hether you are teaching private lessons, group lessons, or he nhing band, introducing the trombone to new players should be the same. As teachers, we should revisit exactly what and how we teach new students. Are ‘we just following along with the book we have chosen, or are we carefully considering the skills the student should be mastering from day one? All students, whether beginning instrumentalists or students trained on. another instrument, should approach playing a brass instrument from the mouthpiece first, The instrument is simply the amplifier. A beginner should spend at least two weeks playing only on the mouthpiece. Forming the cor rect embouchure along with using the appropriate air stream is of utmost importance and can be accomplished through buzzing. Regardless of experi? ence level, students should practice the follo®Af exercise on the mouth piece, beginning on the F a perfect fourth below middle C: F - & -F;F E-flat -F; FD - F; F - Deflat - F, F- C- F; F- B-F,and-B=sBalat 2 Next E-B- E; and E-flat- B-flat - E-flat the students should practice F - C continuing down chromatically as low as possible. Then, starting on F = C =f again, they should move up chromatically as high as possible. Each pattern of the buzzing exercises should commence with the tongue, but should oth= enwise be slurred. The corners of the mouth should be firm with the lips slightly pursed in onter to form the apertur The lips should be even or lined up vertically, which usually requires the lower jaw to be extended slighily forward. oSBeginning Trombone Methods and Band Methods ‘Accent on Achievement by J. O'Reilly and M. Wiliams (Alfred). Alfred's New Band Method by J. O'Reilly and S. Feldstein (Alfred). ‘Arban’s Famous Method for Slide and Vaive Trombone and Baritone by C. Randall and . Mantia (Carl Fischer), ‘Band Todoy by J. Ployhar (Belwin Mill). Best in Class by B. Pearson (Kjos) Breeze Easy Method, Books | and 2. by John Kinyon (Warner Bros.) Gimera-Hovey Method for Trombone and Baritone by J. Cimera (Belwin Mills) Encore! Best in Class Series by B. Pearson (Kjos). First Division Band Method by Thom Proctor (Warner Bros.) Pro Art Trombone ond Baritone Method, Books | and 2, by Charles Petrie (Belwin Mill). Rubank Elementary Method for Trombone and Baritone by Newell Long (Ruban). Step By Step by R. Elledge and D. Haddad (Kjos). Total Musicianship by F Bencriscutto and H. Freese (Kjos). Trombone Student, Books | and 2. by F Weber (Belwin Mills). Wolter Beeler Method for Trombone by Walter Beeler (Warner Bros.), Yamaha Bond Student by J. O'Reilly and S. Feldstein (Alfred). Beginning students should practice buzzing for ten minutes, twice each day for two weeks, without ataching he mouthpiece to the instrument. Alter the two-week period (or when the embouchure is set correctly with a well-controlled buzz), the instrumen- talist may then buzz five to ten minutes, once daily, before playing the instrument, Buzzing is the most important part of any practice session T helps the embouchure to focus and strengthens the muscles for a perfectly centered tone, Most professional play- ers swear by the benelits of daily bu mouthpiece can be anything but fur for the new player, the firm founda. tion that it provides wll enable the student to progress much more quick- ly than if he or she had played on the trombone itself from the very first day. 1g. Although playing on the LUKE ADVANCED PLAVERS, BEGAN rust perfect the whole-note long, tone. Emory Remingron made playing whole notes a staple in brass players warm-up diet. For beginners, itis t00 early, beyond buzzi long tones, to introduce full warm ng and ng and whole-note Up routine. In essence, 38 Teaching Music whole-noie long tones are the initial playing experience that will become part of the daily warm-up routine Generally, beginning-brass method books begin the initial play- ing experience with whole notes, whole rests, and the rhythm counting that goes along with these notes— this is @ crucial error Printed music should be introduced after several tones have been learned, with char acteristic tone, by ear. Without any lesson book, the teacher can intro- duce each whole-note long tone during a student’ lesson by having him or her first sing the note and. then play the note on the mstrument Once the student has mastered three to five notes hy echoing the teacher in a whole now/whole rest playing experience, the teacher can engage the student in ear-training activities that can include echoing the teacher, playing call-and-tesponse exercises, and leaning simple traditional melodies by ear. The teacher may slowly incorporate half notes and quarter notes along with the corre- sponding rests, Note reading with the beginning method book can begin once the student has mastered several tones and shythms and used these skills to learn short familiar tunes by ear, Fora list of suggested method books, see the Beginning Trombone Methods and Band Methods sidebar. In shom., I advocate breaking down the learning of a musical instrument into the critical pieces or phases that Tinmit the variables that can lead 10 poor habits. By starting with the miouthpiece, holding the horn and. ‘maneuvering the slide are not part of the equation. Once the embouchure is set, the