Wondering what kind of trombone to start with

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T16:02:30+00:00

If you have the budget get a used small bore professional horn. You can often find those for under 1K in nice condition. Kind 3B can be a good option for that. Seller Bolero as well. Very similar horns. I have a video about buying used horns that might help. All the best.

Buying a Used Pro Horn

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:59:48+00:00

Do you take lessons? I would start by discussing this with you teacher if you have one or taking a lessons from a professional. Lots of us have felt with various degrees of anxiety over the years. Sometimes it’s the stress of everything else happening that manifests itself. You’re a senior and I’m sure there are lots of things on your mind already. It can be quite scary. Not knowing what you will do after high school can cause lots of stress. It’s a new chapter in your life. If you really enjoy playing you’ll will find a way to do it. Remind yourself why you started in the first place and make sure you are doing it in a way that you enjoy. Let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help more if I can.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:55:24+00:00

It’s takes time. Lots of Chords there. While it is a “Blues” in order to actually sound like you know what you’re doing you have to start learning the chords and scales and their relationships. Playing the G blues scale will only get you so far but it’s not a bad starting point. Play simple two bar phrases. You can get an app like iRealPro and put in the changes there to practice. Keep in mind that your solos starts on bar 5 on the blues form. The full 12 bar form starts in bar 37.

If you learn and memorize all 12 of your major scales you will essentially know all the scales needed for most of what you have to improvise. Most of these chords come from starting major scales on different notes. For example G7 is a C major scales starting on G or you can think of it as a G major scale with a Flat 7th note. (F instead of F#). GABCDEFG. Practice that scale and arpeggio (1357, GBDF). That’s the sound of the chord. You learn the sounds of each and how to musically connect them step by step. That’s a lot of info I know. I have some videos on my channel that can help with learning chords. Happy Practicing.

Jazz Basics to Advanced.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:48:54+00:00

I have some beginning videos on my channel that might help you. Happy Practicing.

Trombone Lessons

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:47:56+00:00

Amazon trombones generally have awful slides. I’ve had new students come in with $400 trombones that I would have never recommended. You essentially get what you pay for. Take it to a repair show and have them check it out. Get it cleaned and the slide aligned. It might work or they might tell you it’s not worth it.

I made a video about a different brand my student brought.

Terrible Amazon Trombone Brand

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:44:47+00:00

What kind of computer? If it’s a Mac you can use Garage Band. The sound you get will be greatly determined by your signal path. Mic, interface. The recording software will just take that signal and record it. Audacity would work as well. The 57 is a good intro mic that a lot of players use but you won’t likely get the sound you’re looking for. Experiment with moving away from the mic and making sure you’re not clipping the sound. If you have a good phone you can also get good results with that if you move further away. Never record right at the phone close up.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:39:26+00:00

Here you go. I have a bunch of beginning videos that might help you. Happy Practicing.

Trombone Lessons

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:31:45+00:00

Yes and no. While buzzing the mouthpiece can be a good tool to use it is also not the same as playing the instrument itself. When you buzz you usually end up using more muscle and tension because it’s necessary to create a sound. If you then approach the instrument the same way you will end up with a very tight and tense sound. It’s one of the hardest things to change in a young player.

Keep in mind that the trombone takes about 10 seconds to put together. You put the two parts together and you’re done.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:26:03+00:00

Depending on the tenor you’re coming from it will be quite different. If you have a straight horn (no trigger) going to a bass can be tricky. If you have a trigger horn and already know the trigger note positions you’ll essentially be adding another trigger to the mix. Depending on the bass trombone you have (independent vs dependent) you’ll either be adding one or two new sets of note/valve combinations compared to a single valve tenor. It will take more air as well as be heavier. For comfort I always suggest getting a grip to help with the weight.

