slide section. (The snake can be used on the smaller tubing.)
·
The
mouthpiece can also be cleaned with soap and lukewarm water using a
mouthpiece brush. This should be done frequently.
Tone Production
· Before a student tries to play a sound on a horn, he/she should know what sound he/she is trying to make.
· There is no substitute for a concept of sound; it is the most important aspect of tone production.
· Perform and demonstrate often if at all possible!
· Bring in clinicians, private lesson teachers
· Play recordings:
o Lindberg, Christian -- Bis 378 David, Grondahl, Guilmant
o Conant, Abbie -- Audite 97410 Guilmant, Marcello, Handel
o
Bousfield, Ian -- Doyen 014 Blue
Bells of
· This is one of the most important aspects of performing on any brass instrument.
· "Sustain the beautiful music from below the rib cage with no conscious muscle involvement on the intake or the blow." (Buddy Baker)
· Student should sit gently tall (relaxed). The spine should be straight. ( Do not curve the lower back.)
· Intake
o Think the syllable "HAW" on the inhale.
o Air should fill the lower abdominal muscles first (below the belt line) -- then to the middle -- finally to the upper chest.
o There should be no gasping or wheezing sounds. Stay relaxed.
· Exhale
o Use the syllable "POO" (after the embouchure is set, use "TOO").
o Support the sound. Use the air first from the lower abdominal muscles -- then the middle -- and finally the upper (if needed.)
o The inhale and exhale should be one continuous smooth, relaxed motion.
o There should be a visible movement of the lower abdomen during this process.
· Use the student's natural lip formation, a natural "facial mask."
· Bring the jaw forward slightly.
· Upper lips and cheeks "gently hug" the teeth and gums so air can come through the center of the lips ONLY -- no air puffs. (Buddy Baker)
· Flat chin.
· I prefer a wet embouchure.
· Teeth slightly apart.
· Use "POO" so that the lips are slightly pursed.
· Gently firm corners (not pulled back, i.e. smiling)
· Most relaxed part of embouchure is the aperture (the center of the lips).
Combining Breathing and Breath Support and Embouchure
· Use the syllable "TOO."
· Hold a piece of paper in front of the air stream for a visual reinforcement.
· Watch for "smiling", puffed cheeks, bad habits, etc.
· Hold the mouthpiece by the shank with two fingers and a thumb.
· The mouthpiece should be positioned with more of it on the upper lip than the lower.
· The vertical placement is more important than the horizontal. (Some players perform off center because of dental structure.)
· Practice placing the mouthpiece.
· Start with the mouthpiece by itself. Place it gently on the embouchure and blow "TOO." Remember to constantly reinforce proper breath techniques and embouchure formation, constantly correcting bad habits.
· Some may have trouble producing a sound; keep trying. It may help to partially cover the end of the shank with the "pinkie" to create more resistance.
Tuning
Tuning the
· Tune the main tuning slide on all trombones to top of the staff Bb. The trombone is pitched in concert pitch (Bb=Bb), however it is called trombone in Bb.
· F-attachments should be tuned to fourth line F, thus allowing the bottom of the staff F (an octave lower) to be in tune in first position.
· Bass trombonists should tune their main tuning slide and their F attachments as above. The D or Eb attachment should be tuned to the middle of the staff D or Eb in first position respectively.
· The trombone can play perfectly in tune or atrociously out of tune depending on the knowledge and attention given to slide positions.
· First position -- Slide fully in, lightly touching the corks or springs.
· Second position -- About an inch and a half of the inner slide showing.
· Third position -- Brace even with or slightly above the end of the bell.
· Fourth position -- Top of outer slide even with or slightly below the end of the bell.
· Fifth position -- (no man's land) about half-way between fifth and sixth positions.
· Sixth position -- About an inch above the stockings (the line at the end of the outer slide) or a comfortable arm's length.
· Seventh position -- About an inch and a half past the stockings. his is as far as most people can reach.
· For short arms: Use tips of two fingers releasing thumb from brace to reach seventh. Move right shoulder in. Extremely short arms may need to tie a string from finger to brace and "throw" the slide.
