Learning Trombone Tips?

[AccountableMasses]

Just picked up a old trombone yesterday and asking if anyone else plays this instrument and if so, do you have any advise, tips, for someone learning this by themselves?

Also looking for a good video or chart on what slide positions are.

I've tried google, but nothing really useful has popped up yet.

[loansindi]

At 2/9/10 05:27 PM, AccountableMasses wrote: Just picked up a old trombone yesterday and asking if anyone else plays this instrument and if so, do you have any advise, tips, for someone learning this by themselves?

If you're dead-set on learning it on your own, head to a local music store and pick up a method book. They'll probably have a few choices that'll guide you through the very basics and on to playing 'for real.'

This resource will be very useful as it'll guide you through a specific curriculum rather than trying to figure it out from a bunch of random internet articles.

I strongly recommend lessons though, they will vastly improve your progress (god knows I wish I would have started guitar with lessons. I still need some)

Also looking for a good video or chart on what slide positions are.

This will be in your method book. You're gonna wanna work on your ear, it's important for all brass instruments to be sure you're not playing flat/sharp, but with the trombone especially so.

I've tried google, but nothing really useful has popped up yet.

Yeah man. Teaching yourself to play anything based on random internet articles is rough.

[AccountableMasses]

thanks, any book title in particular?

[loansindi]

At 2/9/10 07:23 PM, AccountableMasses wrote: thanks, any book title in particular?

No idea man. You can probably get a recommendation from the fellow at the music store though.

[codeblackhayate]

I second the lessons, especially if you've never played a brass instrument. Reading about an embouchure and actually having someone there to demonstrate and give feedback are worlds apart. There is also the added bonus of structure and encouragement from personal interaction.

Trombone is a pretty common instrument, so any beginner method book should be fine for the basics. If you want additional practice material, there are tons of sites with free exorcises and sheet music like

http://www.trombone.org/jfb/

[matvei]

I am a 7 year trombone player and can give you some basic advice.

Positioning
The beginner's trombone link above should have a slide chart, but when in doubt test the positions on the sheet to a tuner with your horn, it'll help you realize where they are on your specific instrument.

Basic Care
Slide-O-mix (8$-ish) or trombotine (sp?) are the best of slide oils out there, but any trombone specific slide oil will work. According to your user bio, you are a trumpet player, so you may be tempted to use valve oil. Valve oil is fairly thin to be putting on most slides. Slide-O-Mix comes with instructions on how to use, but most oils you just put on the inner (usually chrome colored) part of the slide and so that it covers lightly down to the stockings at the bottom of each tube. Cleaning should be done with cold water and dish soap. I think people use pledge for polish of brass or silver finishes. furniture brass polishes will ruin the laquer (coating) on instrument brass.

basic playing
The embouchure is similar to trumpet, but just a little more loose. For anyone without any knowledge on brass technique: Keeping the corners of your mouth somewhat tight, press your lips together and buzz (it's like a spitting or 'raspberry' action with a fast, forceful, and supported amount of air) into the mouthpiece of the trombone.
As for the positions, for trumpet players (or any valved brass players) they correspond to the following in Concert Pitch - so a trumpeter's C = a trombonist's Bb -:
1st position trombone = open fingering trumpet
2nd " " = 2nd valve
3rd = 1st valve
4th = 1st and 2nd valves
5th = 2nd and 3rd valves
6th = 1st and 3rd valves
7th = 1st, 2nd, and 3rd valves

In musical theory/bare basic terms, to learn how positions work, just know that the note difference between two positions is a half step (the distance between two adjacent keys on a piano) Use a slide position chart to learn it from scratch.

Beginning Technique - things I wish I knew starting
Once you know where positions are, move your arm fast. If you are sluggish, it will come out in your sound as sloppy glisses (glides, wahwahwahwahhhhhhs, etc). Articulation is comparable to any other brass where you can use the tongue to accentuate notes. Just use a light tongueing technique on slurred (connected) passages because unlike valved/buttoned instruments, there is no mechanical apparatus to stop the air.

Possible Challenges - don't get frustrated
The hardest part about starting is being accurate with intonation (tuning, sound good with others), but your skills with the trombone can be easily conditioned by ear. Try mimicking things or using audio examples of works/exercises that you are doing will greatly expedite the process of learning.

Method Books
"The Arban's complete method for trombone and baritone" is perfect to get you a long way. After you become familiar with the instrument, then Rochet's method books I-III are great for technical prowess.

I really hope this helped somewhat and was easy to understand; if you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me.

[AccountableMasses]

Yeah, it was.

Thanks so much for the reply, it was very helpful.

But how did you know I used valve oil on it?

[matvei]

At 2/10/10 02:16 PM, AccountableMasses wrote: Yeah, it was.

Thanks so much for the reply, it was very helpful.

But how did you know I used valve oil on it?

I read in your bio that you play trumpet, so I figured you would use valve oil on it to start because that is what you are used too.

[PeterSatera]

Oh this takes me back. I played trombone for 6 years. I hated having to put slide cream on the slide, or slide oil.

Most awesome thing though, was you can really blare the trombone over the majority of other brass instruments. I remember when I was young I couldnt reach 7th position because it was so far down hehe.