Extending the Trombonist's

Range
by Joel Elias and LaMar Jones

CUSTOM-BUILT Performing consistently in the first F at a mezzo forte level and

extreme upper and lower hold it for one complete breath.
INSTRUMENTS registers is one of the biggest Relax the embouchure as much
concerns of the trombonist. It is as possible while maintaining a
AND MOUTHPIECES also a major concern of conduc- steady, even tone. As you pro-
tors, audition committees, and ceed, keep the mouthpiece on
fellow brass section members. the lips at all times so you can
TRUMPETS The following information will relax the embouchure while
IN Bt>, C, D, Et>, Et>/D, F, G, help you diagnose as well as maintaining some amount of
EVF/G. 65 Models-Trumpets- alleviate any existing problems focus. This means you must
Cornets . or potential problems in these breathe through the corners of
registers. the mouth; do not breathe
through the nose, because it en-
PICCOLO TRUMPETS
The Lower Register courages shallow inhalation.
It is possible to trace a stuffy Always return to the starting
IN Bb/A, C pitch, F, for another long tone
or unresponsive low register to
one or more of the following before going on to the next note.
conditions: This approach allows you to
TUNING-BELL TRUMPETS • An embouchure that is too match the tone quality of the
With Detachable Bells -
tense lower notes to a reliable stan-
Eliminates the tuning slide
• An embouchure that is too dard of tone quality. Bass trom-
improving intonation and
loose or not focused enough bonists may want to do the same
• Tension in the throat or exercise on At>3 or C3.
response. Additional bells
chest At first, some fuzziness in the
offer varied tone color.
• Insufficient or uneven air sound may be present. It is prob-
flow. ably due to an embouchure that
is too tense and not accustomed
MOUTHPIECES - Embouchure Problems to vibrating freely and respon-
STANDARD AND SIGNATURE An embouchure that is too sively in this register. The fuz-
Precision made for Trumpet, tense or rigid may function to a ziness should disappear after a
Cornet, French Horn, Trom- certain degree in the middle and week or two.
bone, Euphonium and Tuba. upper registers. However, an ex- Puffing the cheeks is often an
cessively tense embouchure is indication that the embouchure
certain to cause response prob- is too loose or unfocused. When
lems in the lower register. If the these air pockets are present,
Call or write notes speak at all, they tend to the tone may be wobbly, attacks
for dealer in your area: be more coarse and brittle soun- uncertain, and playing at dif-
ding than the tones in other ferent volume levels impossible.
SCHILKE MUSIC, INC. r e g i s t e r s . It is t h e r e f o r e A variation of the first exercise
necessary to relax the em- can help solve this problem. In-
529 So. Wabash Ave. bouchure in the lower register stead of relaxing the em-
Chicago, III. 60605 in order to achieve a uniform bouchure during the long tones,
312-922-0736 tone quality in all registers. keep the embouchure formed
You can accomplish this relax- and focused so that attacks are
ation by playing a daily exercise not airy and haphazard. One way
PLEASE SEND: that consists of long tones. Start of helping to focus the em-
D Instrument Catalog
on F3 and play downward, chro- bouchure is to make several at-
matically, one octave. Play the
Mouthpiece Catalog Joel Elias is principal trombonist of
' jl Name __ Maurice Faulkner is the Con- the Sacramento (California) Sym-
tributing Editor for the Brass Clinic. phony and lecturer in low brass at
He received a PhD degree from Stan- the University of the Pacific. LaMar
ford University and is Professor of Jones has performed with the Boston
Music Education Emeritus at the Symphony, the Boston Pops, and the
University of California, Santa Bar- Mexico City Philharmonic. He cur-
bara.
rently plays in the Boston area.
 T
tacks without using any tongue the pitch retains the same qual- with the valve, i.e., the low F2 in
at all. This approach should ity as it does in other registers, the second measure would be
enhance your awareness of the the sound is not too wide. played in the first position, but
role of the embouchure, air, and without the valve. Lip the note
tongue in creating various kinds Air Flow down without the valve. The sec-
of articulations. Another way The ability to call upon mental ond time through, do not use the
to open up the lower register images can help improve the air valve either.
without overly relaxing the em- flow in the lower register. For
bouchure is to keep the lips to- example, imagining that the air
gether and lower the jaw. This stream is passing over the lower $•= !—N= M
•f*
formation increases the size of part of the mouth, or creating a
the area inside the mouth, and picture of blowing on a hot piece
encourages a feeling of attack- of food in your mouth that you
ing a low note from the "bottom" are trying to cool can help to re-
of the pitch. lax the throat as well as insure
that the breath is low. It may al-
Tension in the Throat so prove useful to think of the air
A tense throat or chest can stream as always being in mo- To achieve a concept of open
cause the air to react unevenly tion, regardless of the register tone quality in the valve register,
with the embouchure, thereby or volume at which you are play- it is important to practice exer-
restricting the tone. Once ing. Whatever the imagery, it cises that go from the open horn
players free the flow of air, they should be directed at sustaining to the valve register.
are often surprised at how open an even column of air that is
and big the lower register can unencumbered by body tension. The Upper Register
sound. As long as the center of To produce a pleasing, consis-
Tone Quality tent tone quality in the upper
To improve tone quality, first register, focus your attention on
buzz the following exercise on
Teaching the mouthpiece, then play it on
the horn.
creating a firm, stable em-
bouchure and a freely-moving
stream of air that passes

Music: through an open throat.

