Cultivating Good Habits For Young Trombonists

Hand Position

Left Hand:             1.  First finger placed on the shank of the mouthpiece

2.  2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th fingers on the lower side of the brace

3.  Thumb over the cross brace of the bell

4.  Muscles of the left arm support weight of the instrument

Right Hand:           1.  Slide is held with the thumb above the brace and the 1^st and 2^nd fingers below the 

     brace

Instrument Position

1. Trumpet held slightly below horizontal

2. Play to the side of the music stand – not into it

Posture

1. Sit on front edge of chair

2. Feet flat on the floor

3. Back and head erect

4. Elbows and arms held slightly away from body

Embouchure

1. Say the letter “M” in a comfortable state

2. As little pressure as possible against the mouthpiece

3. Teeth about ¼” apart while playing think “ah”

4. Mouthpiece placed very near to the center of the mouth

5. 2/3 upper and 1/3  lower lips on the mouthpiece

6. Lower jaw pushed forward slightly to achieve horizontal alignment of teeth

7. Chin down and flat

8. Cheeks held in

9. For upper register, the embouchure should tend more towards a pucker to achieve a smaller opening

10. Do not let air pockets form between the lips and teeth

Breathing

1. Breath through bottom of your mouth

2. Lower chest expands, open chest cavity

3. Shoulders do not rise when breathing

Throat Position

1.  Throat should always remain open at all times as if yawning

Tonguing

1. The tip of the tongue hits the back of the upper teeth – use the syllable “too”

2. Use a legato tongue for slurring

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Slide Technique

1. The slide should be still from the beginning to the end of a note

2. After a note is finished, change to the next position quickly

3. Always avoid slide arm tension

Care of Trombone

1. Be careful of the slide

2. Occasionally, use snake inside slide

3. Outside of slide should be cleaned and slide cream applied at least once a week

4. Always spray water on slide

5. Clean mouthpiece with brush frequently