· All positions should be checked with a tuner frequently, especially f# in 5th, low c in 6th, and low b in 7th. Remember that young students will be growing (and so will their arms.)
- There is no substitute for a good ear. Hearing intonation problems can be taught. It is important to remind students to listen to what they are playing.
Helping
Your Trombone Section
Play in Tune...
And Why Most
Trombone Slide Position Charts
are Woefully Inadequate
The trombonist can play perfectly in tune
or atrociously out of tune. A trombone student is at a definite
disadvantage when it comes to learning to play in tune. Like a string player,
he or she must learn where to “put” the slide for each note. This takes a great
deal of coordination and will hopefully get better and better with time. Other
instruments are able to at least “land” somewhere in the vicinity of a correct
pitch by pushing down buttons or keys. With the trombone, however, there is a
lot of room for user-error. Beginning slide position charts, a lack of student
awareness about intonation on the trombone, as well as differing intonation
tendencies among major trombone models are contributing to this wide-spread
problem.
Beginning Method Books
For the purpose of this article, I consulted with many beginning method book
slide position charts, including several second volumes, and as suspected, I
did not find one clear accurate chart. Now, I understand that for the purpose
of simplification, beginning method books mostly use the “standard seven”
positions without any extra adjustment indicators of longer or shorter
positions so that the student will not feel overwhelmed. However, unless the
student has access to good private teaching or a trombone-playing band
director, the student may never progress to the next step of learning the
adjustments of specific partials critical to playing in tune. Most method books
try to show adjustments for some of the notes (such as alternate “D”) but
ignore other alterations for notes on the same partial. (One recent method book, even publishes the wrong direction for the adjustment
for alternate “D”.) By not introducing students to the needed alterations for
each slide position, they are not receiving all of the information they need to
play in tune.
Ear-Training
A lack of ear-training is contributing to the problem students have of not
playing in tune. Too often, students rely on a visual indicator such as the
bell to learn where to “put” the slide. Simple frequent reminders to students
that they can learn to “hear” intonation problems will help. Also, tell them
frequently that if they do not know if they are sharp or flat, try moving the
slide in one direction, and if it gets worse, move it the other way. Practicing
scales or arpeggios with open fifths also helps students learn to tune specific
chord tones (i.e. the third of a major chord is played lower). For despite a
fingering chart’s best intentions, all tuning ultimately rests with the
player’s “ears”. With digital tuners starting at less than twenty dollars,
there should be no excuse for students to not own a tuner.
Instrument Models
Not all slide positions are created equal! Many of the
popular brands of trombones do not share the same intonation tendencies,
particularly on the fifth partial. The “D” in first position, according to the
natural harmonic series, should be flat, however, in many fine current trombone
models, the “D” in first position is actually sharp.
Subsequently the “C-sharp” in second position is also sharp and the “C” in
third position may be slightly sharp. In fact, a horn that has a sharp
fifth-partial “D” in first position amazingly may also have a flat alternate
“B-flat” in fifth position on the same partial. It is important that each
individual student know his or her own instrument tendencies. Again, every
student should own a tuner.
How the Harmonic Series Affects Intonation
First position notes (or partials) on the trombone are
written below. Solid notes indicate that an adjustment should be made to get
the note in tune. The arrows indicate which way the adjustment should be made.
A downward arrow means move the slide outward. An upward arrow means move the
slide inward. Note that only the partials that are octaves of the fundamental
“B-flat” are in tune. The first position “A-flat” on the seventh partial should
not be playedbecause it is too flat.
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Chart of Positions Requiring Adjustments
Each slide position on the trombone lowers its pitch
by a half-step. Therefore each half step down from the out-of-tune partial
generally follows the same adjustments. The following chart indicates what
adjustments are needed for each out of tune partial:
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What Is Most Likely Out of Tune In Your Trombone Section?
For the reasons listed above, the most likely culprits for out of tune notes
are from the sixth and seventh partials. If nothing else, learn the sixth
partial notes: “F”, “E”, “E-flat”, and alternate “D” (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
respectively) above the staff should be played in long positions. The seventh
partial notes “G” and “F-sharp”/”G-flat” above the staff should be played in
extremely short second and third respectively.