To gain control over the up>per
register, first think of creating
firmness in the corners of the
the Human Experience mouth. Form the corners by
pressing the sides of the mouth
BY SHIRLEY MULLINS V -- (the corners of the cheek
muscles) back and slightly
towards the center of the mouth
^ with the thumb and forefinger.
Play the exercise in the keys of Once the corners are in place,
Ab, G, Gt, F, and for bass trom- they should remain there, to
bonists, E. Use a variety of ar- become a source of strength,
ticulations, such as these: stability, and control for the em-
ij j j j|iiJTj.rT3p4jTT;ii bouchure. Except for extreme
cases, such as very low pedal
notes, the corners should not
False Tones for Trombones with stray from this locked position.
F Attachments We recommend a mirror to help
Using false tones (a note keep the corners in place as you
played in a position that does play. It is crucial to keep this
not acoustically produce that concept of the embouchure con-
pitch in its natural overtone stantly in mind because without
series) can be valuable in im- it you will not achieve any con-
proving tone quality in the valve sistent degree of success in the
register. To produce the false upper register.
Please send me ,.„ of Teaching
- copies ^llv, Imll^ The Human
Music:
tone, place the slide in the cor-
Kxperience (a $8.95 per copy. Include Ji.oo postage and
rect position, but without the Accurate Playing
handling per hook (Ohio residents add (,"„ sales tax) use of the valve, buzz the desired Accuracy in the high register
Mail order to: pitch. The tone is not especially (or in any register) is directly
Shirley Mullins, I'O Box 407, Yellow Springs, clear, but the embouchure can related to the player's ability to
induce the note to speak. hear the note before playing it.
The first time through each of This skill becomes especially
the next two-measure phrases, critical on an instrument like the
play the low note in the Same trombone because it has no keys
slide position as the same note or valves to increase the chances
THE INSTRUMENTALIST/FEBRUARY 1985
of landing on the correct pitch. Practical Applications
Practice daily by vocalizing iso- For a practical application of
lated notes and short passages alternate positions in the upper
before playing them. This is a register, study the following
good technique that will help works from the symphonic
minimize the time and effort repertoire: Ravel — Bolero (first
spent trying to locate correct trombone part) and Daphnis and
pitches. Chloe, Suite No. 1 (first trom-
Practicing and gaining en- bone part), and Kodaly — Hdry
durance in the upper register Jdnos Suite (movement six, first
are delicate matters. In general, trombone part).
avoid playing scales and buzzing The following exercises will
on the mouthpiece because both help develop the upper register,
seem to encourage tension and as well as sensitize the ear to the
excessive mouthpiece pressure small but distinct adjustments
in order to make the notes in slide placement that these
speak. Playing high notes in notes require in order to sound
alternate positions should prove more in tune. Always blow
helpful, as in the next set of exer- through the entire phrase and
cises. Because of the differences not just from note to note.
in resistance that result in play- D)
ing a note as a different partial
in a different overtone series,
this technique seems to force the i
embouchure to focus correctly,
as well as to build strength and
7 *7 t7 II7 1- »7

I ?!
< jj'ffl
confidence (a psychological con-
dition shared by all who can play
Pfrrnrrf trt
6 16 1-6 *6 1-6 »6 6 5*5 l>5»5 b5 *5 5 I ll
high notes, seemingly without
effort). Some amount of high
register playing every day is IM^.
preferable to a lot of high note 4 |4 1,4 «4 1,4 |4 4 3 3b3lll3 1-333
playing once in a while. Em-
bouchure strength is developed
over time and needs to be rein-
forced with consistent practice.
As you gain control over these 2 2 b2l*2 l>2 2 2 ,»i i • l
W.r ftff
tools, keep the following Tongue the notes if necessary, but
thoughts in mind: make every effort to slur. Play slowly
and at a comfortable volume, but try to
• Visualize and feel that you play the phrase in one breath.
have enough embouchure
strength, control, and
diaphragm support to blow
"down through the notes" in- ra Ea,
stead of squeezing "up to" them. D »+
(This image can help free the air
stream and make certain that
the player is relying on the use
of air, and not mouthpiece pres-
sure, to play high notes.) (Through first position, with appro-
priate position adjustments)

• Have an idea of the tone you As you develop strength and con-
wish to present, then try to fidence, begin adding the notes that
match the final product to your correspond to these in the other posi-
mental image. tions.
(As a type of model, listen to the
ballads played by trombonists Editor's Note: For a thorough discus-
that are piped into super- sion of breathing as it applies to play-
markets and elevators. This ing wind instruments, review the ar-
super-smooth, lyrical kind of ticle "A Medical/Musical Analysis:
sound developed by Tommy The Dynamics of Breathing with Ar-
Dorsey in the 1930s and 40s has nold Jacobs and David Cugell, M.D."
been an inspiration to singers in the December 1983 issue of The In-
and instrumentalists.) strumentalist.
FEBRUARY1985/THE INSTRUMENTALIST 39
 Teaching Legato
'•..*•-,; ?:,'*-;
to Young Trombonists

by David Mathie
VALENTINO
TEACHER'S
TRAVEL REPAIR
KIT

T
leaching legato technique to working order and moves freely,
young trombonists is often a dif- legato slurs are impossible. A good
ficult and confusing task for band method for testing the slide is to
directors. Many elementary-level have the student place the trom-
methods introduce the slur, the bone in front of him (straight up
foundation of legato technique, in and down), unlock the slide lock,
the book's first lessons and the ar- and lift the trombone with the left
ticulation style abounds in easy hand. The outer slide should re-
band compositions; yet, rarely do main on the floor. A slide that
editors offer a complete explana- adheres to the instrument is either
No heating, glueing or sanding tion of the slur and legato playing. bent or in poor condition and will
needed to use Valentino's tenon
cork replacements and key silen-
Although achieving a true legato need to be repaired. After playing
cers. They're pre-shaped and self- takes years of practice, learning it some student trombones, I am
adhering. Pads are mothproof, is not as difficult as you may amazed that the young owners of
waterproof, and last longer than think. these instruments can play any-
traditional pods. Instruments play
with more resonance because of The best time to teach legato thing at all. Fixing such a slide
an airtight seal. slurs is when the student has a full would improve the trombone sec-
Over 400 irems! Includes dormer, rlure and
sound, is comfortable with slide tion of almost any band.
saxophone pads: rrumper and corner positions, and produces good in- Next, check the lubrication of
washers, self-srick key silencers renon replace-
menrs and saxophone neck cork replacement. tonation and consistent articula- the slide. Trombone creams such
brass wafer Key pads, tools, insrrucrions ond
lighrweight carrying cose.
tion. These qualities usually ap- as Superslick or Conn Formula
pear during the second year of Three are best. Wipe the inner
playing for most students; using slides clean about twice a week; re-
Write for special school prices legato tonguing any sooner usually
(please print) apply the cream in small amounts
proves to be too difficult for them. to the end of each inner slide.
The process of teaching legato falls Trombone oils or liquid slide
into three stages: preparation, first treatments are usually ineffective
lessons, and follow-up. because, after applied, they disap-
pear through the spit valve.
Preparation
Just as for any new playing tech-
nique, plan in advance to teach David Mathie has been the trombone in-
legato. The most obvious starting structor at the National Music Camp (In-
point (and the most frequently terlochen, Michigan) since 1978. He is
overlooked) is the student's trom- the band director at the Bloomfield, Con-
bone slide. Unless it is in good necticut Junior High School.
 Proper right-hand position is im- First Lessons ticulating with a "doo" syllable
portant in smooth playing. Have Professional players often while moving the slide quickly
the student hold the slide between describe the legato on trombone as from note to note to avoid a
his right thumb and the first two a seamless connection of notes, smear. At all times he should keep
fingers at the bottom of the slide performed as a vocalist would sing the air stream fast and steady.
brace (he should be able to look at a ballad. However, the most seam- Demonstrate these concepts
his thumbnail). His other two less connection of notes on the ("doo" tongue, fast slide, steady
fingers should loosely dangle trombone is the glissando, which air) to the student by playing the
below the slide. Tell the player to makes the best and worst slurs trombone yourself, or using any
let his fingers grip the brace firmly, possible. A good slur is a com- other instrument or your voice.
but with a relaxed feeling. Al- promise between tonguing a To further help young players,
though there are many right-hand passage and smearing it. Keeping suggest that they listen to good re-
positions, this one works best for this idea in mind, the student cordings that have excellent ex-
most students. should produce a slur by ar- amples of the technique (some are
listed at the end of this article), or
recruit the assistance of high
school or college trombonists to
demonstrate how legato is done.
Next have the student play F to
E'' slowly, without tonguing the
EP, to produce a glissando. Then
have him do the same but tongue
the two notes "ta-doo." Listen
carefully to the articulation on the
second note, making sure it is a
soft "doo" sound, rather than the
normal "ta." The student will ac-
quire a much better legato style if
you teach him to clean up the
glissando, rather than soften up the
tongue. Have the student play F to
E^ ("ta-doo") a number of times to
become familiar with the new ar-^
ticulation. The notes at this point
probably will be rather messy.
Have the student move the slide
(not the tempo) faster between the
notes, emphasizing a soft tongue
on the E^ and a smooth, even slide
motion. By now the slurs should
be fairly clean, and the style
should be more of a glissando

