Trombone. A brassiere with a soul.

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Is it difficult to play the trombone?

There is no clear answer to this question because each of us is different and each of us is able to adopt a specific range of knowledge and skills at our own pace. First of all, you should know that in playing wind instruments, many factors affect the sound that is produced. Starting from the embouchure to the arrangement of the face with the mouth at the forefront. The trombone as a brass instrument is not the easiest one and the beginnings can be especially difficult. It will be much easier to learn under the supervision of a teacher, but you can also practice alone. The most important thing is to do all the exercises correctly and with your head, that is, do not overstrain. This is a brass, so there must be time for exercise and time for recovery. We can’t do anything with our tired lips and lungs. For this reason, it is worth starting learning under the supervision of a specialist who will set the training in an appropriate way.

Varieties of trombones and its types

Trombones come in two varieties of zipper and valve. The slider version gives us more possibilities and, among other things, we can use the glissando technique, which consists in a smooth transition from one note to another, which is a distance away from the interval, sliding over the notes between them. With a valve trombone, we will not be able to perform such a technical procedure in this form. We can divide the trombones in more detail according to their scale and pitch. The most popular are soprano trombones in B tuning, alto trombones in Es tuning, tenor trombones in B tuning and bass trombones in F or E tuning. We also have additional varieties, such as the tenor-bass trombone or the doppio trombone, which can be found under the names: octave trombone, counterpombone or maxima tuba.

Start learning to play the trombone

Many people who want to start education do not know which type is the best to start their education with. From such a practical point of view, it is best to start with the tenor, which is one of the most universal and does not require such a great effort from the player’s lungs. It is also worth mentioning here that it is best to start learning to play the trombone in the case of children at a slightly older age, when the lungs are properly formed. Of course, we start learning by practicing on the mouthpiece itself and trying to produce a clear sound on it. When playing the trombone, blow the mouthpiece with your mouth in an “o” shape. Place the mouthpiece in the center, press your lips firmly against it, and breathe in and out deeply. You should feel a slight vibration on your lips when blowing. Remember that all exercises should be performed within a certain period of time. Tired lips or cheek muscles cannot produce the correct sound. It’s good to do a short warm-up on single notes before starting your target exercise.

Advantages and disadvantages of a trombone

First, let’s list the main advantages of the trombone. First of all, the trombone is an instrument with a strong, warm and loud sound (which in the case of living in a block of flats and practicing, unfortunately, is not always an advantage). Secondly, it is a relatively easy instrument to transport despite its weight. Third, it is less popular than the trumpet or saxophone, so from a commercial point of view, we have less competition in the labor market. Fourth, there is a great need for good trombonists. As for the disadvantages, it is clearly not an easy instrument to learn. Like any brass, it is a loud and quite burdensome instrument when practicing for the environment. The test weight is also a big problem, because some models weigh about 9 kg, which is quite noticeable with a longer game.

Summation

If you have the will, predispositions and the ability to take at least the first few lessons from a teacher, it is definitely worth taking up the topic of learning to play the trombone. Of course, you can also learn by yourself, but a much better solution, at least at this initial stage, is to use the help of a professional. The trombone of all brass pieces is one of the nicest brass pieces, with a very warm sound. Personally, I am a fan of slide trombones, and I would recommend it more. It is more demanding, but thanks to this we will have a greater technical field to use in the future.