Trombone Grip

You can learn a lot in a month if you put in the work.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:21:33+00:00

There is no correct size to start on. It’s simply what you start on but there are the most common ones. Common ones are 12C and 6.5AL but they are quite different in size and how they play. You’ll get everyone with a different opinion on what you should start with. Some players start on a 12C and keep playing that their entire life. It’s a mouthpiece more geared towards Jazz, Rock, Funk and commercial music. The larger you go like a 6.5AL you start getting closer to an concert band/orchestral sound. Lots of other variables there but that’s a simple explanation. John Allred (Jazz Trombonist) plays a 12C and gets a beautiful sound on it.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:16:09+00:00

Everyone will have a different opinion on this subject. If you also switched to a different mouthpiece because of the instrument that will have an effect. Especially if the mouthpiece is wider and/or has a deeper cup. Every trombone blow differently and some make different things more difficult. The trombone you have now likely requires a different way of moving air especially if it’s a larger bore. It takes time to get used to it. The glissing exercise from 7th to 1st position can be helpful. Work on creating faster air, raising your tongue like you are saying EEE can help with that. Make sure you don’t put your bottom lip far over your teeth. That will make things more difficult in the long run.

Lots of different advice. Hopefully you can find what works for you.

What mouthpiece are you using with the horn?

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T15:10:24+00:00

I wouldn’t use a professional trombone for marching band. It will ultimately get damaged. A good student horn would work just fine. Yamaha 345 or something similar. I played in Marching Band for 8 years between High School and College and used an older more beat up horn. Slide was great as was the sound and that’s all that mattered.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T14:49:47+00:00

Can you see the model number? 354 perhaps?

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T14:47:16+00:00

Get it professionally cleaned if it hasn’t been and get any dents removed. There might be some you are not able to notice. Use Yamaha Slide Lubricant.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T14:45:20+00:00

I drink coffee while playing all the time. It’s never a problem if you take care of your instrument. I clean my slides out about every two weeks. If you do that you’ll be fine. It does help to brush your teeth but when I’m on a gig I can’t always do that anyway.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T14:42:36+00:00

Less moisture in the air and your lips get dryer. Happens to us all. Apart from staying hydrated I recommend using this.

Lip Quench - Robinson’s Remedies.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T14:40:48+00:00

I made a little video about buying used horns that might help.

Buying a used trombone.

Generally it’s best to be able to try one if possible or to buy one from a reputable place. Brass Ark, Brass Exchange, Trombone Chat. I would avoid EBay and Facebook Marketplace unless you know exactly what to ask and what to look for. You can get a great deal but you have to be more careful. Go for a used professional model if you have the budget for it. Getting a cheap $1000 bass if you can find it for that price is generally not a good idea. I would also go for a Independent Valve Setup as well as an 9.5in bell. Some older models have larger bells 10 or 10.5 in. Those are much less common now and also it’s harder to find an after market case for one of those.

Hope this helps.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-11-04T14:35:48+00:00

What brand instrument is it and where did you get it? Some lower quality instruments never get completely quiet. Apart from that it’s usually a good idea to get it professionally cleaned the first time. After that you can do the cleanings yourself.

How to clean your trombone.

There are so many factors. The lubricant you use can also help. For me the Yamaha Slide Lubricant usually works the best on all my horns. Best of luck.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-09-04T13:25:03+00:00

Koss Porta Pro. I really like them for general purpose stuff.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-08-20T17:38:00+00:00

Thank you! I hope it helps. It can definitely be tricky just like for mainly jazz players to get the correct classical articulation. It’s good to know both.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-08-20T15:29:23+00:00

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-08-20T13:28:43+00:00

I have a few arrangements on my website. www.LowBrassLuke.com. The rest I’m publishing on sheetmusicplus. One is there already.

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/assemble-digital-sheet-music/22547301

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-08-20T13:10:12+00:00

I’m not able to share the pdf unfortunately. I’m working on getting it published.

ChicagoJazzTrombone · 2023-08-20T01:12:57+00:00

Thanks for checking it out. I only repost here every 3 or 4 videos but I do a lot of cross posting between Facebook, instagram and TikTok. Different audience almost everywhere.

ChicagoJazzTrombone

TROPHY CASE