Culture Club
To young people, a musical instrument can serve as a
rather than two separate tones.
Have the student add fourth posi-
tion D to the two notes, playing
"ta-doo-doo." Stress that the
ticket to times and places beyond the bounds of their player should work for smooth-
imagination. ness; as he adds more notes to the
Music provides them with a rare opportunity to slur, he should increase the
explore the Italian heart, the French soul, the German amount of air for playing them.
mind, and the Yankee spirit. And it instills in them a sense Next ask the student to play
of responsibility, self-discipline and confidence as well. simple songs by ear ("Mary Had a
At Gemeinhardt, we realize the importance of provid- Little Lamb" on G, F, and E^) to
ing the best instruments possible for their journey. try this new articulation. In this
Because with the proper vehicle and the proper direction, way, he can listen to the quality of
they'll have the power to cultivate a brighter future. slurs while not worrying about
reading notes. If the slurs are not
clear, ask the student to move the
slide faster; if the slurs sound too
PO. Box 788, Elkhart, IN 46515 U.S.A. hard, suggest that the player
soften the "doo" tongue. Always
stress the unbroken flow of air be-
 veen the notes. As an assign- B o r g d o n i - R o c h u t : Melodious Tommy Dorsey: any available re-
pent, have the student go back to Etudes, Vol. 1 cordings
ne beginning of the method book (These methods are available from Bill Watrous: any available record-
find slur all the exercises. Robert King Music, 112A Main ings
Street, North Easton, Massachu-
Follow-Up setts. (These recordings are available
At the next lesson, the student Recordings from Accura Music, Athens,
probably be tonguing too Ohio.) •
Henry Charles Smith: Trombone
iard, so begin by reinforcing the Recital
I'doo-doo-doo" concept with two Ralph Sauer: Vox Gabrieli
three notes, just as in the first Ronald Barren: Le Trombone Fran-
lesson. If the player has difficulty cais
coordinating the slide and his Richard Cryder: The Lyric Trom-
longue, suggest that he first play bone
|lurred quarter notes; then, while
you clap the beats, have him move
Ihe slide to the correct position ex-
actly on each pulse. Allow a few
veeks' time for the legato tongue to
develop, and be aware that a prop-
ter legato style goes hand in hand
vith good tone and intonation.
Trombonists are capable of pro-
ducing lip slurs just like any other
player on brass instruments, as
veil as natural slurs (slurring
against the overtones without us-
ling the tongue) that are in-
digenous to the instrument. For
young students, however, legato
tonguing each note is the most ef-
fective method. As the student ad-
vances, suggest he discuss different
articulation styles with a private Because we're so strongly associated with the crafting
fteacher. I see that most junior of flutes and piccolos for younger players, we're sometimes
thigh and high school trombonists overlooked as a creator of fine professional instruments.
lover-articulate when slurring to We believe our French Open Hole models are more
produce a tenuto style rather than than just competitive. As the largest manufacturer of flutes
la true legato. Listening to record- and piccolos in the world, we're able to incorporate the
lings by Tommy Dorsey, Bill latest innovations in advanced acoustical engineering from
tWatrous, or Henry Charles Smith our own research facility. We're able to enjoy first choice of
twill demonstrate how truly the best materials. And we're able to dedicate a select
[beautiful the trombone legato can group of people to hand-craft our open hole models to
fee. your specifications—adding such optional features as
hand sculptured keys, gold springs and lip plates, and in-
line or off-set G-A key configurations.
Another area we feel we have the competition beat is
Study Materials value. We don't have to pass along the high overhead costs
that the smaller manufacturers must. So you'll get a flute
Second and Third with exceptional tone quality, superior acoustical proper-
Year Students ties, and hand-crafted detail without paying extra for the
Concone-Miller: Forty Legato inconvenience of not being able to receive it for a year. Or
Studies two.
Bordner: First Book of Practical We encourage you to try any of our French opens.
Studies And then we think you'll understand how we've created
Remington: Warm-Up Studies
such fine student closeds.

Advanced Students
Fink: Studies in Legato P.O. Box 788, Elkhart, IN 46515 U.S.A.
Smith (ed.): SoZos for the Trombone
Player