student can focus on the instrument itself and play several notes without the worry af printed ‘music. [tis important to spend time training the ear to play the instrame without relying on the printed music asa gui Afterall, we do not learn to speak and read words simultaneously. We are vocabulary by the time we reach the age of five. On begin to read and write. Just so, only alter the beginning player has mas- tered several notes and simple vid talkers with a sizable y then do we usually melodies or phrases, should we intro- duce printed music FROM THIS POWRT, ost ca Tt beginning method books are ade quate, They introduce rhythm, note reading, scales, articulation, and nomenclature in a systematic fashion, Most include traditional melodies in each of the lessons, as well. About half Daily Warm-Up Studies for Beginning to Intermediate Players Basic Routines by R. Marstellar (Southern Music Company). Daily Drils and Technical Studies by M. Schlossberg (Baron). Remington Worn-Up Studies for Trombone by D. Hunsberger (Accura Music)way through the method book, ip slurs are introduced in one of the lessons. Often, no other mention of ‘warm-up activities is included. However, warm-up activities are the most important portion of a practice session or lesson Warm-ups for brass consist of two basic types: tongued exercises and nontongued (or slurred) exercises. ll other types of warm-ups, whether they are long tones, scales, arpeggios, ‘or some other type of exercise, fall under these two categories. Most play- € a short, ten- to fifteen-minute aarm-up along with a longer thirty- to sixty-minute “daily routine.” All arm-ups and routines should aim to accomplish the same tasks: readying the muscles in the embouchure tb ing), centering the tone (long tones), building flexibility in the fa ‘muscles (ip slurs), mastering ton, ned nd slurred scale and arpeggio pa terns, and. catal ting, the air st For beginners, if whole-note long, jump- am, tones and buzzing are already part of daily practice. only lip slurs need to be added to complete their ten- to fi- teen-minute warn arpeggios are learned, they too can be acided to the warm-up to complete a daily routine. The Daily Warm-Up Studies for Beginning to Imermediate Players sidebar lists some time-tested warm-up and daily routine method books. By the time the student has estab: lished a short warm-up and daily routine and has learned se up. As scales and eral scales and arpeggios, he or she should also have learned many melodies by eat and completed the first elementary method book. The student is now ready to move on to the myriad of etude, technique, and musical studies that will help him or her to prepare to play the instrument proficiently. The Seale Studies and Etudes for Beginning to Intermediate Trombone Players sidebar lists elementary and intermediate method and étude books Seale Studies and Etudes for Beginning to Intermediate Trombone Players Etudes for Trombone by T, Pederson (Schmitt Music Center). FyFive Phrasing Suidies (Legato) by }. Cimera (Belwin) First and Second Book of Practical Studies by G. Bordner (Belwin). Forty Progressive Studies by H. Tyrell (Boosey and Hawkes). Forty Progressive Etudes for Trombone by S. Hering (Car! Fischer), Introducing the Tenor Clef by R. Fink (Accura Music). ‘Melodious Etudes for Trombone (Legato) by J. Rochut (Cart Fischer). Pores Scales for Trombone by G. Pares (Rubank) Rubank Advanced Method for Trombone and Baritone by W. Gower and H. Voxman (Rubank) ‘Rubank Intermediate Method for Trombone ond Baritone by J. Skornicka and . Boltz (Rubank). Selected Duets by H. Voxman (Rubank) Selected Studies by H. Voxman (Rubank). Seventy-Nine Trombone Studies by J. Cimera (Belwin Mills) Sixty Studies for Trombone, Books | and 2, by G. Kopprasch (Carl Fischer). Studies in Legato by R. Fink (Car! Fischer) Thirty Six Studies for Trombone (with F attachment) by ©. Blume (Carl Fischer). Twelve Melodious Duets for Two Trombones by O. Blume (Carl Fischer). VVandercook Etudes for Trombone or Baritone by H. Vandercook (Rubank). appropriate for the second-year-and: beyond trombone student Ne AUR Ca aL tory fete IN susan, THE 8 Tune [MUSIC LESSONS Ii tie ost compecensive ‘Ghords und Hanoy sttmae seb. exc View Recognition Name ‘Written Notation - Wise? ‘Keyboard Skis Pia? should focus on the fundamentals of brass playing ture, and air stream—by carefully embouchure, aper developing the facial muscles thro Jbuzzing and daily warm-up activities, Tone production will develop quickly and then time can be spent on master- ing the technique of the instrument. | typical half-hour practice session or lesson should consist of ter to fifteen minutes of warm-up and daily rou tines, five minutes of ear-training practice, and ten to fifteen minutes of printed lesson material, This time Uh awacvianing MUSIC LESSONS 1 6 allotment for practice will ensure the greatest benefit toward building a firm playing foundation in the beginning instrumentalist. In the endl, how we sound is the most important attribute of our playing, By Todd L. Falis, associate professor in the Department of Music at Utah State University in Logan, college MUSICLESSONS 1 (ia & Ma) MUSICLESSONSI in Mi) MIBAC hus Mex) Lab Splat te hen aie FREE DEMO Rm en etry zCR