How is the role of a bass trombone in a big band any different to the other trombones in the section? Is it simply the 4th trombone part, or something more? Listen to any good big band and you will hear the difference. In a big band, the bass trombone part should be approached by […]
PRACTICE TIME – MAKING IT EFFECTIVE
Make your lesson and practice time count Most students find it challenging to remember what was said in a lesson. Perhaps conveniently, they sometimes find it even more difficult to remember what they should practice prior to the next lesson. Keeping a journal will make a student’s practice time more effective. Keep a simple journal […]
PERFORMING MUSIC – PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
It’s all in the head Having intellectual knowledge discussed here at playingbrass.com is an important start. However, head-knowledge will be useless if it can’t be applied when you are performing music. Performance situations can become very stressful unless you are confident in your abilities. When you are talking to a close friend, you’ll be unaware […]
THE TROMBONE TRIGGER MAKES IT LONGER
Single trombone trigger Some trombones have a trigger or “F” attachment. When you press the trombone trigger, it makes the instrument longer by 5 semitones (equivalent to 6th position). The instrument will produce a low F in the 1st position instead of a Bb when you press the trigger (or valve). Therefore the trigger is […]
ARTICULATION TO PRODUCE CHARACTER
Using articulation to convert notes into music Notes can be produced quite differently by using articulation. A player produces various articulations by combining the use of the tongue and the air stream in different ways. Tonguing techniques A player will use his tounge to shape each note to achieve the desired effect. An accomplished brass […]
TROMBONE SLIDE POSITION ACCURACY
This chart shows how to play each note on a trombone using it’s slide position. Pitch is controlled by blowing a note on the correct partial combined with moving the slide to the correct position. Slide Position chart Note: There is a fundamental partial one octave below the 1st partial. This is where the ‘pedal’ […]
PRACTICE PERFECTLY FOR PERFECT PLAYING
Practice Imperfectly Practicing the wrong thing will help you play wrongly more consistently. If we practice perfectly, our practice helps us to play our instrument correctly. Purpose of Practice The purpose of practice is to develop your skills and strength. Practice is needed to maintain familiarity with your instrument and will help you achieve your […]
SIGHT-READING CONFIDENTLY NEEDS PREPARATION
The Importance of Sight-Reading Well A confident sight-reading ability opens up new worlds of music for the player and allows them to easily play with others. Sight-reading, at its most elementary level, is a combination of (1) pattern recognition, and (2) concentration. Pattern recognition You can’t recognize a pattern if you haven’t seen it before. […]
PROJECTING SOUND EFFICIENTLY
Projecting sound is not the same as playing loudly. We want to project our sound as effortlessly as possible so the audience can hear the sound regardless of where they are sitting. Brass players “buzz” their lips into a small cup-shaped mouthpiece. This mouthpiece fits into the tubing of the brass instrument. The tubing of […]
BUILDING A WIDE RANGE WITH STRENGTH
Building a wide range is the result of air-control and strength Building a wide range is essential to becoming an accomplished player. When playing a brass instrument, a we play higher notes when our lips buzz faster. A faster buzz is produced when air passes through the lips faster due to more air-pressure from the […]