Tuning Basics
Tune the main tuning slide on all trombones to top of the staff “B-flat”.
Although the fine tuning of the F-attachment and D-attachment will need to be
left for another article, tune the tenor trombone F-attachment tuning slide to
the bottom of the staff low “F” in first position (all the way in). Bass
trombonists should tune their main tuning slide and F-attachment as above, then
the D-attachment should be tuned to the below the staff “D” in first position.
All positions should be checked with a tuner frequently, especially middle of
the staff “F-sharp”/”G-flat” and “C-sharp”/”D-flat” in 5th, low “C” in 6th, and
low “B” in 7th. Remember that young students will be growing (and so will their
arms.)
Summary
By following the above recommendations and passing along the information to
your students, better intonation in your trombone section will certainly
follow. Intonation can and should be taught to students as soon as is feasible.
Adjustments for out of tune harmonics, an understanding of intonation
tendencies among different trombone models in the fifth partial, as well as
attention to the student’s ear training will dramatically improve your trombone
section.
Trombone Technique
Placement of the Tongue
The placement of the tongue actually changes throughout the range of the
instrument. It is probably not necessary to point this out to students,
because most make this adjustment naturally. For that reason, I teach
"TOO" and "DOO" respectively for Staccato and Legato tonguing.
· Staccato
o TOO (middle range)
o TAH (low range)
o TI -- I as in it (high range)
· Legato - use a soft "D"
o DOO (middle range)
o DAH (low range)
o DI -- I as in it (high range)
· The trombone is the only wind instrument without a true slur.
· A light tongue must be used to separate the air flow for the slide to move. If the tongue is too hard, slurring will not occur. If the tongue is too soft, glissandos may occur.
Syllables for Slurring:
DOO (middle range)
DAH (lower range)
DI -- I as in it (upper range)
· The slide action must be quicker between slide positions since there is less time between tones.
· Breath support!
· Alternate positions should be taught early so that players don't cling to familiar positions.
· The more notes played with the slide going in one direction, the better.
· Half steps should be played with adjacent positions whenever possible.
· Alternate positions have a slightly inferior quality of sound and should not be used for "prominent" notes.
· Teach at least 3 alternate positions to your trombone players and encourage them to use them!
o 4th line "F" in 6th
o "D" above middle "C" in long 4th
o Top of the staff "Bb" in short 5th
· Jaw Vibrato is the best vibrato to use for classical solo purposes. (Practice chewing gum.) Use only on long notes; start slow to fast. Listen to recordings of professional musicians.
· Slide Vibrato is used in the jazz idiom. In a jazz band soli trombone section, only the lead player should use it.
· A gut or air vibrato should never be used!
Glissando (Gliss)
· When two different tones are sounded within the same partial, using no tongue produces a glissando effect.
· Use lots of air and blow through the glissando.
· The slide may be moved slowly or quickly for the desired effect.
Equipment
Recommended Equipment/Sizes
Important measurements for the trombone are the bore size (the diameter
of the tubing) and the shank size (the width of the opening for the
mouthpiece-large or small.)
|
Best Uses |
Bore Size |
Shank Size |
"F" Attachment? |
Bach or |
|
Beginner
(6th-8th grade) |
.500 |
Small |
No |
11C* or 11C -- drilled to 15/64" |
|
Lead or 2nd in Jazz Band |
.500 |
Small |
No |
12C or 11C |
|
Intermediate Level (8th-12th) |
.525 |
Small |
Maybe -- not necessary |
6 ½ A |
|
3rd or 4th in the Jazz Band |
.525 |
Small |
Maybe -- not necessary |
6 ½ A |
|
Advanced Level (10th -Prof.) |
.547 |
Large |
Yes |
6 ½ AL or 5G |
|
Bass Trombone in Orchestra, Band or Jazz Band -- Advanced Level |
.562 |
Large |
Yes -- Comes with 2 attachments. Usually F and D/Eb. |
1 ½ G or 2G |
* I believe that the smaller 11C mouthpiece is more
compatible with a smaller beginning trombone. Many new instruments
are furnished with a 6 ½
Common Instrument Brands
Recommended: