There are a series of articles on Digitaltrombone about flexibility for brass players, and they all have their distinct advantages. Many trombone flexibility exercises tend to have a rather uninspiring rhythm and focus mainly on changing notes.

With these trombone exercises, I have added some rhythmical flavor, making them a bit more fun to play, but most of all, adding a new challenge to the concept of flexibility.

You should focus on playing these patterns as effortless as possible. Whenever you are changing note or changing from quarter notes to eight notes, think light and easy, rather than trying to nail it with force. More ballet, less sumo. More vegetables, less steak. More summer breeze, less snow storm…

Exercise 1-3 are (quite) easy, 4-5 are easy/medium. For some reason, the triads in no 6 are quite tricky to get in place. No. 7-11 are to be considered advanced, gradually getting tougher. And no 12 is just plain stupid… But if you can play it without having to change embouchure to much for the pedal tones, it is quite rewarding.

A last important note: all changes (pitch and rhythm) should be controlled mainly by the embouchure and not so much with the air. Try avoiding blowing harder when shifting note!

Enjoy and improve…

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Ok, it does not have to be about hardcore breathing exercises and tongue wrecking scale patterns al the time… With christmas is coming up, I believe that it is time to chill out a bit and just relax. So, as a warm up before long hours in the TV sofa, watching ten year old romantic action thrillers, here´s a bunch of clips from the world of cartoons with focus on the TROMBONE. If you actually learn anything from this, my mission has failed…

Let´s start out with one of the really good ones, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkIrdmY3GlQ

Another Disney classic, a bit less trombone centered, but still great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IErXg5kBXXg

If someone gets the point of this one, please leave a comment below…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-OyIuTPhVU

And this is what happens when you remove the man behind the horn… Horrible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YYcXWU_8zI

An oldschool animation, again with a storyline that exceeds my intellectual capacity, please enlighten me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxi5TNQLKAQ

A bunch of alternative ways to use a trombone, this is for all your friends that keep saying they can´t find a good use for your trombone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADH55uThAfA

Iggy Nutmeg practicing his trombone – damn those midi horns Now go back to the first clip with Donald Duck, and see the backwards evolution in cartoons!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN2Ro9gtVE4

And let´s finnish of with some short My Little Pony trombone clips, utterly unuseful – enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqej7KxSswc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bYQ646ypt8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi9Gl43UoJY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_hc5NMOT4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJTqZB0SvIs

Ok, sorry for that! And with this unusually meaningless post, I wish you all a merry christmas and a happy new year! There are great plans for digitaltrombone.com in the pipeline, a brand new design, lots of new posts and ebooks, so stay tuned!

All the best,
The Fast Slide of Larson

Setting up for soundcheck at a club recently, I caught eyes on a mic I hand´t seen before,
Audix i5 Instrument Microphone mounted on the stand in front of me. Being a moderat gear nerd, I noticed the design, and appreciated the fact that the sound guy actually made a deliberate choice, instead of just setting up an old dented
Shure SM57.

“Well, it´s just another mic, let´s get this sound check over with…” But to my surprise, it only took seconds to realize that this was something different. Both in the front speakers and in the monitor the sound was very clear and direct. The Audix i5 microphone actually made the horn it feel easier to play, like when you haven´t cleaned it for a while and give it a good flush (not that I have ever tried that of course…). In my book, that is a big plus – a microphone that allows me not to clean the horn!

I haven´t had the chance of trying the mic in studio yet, but I assume that it this 99$ dynamic microphone will have to get up very early to keep up with a good studio condenser microphone. But for now on, this is my preferred live microphone using a standard microphone stand. When it comes to clip on miss, there is the expensive but amazing DPA 4099T or the cheaper but quite ok
AKG C519 or the
Audio Technica ATM350 Condenser Microphone.

I will buy my own Audix i5 as soon as possible. Just knowing that my trombone sounds way better through the Audix i5 mic than the trumpet player standing next to me with his SM57 is well worth 99$…

So trombone players, let us unite around a great sounding microphone, and please don´t tell the rest of the horn section!

You can get the
Audix i5 dynamic microphone here.

All the best,
Anders Larson

PS. I bet your wife will love one for christmas, and she just might lend it to you occasionally!

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How to improve your trombone playing with 5 minutes of theory (and a lot more practice…)
or
The only way to get to the next level of brass playing
or
Get that music-school-trombone-sound out of my life!!!
or
The truth about one of the worst and most common bad habits among brass players

Are you convinced that you continue reading this? Good, then let us get down to business! This post is about attack and tonguing for trombone players and ALL other brass players. This post is about how to discover one of the most common bad habits among brass players – and more important – how to get rid of it.

The correct way of starting a tone is by using a tu-attack. The tone should be started with the airflow controlled by the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, using the tongue only to support the attack. (Actually, lot of players tend to build up air pressure in the mouth “behind the tongue” before playing a note. They then release the air by moving the tongue down, resulting in a minor air explosion and uncontrolled attack. This is another common issue, and I will address it in another post.)

So far so good, but playing a note is not just about at starting it. It is just as much about ending it. Lot of players end the note with the tongue instead of just stop blowing. This results in a very abrupt cut of, similar to stopping a cymbal with the hand instead of letting it ring.

So the first step is to figure out if you do stop the note with your tongue. Try playing a note, and be aware about what happens in your mouth when you stop it. It is very simple – there should not happen anything in your mouth when the note ends. The tongue should be relaxed, laying in the bottom of your mouth, ready to play the next note.

Try to play a series of short notes with breaks in between while watching yourself in a mirror. Does it look like you are chewing a piece of meat while playing? This is a strong indicator that something is wrong with your embouchure, and it could very well be that you cut of notes.

So what happens when you cut off the note with the tongue? Besides sounding bad, you will build up pressure in the mouth and throat making it harder to play the next note with a smooth, relaxed attack. Furthermore you don not let the diaphragm relax between notes, building up tensions in your body. You do not want any of that!

If you are one of the many players with this bad habit, it is about time to get rid of it! It is usually not something you do over night, but with a few exercises and awareness, you can do it. Of course, you can not lock your self into a soundproofed cage for three weeks, focusing on nothing but not stopping the notes with your tongue. Just carry on gigging and making music, but try to set off some time everyday for a period where you focus on this issue. Then it will gradually be integrated in your playing.

Here are some basic exercises to help you end notes properly.
Stand up without the instrument and just blow air without using the tongue at all like this:
1. Hu hu hu hu (tho “u” is silent and just illustrates air)
Make sure that you stop the air flow by relaxing the diaphragm and not by locking up the throat.
2. Hu tu hu tu hu tu huuuu (inhale and repeat)
3. Tu tu tu tu tuuuu (inhale and repeat)

Now get your trombone (or whatever brass instrument you play) and try step 1-3 on a single note. Pick a midrange note, like F or the Bb above on first position. When it is starting to feel comfortable, you can start to apply it on a scale or other patterns. Just keep the tempo slow – no more than 60 bpm!

One thing to be aware of when you no longer end the note with the tongue, is that you don not lock up the throat instead. This is just as bad as ending the note with the tongue! Starting and ending notes should be controlled by the air flow and breathing, nothing else!

So what about the rule-confirming exception?
Well, I actually cut off lots of notes with the tongue while playing! Since it is very abrupt, it is a good special effect. I primarily use it when playing big band and I am supposed to end a long note in time. If the whole section cuts of together on a given beat, you get a rhythmical effect out of ending notes as well.

Also, ending a sfz cresc.-note by cutting of with the tongue underlines the effect of the crescendo. So yes – cutting notes with the tongue is a very useful technique, but make sure that you control WHEN to use it!

Good luck, and please let me know if and how this was helpful to you!

How come the saxes always get to play all the fun parts in big bands? Cool, beautiful and hip melody lines, accompanied by an occasional “bap” or “do-bauw” from the brass section. Ok, it is not the whole truth, but there are some fun sax parts that are (reasonably) playable on trombone as well. Do I need to say how good it will sound when played on trombone?

Thad Jones is known for his brilliant music for big band, and Groove Merchant is one of my favorites. Especially the sax chorus is amazing. Full-fat super-hip lines with intense voicings, this is Thad at his best! And even better, it is actually quite suited for trombone. Admitted, it is a bit technically challenging, but the range is spot on – when playing it an octave below the lead soprano. I wrote out the harmony as well, it´s a fun piece to solo on.

Since you probably already have the good taste of playing the trombone, I assume that you already have a recording of Groove Merchant as well. Use it as a luxury play-along, together with the free PDF sheet music with the trombone transcription. If you don´t have the tune, hurry down to your local iTunes store and grab the album Central Park North with Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra. Don´t settle for only Groove Merchant, the whole album is great!

So at your next gig where Groove Merchant shows up, get up in front of the band and play along with the saxes! They won’t love it, but the audience will! And tell them I said hi…

Have fun and play great!

PS. Do you need to refresh the trombone solo on Tip Toe? A big band must-know-tune for trombone players!

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It does´t matter if you are a jazz or classical player, you still want to make music. And you should still make music in your practice room. A really good way to get some music into your daily routine at an early stage, is to play some free improvisation. Again, it does not matter what genre you play, as a matter of fact, if you are a non-improviser I would say that this tip is even more important!

Here is what I want you to do:
Find a simple warm up exercise and play it for a few minutes, just to get some air through the horn. Then you play a totally free improvisation for five minutes. Just play, and see where it takes you! Don´t worry about stiff lips, bad sound ore any other detail that probably would distract you if you where playing your standard 4 pages of flexibility exercises.

“But I have never learned how to improvise!” No problem. Here is the key:
1. You play a note.
2. You play another note.
3. Repeat step 1-2 for five minutes.
It really is that simple. You are not playing in front of an audience, or trying to impress your colleagues. Just let go, and focus on making music.

