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Start Strong: Trombone Basics
10 Videos for your first trombone lessons. Learn how to breathe, buzz, hold, and play the trombone through small steps, ensuring good habits along the way.
Start here: Trombone Basic 1
As brass players, breathing and posture is possibly the most important aspect of playing. While it seems trivial, establishing good breathing habits will prevent MANY issues down the road.
Two Popular Uploads: Trombone Basics 6 and 8
While there are hundreds of videos on putting together, holding, and learning the 7 positions, check out my videos to get the repetition and visuals you don’t have time for in a class or lesson.
Something everyone should know
High and Low: Trombone Basic 4
Trying to play high notes incorrectly and unhealthily leads to many bad habits and issues on the trombone. Start correctly with this video, utilizing helpful graphics and memorable sayings that will be sure to click with any student.
Build a Sound Foundation: First Position Fundamentals
3 Playlists to help you craft a warm-up/fundamental routine. Go at your own pace as you establish trombone-specific skills and build strong tone, range, and technique.
Your daily vitamins: Long tones
While simple, long tones start your practice right by establishing your best sound for the rest of your practice. Warm up your air and sound to play with an open, relaxed, and full tone.
Magic in an Exercise: Lip Slurs
If you only have 5 minutes to practice, I suggest you play some lip slurs. They are the single best exercise for brass players to develop air support, lip strength/endurance, high range, and flexibility. They can be varied easily to work on specific musical problems. Start lip slurs early, and see your range and sound take off!
Trombone Cardio: Snappy Slide Exercises
These exercises work on technique, or your speed and precision to play the instrument. For us trombonists, that is to literally have a snappy, clean slide that lines up with our crispy “tah” tongue.
Start slow with these simple patterns, and work to get them faster and faster to develop a quick, clean, snappy slide. Starting slow is essential to make sure you work out any “slop” or smears in your sound.
Practice and Perform: First Position Play-Alongs
10 songs to play along with the video. Listen, sing, and break down each song until you can play it confidently as a solo with the back-up band. As you practice, you’ll pick up new tips that can apply to practicing any song as your grow as a musician.
Your first song: Stair Stepping
This song picks up right where the trombone basics left off-learn a song using only your first 5 notes, working step by step.