UreMusic Education

Memorizing the notes of the trombone develops essential music literacy for a performer. Trombone players who can't read music notes lack fundamental skills, which results in poor technique. Learning trombone note names will greatly improve your ability to read music. There are two clefs that the trombone uses when playing music. Bass clef appears most commonly in trombone music. However, the trombonist must also learn the names of the pitches in tenor clef to memorize all the trombone note names. Bass Clef Step 1 Learn what the bass clef looks like. You can distinguish it from the tenor clef easily by remembering that it looks like a backwards C with two dots. The two dots will always appear on either side of the F note line. Step 2 Identify the names of the notes on the bass clef by using a simple acronym. The lines from bottom to top spell out the first letters of the words in the phrase "Great Brains Don't Forget Answers." You can also create your own acronym whe...

Any trombone player can increase his range with enough practice. Improving your range requires development of the embouchure, the muscles in the face that control how well you hit the highest and lowest pitches. To play higher, increase the tension in your lips. This requires strength in your jaw and the muscles surrounding your mouth. To play low, relax your embouchure to slow the rate of vibration. High Range  Step 1 Play the "F" pitch, which is written on the fourth line of the trombone staff. Then play the following rhythmic pattern with approximately one second per beat: half note, half note and whole note. Then rest for four beats without moving the position of your embouchure. Breathe only through your nose. Step 2 Perform a pitch a half step higher to play an F sharp. Use the same rhythmic pattern from Step 1, and do not remove the mouthpiece from your face. Step 3 Continue ascending the chromatic scale until you can't play any higher. Take a 15-minute break and p...

The trombone has seven slide positions that are required to play all of the pitches in the instrument. These seven slide positions correlate to the seven main fingering possibilities on valve brass instruments. If you are a brass player already, simply figure out the relationship between slide positions and valve combinations. Learning the proper slide positions and where they are located on the instrument is simply a matter of practice and using your ear. Step 1: Break down the slide positions into groups of two positions each. The seventh position will be in a group by itself and is the easiest to find since it is the last position. Step 2: First position involves pushing the slide in all the way. Position your slide in first position by keeping the slide pressed all the way in. First position is equivalent to open valved. Step 3: Locate second position about two to three inches out from first position. You must use your ear to identify whether the interval between the first position...

Developing a soft and relaxed tone on the trombone requires consistent practice and the development of your embouchure. There are some simple exercises to develop a soft tone that is mellow and warm. Professional trombone players have the capability to play in any style and to change their tone at will. By committing to a daily practice routine, you can improve your tone and become comfortable playing in any style. This will make you a more valuable player and increase your chances of getting paid for your skills. Step 1:  Hold the trombone in the normal fashion. Make sure you are sitting up straight or standing with your shoulders and back relaxed. Step 2:  Play long tones that last at least 6 seconds per pitch. Start on a Bb in the middle of the staff and move down a minor second. Hold that pitch for an additional 6 seconds and then move back to your Bb. Continue to do this and jump an additional minor second with each reiteration. For instance, your first set will be from B...

Any trombone player, with a little effort, can learn double tonguing. It works by the process of sending air through the trombone in between normal articulations; this gives the instrumentalist the second articulation without using the tip of the tongue. Learning to play virtuoso, quickly articulated music would be almost impossible for many trombone players without this technique. The ability to double tongue makes it possible to tongue much faster than single tonguing alone. Step 1: Say "tu" and notice where your tongue hits your mouth. The trombone player should notice that the tip of the tongue hits between the place where the teeth meet the gum line. This is how a normal articulation is performed. Step 2: Say the word "ku" until you can feel the tongue pulling backward. Notice that when saying “ku” the tongue pulls back and air pushes forward. Make sure to practice without moving your lips since it is not possible to move your lips when playing. Step 3: Practic...

Double tonguing on a trombone involves the process of articulating the first note and then sending air past the tongue to create the second articulation. This process creates the effect that you are tonguing quickly, when, in fact, you are simply using a technique to make it sound like each note is articulated. Trombone players must use this technique when the music becomes too fast to play with single independent strikes of the tongue.  Step 1: Pronounce the sound "tu" several times and notice how the tip of the tongue hits inside the mouth between the top of the teeth and the roof of the mouth. This technique allows you to single-tongue. Step 2: Pronounce the sound "ku" and notice how air quickly expels from your mouth. Pronounce the word quickly and precisely. This sound will create the second articulation in a good double-tongue technique. Step 3: Play a note on your horn and mimic the sound "ku" several times in a row. Once you get a clean articulatio...

Mastering the trombone requires an understanding of fundamentals. Mastering the trombone requires developing complete control over the instrument and all of its various techniques. To master any instrument will take serious dedication and time. The fundamentals of any good regimen if performed regularly will help any player improve and with enough time, eventually master the instrument. The trombone is a versatile instrument used in several genres, including jazz, concert, blues, reggae and popular music such as ska and rock. Step 1 Improve tone quality by warming up each day with long tones. Long tones are whole notes slurred on a chromatic scale. Start at F in the middle of the staff and slur chromatically in half steps down to Bb. Then jump the octave and do the same exercise. This will increase endurance and tone quality. Step 2 Perform tonguing exercises on the pitches used from Step 2. Start the metronome at about 72 beats per minute, and play three 4-note sets of 16th notes on e...

The Arban methods provide players with a professional technique that helps them learn proper posture, breathing, articulations, and develops coordination. Music studios use this technique as a supplement to learning standard repertoire. Mastering these techniques makes the process of learning a new piece easier. It contains the fundamentals that all trumpet players’ need to learn and, for this reason, is referred to as the “bible” of trumpet technique. Posture The method starts with an overview that details correct posture and the best way to hold the trumpet. The student is instructed to sit up straight with the shoulders relaxed. For instance, in the trumpet method players support the trumpet with the left hand making the right hand free to depress the valves as necessary. Breathe properly by taking air into the diaphragm and letting the airflow naturally through the lungs and out the mouth; avoid stagnating the air when you play. Articulations The major articulations are legat...