Or, you can choose to focus on a specific idea. Inspiration might not always be divine, so pick a subject and stick to it (or let go, remember it´s about improvising!).
Pick a key or a chord and dig into it, Cm dorian or Db7b13 or Fmaj7, it does´t matter.
Focus on sounds. Go for a non-tonal impro and see what animals you can imitate. Or a steam locomotive or a concorde.
Pick a tempo- slow or fast. Or maybe a feel, straight 8th´s, latin or 12/8 and play random melodies in that mood.
Focus on a rhythmical or melodic pattern. And see how it transforms during the five minutes.
Play a five minute mouthpiece-concerto in G# major.
Grab a plunger and growl on.
Do all of the above in six minutes! Or seven minutes and 14 seconds.

Some people are most creative when they get a clean slate. Others need some structure to get going. You probably know what you need to get going.

I would love to hear from you when you have tried this for a week or so. Please leave a comment, or record yourself and send me a mp3 (I´ll post it here if you ask me to)!

Go make some music!

Yet another flexibility exercise – seems to be that time of the year! These patterns show you some ways to get out of the first-down-to-seventh-position-playing-the-same-pattern-mode, making it more fun to play. This also makes your flexibility practicing come closer to the actual use of it in real music.

Many trombone (and other brass players) tend to do their flexibility home work, but as soon as they start moving the slide around, they put an attack on every note and cut up their airflow. Don´t go there! On of the benefits of flexibility exercises, is that it improves your legato playing – that is, if you actually use your flexibility skills. Both legato and flexibility should focus on constant air flow!

The patterns are quite simple, but skipping slides and moving up and down make them come alive and sound more fresh. You should try to get some speed going, and aim for a totally smooth phrasing. Think of it as one long note played with a steady air flow. And watch the pitch, some of the patterns can be a bit tricky to intonate, especially when you start on 7th position.

As I said, no rocket science here, just some simple but effective tools to help you master the art form called trombone.

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Did you miss part 1 in this series? Read more here: Flexibility on trombone and mouthpiece – Part 1.

In this second part with exercises for both trombone and mouthpiece, the focus is on octaves and a mix of staccato and legato playing. The idea is to work on mouthpiece and trombone simultaneously to make sure that you use a similar embouchure. Beware of the pitch on the mouthpiece, especially when playing staccato phrases.

When a task is repeated over time, the muscle memory will be better and better at remembering how to do it, eventually allowing it to be performed without very much effort. This is important when playing on the mouthpiece since there is no tubing to “force” the lips to vibrate with the correct speed. You should combine this with using your ears to be able to hear the next pitch, before you play it.

By practicing the switch from mouthpiece to trombone, you will improve instrument control and your ability to hit the right pitch on the trombone.

The trick with playing on mouthpiece alone, is also to use the muscles at the side of the mouth where the lips meet, without creating tensions elsewhere in your body, disturbing the free air flow.

Good luck!

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No secret for trombone and other brass players that practicing flexibility is one of the keys to good technique and chops! Playing the same exercise on both mouthpiece and instrument is great both for building up strength and gaining more control over the instrument.

Slightly re-inventing the wheel, I have made a bunch of trombone exercises that focus on playing both on the trombone and the mouthpiece. They are supposed to be played first on trombone and then on mouthpiece, but as a variation you could start with the mouthpiece. There will be some fiddling around with the mouthpiece on and off, but please bare with me on this one.

You should focus on keeping the same embouchure both on the trombone and on the mouthpiece. When you play on the mouthpiece, you need more strength and control in order to hit the (right) notes. Try to do it the same way on the trombone – making sure that your lips (and ears) know what pitch to hit will really help you improve your instrument control.

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PS. Remember to sign up for the newsletter and get a free Jazz Etude! Find the sign up form at in the right column of the top of the page.

I had been looking for at foldable trombone stand that actually works for some time. For a few years I put up with this model from K&M, but it isn´t very stable, and it doesn´t take long before the legs get loose (and they can´t be tightened…).

Hercules TraveLite DS420B
A few month ago I bought this stand from Hercules ( with the very little fancy name Hercules TraveLite DS420B) from an online music store. Finally I found a stand that works! A few words about it:

Design:
I must admit that the look of my trombone stand isn´t an issue that keeps me awake at night, but this one looks quite nice. And discreet. And black. But most important, it is really stable, not far from it´s non-foldable competitors. The folding function is well thought through as well, with the one piece design, and the legs folding up along the stand to make it fit the bell of the instrument.

Cons:
The only problem I have had, is that it can get stuck in the bell (!) on my King 2B during transport! Maybe cleaning my bell would help… I have heard from other users that some parts can rust, but I haven´t experienced that yet. And you can´t get it in off white. Or pink.

Price:
Well, it´s quite cheap, so no hurdles here.

Summary:
Hercules TraveLite trombone stand wont help you pick up ladies at the gig. It wont make you look cool, and it wont make you sound better. (Trombone stands rarely do.) This is simply a good, working product to a decent prize, and I can recommend it without a doubt. My only concern is if the mechanics will last for the amount of years I plan to use it, but no sign of malfunctions yet. It works fine for both small and large horns, but I haven´t tried it with bass trombone.