Philosophy of Practice

Before we talk about what to start practicing, lets talk about practice in general.

Fun!

Practicing should be fun! When you practice it should be something you look forward to. Sure some days you will be busy and not have time for it, but that should be the exception, not the rule. There is no need for marathon practice sessions and endless repetition. Sure these tools have their place but again, they should be the exception not a rule.

Consistency

Consistency is king when learning an instrument. Practice is better when you do it more often. The once a week two hour practice mess doesn't help to get much done. I've found that you're better off practicing twenty minutes five days per week than practicing for an hour once a week. Time moves faster this way and daily progress can be seen.

Consistency and planning in the sessions is crucial too.

Break up you're practice sessions once you start becoming more motivated to practice and play more. Instead of a one hour block once a day, try for two half hour sessions, each with a different focus. What trumps all else is getting the horn on your face as often as possible.

Sample Practice Routines

Perhaps you're a beginner ( or the parent of a beginner). Here a sample layout of how they could practice for twenty minutes a day five days a week

Monday

5 Minutes warm-up

10 Minutes in studies book.

5 Minutes on a solo

Tuesday

5 Minute warm-up

5 Minutes Flexibility studies

10 Minutes Solo work

Wednesday

off

Thursday

5 Minute warm-up

10 Minutes School music

5 Minutes scales

Friday

5 minute warm-up

15 minutes solo work

Saturday

5 Minute warm-up

10 Minutes playing by ear

5 Minutes of your choice

Sunday

off

Now this isn't the end all be all of practicing. The whole point of practicing is to find out what works for you and this includes what type of schedule you can handle!

Have a plan and stick to it!

Any ideas or questions on these philosophy's post them in the comments!  

The Beginning Trombonist: Equipment

Philosophy of Buying a Horn

The beginner trombone player doesn't need fancy equipment or the most expensive model off the shelf. What if the player doesn't stick with the instrument, what if they drop it? The beginner doesn't need a brand new $4000 Edwards trombone to learn on. These horns are often waaaay to big for the beginner and will only hurt, not help, their playing. The beginner wants to match themselves to a horn that will make their job easier.

With that said, the beginner doesn't want a trombone that is falling apart. A trombone that doesn't work right will be no fun to play and when they player isn't having fun, practicing goes by the wayside. The beginners best bet is to look for a used trombone from their local music store or in the area. Craigslist and Ebay are good options too but one has to know what to look for.

Ask the seller for lots of pictures of any dents or dings. Small dents and dings in the bell are okay, dents on the slide are not! Look for excessive wear on the slide and on the horns brass. With a little patience good deals present themselves and will make for a much more enjoyable experience!

What to look for in a horn!

A beginner doesn't need a massive horn with an F-attachment and large shank mouthpiece to learn to play. In-fact, this will most likely hurt the player.

The beginner should look for a small bore trombone, one that will accept a small shank mouthpiece. Second hand used Yamaha student models are a good starting point. If the beginner wants to spend a bit more money, they could look for a used professional level instrument. The small bore professional instruments will not be too hard for the beginner to play but will provide an enjoyable playing experience and leave room to go. 

For the beginner I'd recommend starting without the F-attachment, it will only add weight and one should master the straight slide before adding complexity. 

As to a mouthpiece, I would recommend something on the smaller side. Around a bach 12c is a good starting size. Even a 6 1/2AL isn't a bad place to start, especially for someone with larger lips. A huge mouthpiece probably wouldn't be a great bet, a person just starting out probably doesn't have the lip strength or breath support to play it. 

Feel free to ask in the comments about buying a horn, I'll be glad to give my opinion on it!!

Welcome!

Hello internet!

This will be my page that will pertain to learning all things trombone, from your first lessons to your debut records!

A little about myself. I've been playing trombone for 12 years or so and graduating college in December with a degree in music education.

The direction of this blog will go in a way that will require the player to purchase no music to follow along!

I hope that this blog will be a way to help new or returning to find a love for the trombone and music alike!