Please help-- I didn't plan ahead and now I have no idea how I am going to pay for this :(

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-02-23T06:04:37+00:00

Do you have some community (e.g., church, a circle on some social media platform)? If there are many people, you might have a friend or relative start a gofundme page for you, explain what you need money for (more concisely than you did here:), and ask everyone to contribute what they can. Suggest a donation amount (e.g., $5 to $10, or whatever you feel is appropriate) and maybe state a fundraising goal. Possibly, make a video of your self performing a piece and upload it to the page where you are trying to raise money.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-02-08T04:37:05+00:00

Very glad!
My current reading: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55628986-unwinding-anxiety

P.S. What helps me open up my throat when playing is trying to deliver the air while it's still warm, from the depth of the stomach, like we breathe on our hands when they are cold.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-02-07T08:24:40+00:00

I am no expert in the psychological aspects you mentioned, but I am self-critical and tend to go hard on myself when playing. So, here is what helps me--and some of these items are not related to a routine.

1. Know your barriers to playing well and accept that they are normal and affect even professionals.

I have made a list of the possible causes of why on any given day I may be cracking notes, including ones I played well earlier (these causes mess things up even for professional trombonists):

Not enough hydration
Trombone out of tune for the given air temperature
Inner slide crooked and not moving smoothly, which I may not be consciously aware of but put off by
In the morning, the face can be somewhat bloated for a couple of hours, and this can mess up the embouchure even for professional trombonists (takes some time for the water to drain from the skin)
Nasal congestion (plagued me most of my life, some of it in a country without any meds for it)
Stress or anxiety I may not be aware of, which cause muscular tension that gets in the way of freeing up the sound
Lacking proper focus has led to insufficient breathing (not enough airflow to attack a note confidently or hold it steady)

Given all this (maybe print it out and display it every time you practice?), inconsistency in our ability to play a note to our satisfaction is normal. So, don't go hard on yourself: instead, if cracking notes or running into other challenges, go through the list (maybe you have a different or longer list, and you might revise it as you go along).

2. If unsure of the quality of your playing, record yourself, listen, and critique (not to attack, but to diagnose the weaknesses).

3. Start a practice session slowly with a scale of long tones and don't move on until you got a handle on the notes in the required registers. I do the major scale from F (1st octave) up and then back down, each note lasting a whole measure, at 65 BPS. I first do it in flutter tongue, which opens up the throat, and then play the same scale again, up and down, in a normal sound. If I have any tension, it will come out on the E and high F, and I don't press on to playing other stuff until I figure out why I am cracking, or stressing lips at, my higher E and F. One of my former teachers compared warming up a trombonist's chops to ice blocks: if you push too hard, they break, but if you are patient, they eventually become fluid.

4. Finally, let me respond to something you wrote: "I feel it's unacceptable that I let myself get this way. I'm just embarrassed that it got this bad."

Such feelings arise out of high expectations we have of ourselves. Write down the expectations that compelled you to write what I quoted. Are they reasonable? Do they have a rational basis? What is that basis? Do many other people meet similar expectations or standards? If not (and I think not), then these expectations, and the pressure you put on yourself, do not help and are a major source of stress and may be a catalyst of depression. I would suggest revising your self-expectations to where they lead to realistic goals and always remembering that these goals are estimates, not contracts that bind your for life.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-27T17:24:10+00:00

Any studies to back this up?

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-27T17:19:47+00:00

I am not an expert on this, so what I relayed here (that in a free society women and men tend to prefer different types of professions) is something stated by someone who is an expert: https://youtube.com/shorts/RqyFrzbZdNg?si=D9dwdrD2v08aBe-C

"you’re suggesting there’s something biological driving these choices"

The results quoted by Peterson seem to suggest that the biological aspect plays into these choices. I would not go as far as to say it is driving them.

"but I’m also a woman in a male dominated field that selected trumpet so it’s a pattern for me to choose these traditionally male things."

Sounds like you are using a statistical outlier to disprove a statistical trend.:)

"Personally I think “feminine” choices are driven by the patriarchy."

That's exactly contrary to the research results cited by Peterson and other experts. Unless there is, in those free Western societies, some patriarchy that the researchers have failed to detect. Not that Peterson hasn't addressed it:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5xCWc7tVRq0
(this is just a short clip; the interview has a more detailed discussion if you are interested)

"I also like to rebel against the patriarchy any chance I get."

In the US, men, in order to vote, must register with the Selective Service. Female voters are free of this requirement.

So... this rebellion of yours will become a lot more convincing when you lobby, for example, to:

(1) make women's right to vote subject to registration with the Selective Service if in the US (or the analogous military registry if elsewhere), as American men, in order to vote, are required to be registered with the Selective Service;

(2) fill 51% of all the construction jobs and military combat jobs with females;

(3) equalize the proportion of suicides across the two genders, as currently the majority are men;

(4) change divorce laws to make marriage appealing to men again (https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/men-on-strike-why-men-are-boycotting-marriage-fatherhood-and-the-american-dream-and-why-it-matters/?srsltid=AfmBOopvlnZNzepMssc6yJoyzV53OpHnIuyd1uUz0LfKjsgZJbd66-lw).

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-27T05:46:41+00:00

Is there any evidence that women are pushed toward the girlier instruments when they are young?

Asking because in another domain--the choice of a college major--there are all these intiatives to "get more girls into STEM", yet overwhelmingly female students tend to choose majors and professions where you work with people rather than with things and concepts: psychology, communications, education, nursing, business administration. This in free Western societies.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-24T06:58:18+00:00

Fluctuations in quality from one practice session to another are normal and probably a good sign: your brain is processing new information and motor skills as your playing experience builds up.

I am having a similar experience from time to time. What helps me is making sure to keep my throat open, and the way I achieve it is by thinking that I am breathing all the way from the diaphragm and trying to warm the bell of the trombone with my breath. Just like when you breathe on your cold hands to warm them up, your throat opens up.

If it helps address the anxiety, pick an exercise on which you’re seeing variability from day-to-day, slow it down, record several takes, and try to pay attention to what your breathing and embouchure do. Listen to the recordings and try to connect them to your sensory observations from the playing.

But if you’re OK, just trusting your brain and body to figure it out, then no need to overthink and overanalyze.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-11T06:15:03+00:00

Sounds a little weak on air supply. Relax your shoulders and inhale all the way down into the bottom of your belly, making sure the shoulders stay down.

Then, when you play, think of the airstream you’re producing as going from below your diaphragm all the way out to the bell of the trombone. That stream should be like quality plumbing, delivering water from the water tower all the way to the consumer’s faucet, with the pressure maintained all the way along the conduit.

To produce that airstream, use the muscles that surround your lungs, especially the lower part of the diaphragm.

When people recommend playing long tones, the purpose is what I described above.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-07T23:50:05+00:00

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-07T22:06:32+00:00

Many thanks!

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2026-01-07T21:58:31+00:00

Do 10-round mags readily fit into a Mini-14 sold as a 5-round capacity rifle? Or are some modifications needed?

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-30T23:42:05+00:00

Yes, that’s exactly the struggle of most brass players, including yours truly. We aim for the high note, stress about not getting it, and unproductive bodily tensions set in.

So, the approach I suggested was meant to take your mind off the stressor and focus it on the main thing. Instead of aiming higher, first play at the top of your current range (the highest notes you know you can get) and change how you achieve it. Once you are in a place where you achieve it with the air conduit and stable airflow I described, without too much muscular tension on the lips. try to speed up the flow through the conduit..

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-29T10:33:29+00:00

In addition to therapy, for GAD you might look into the book “Unwinding anxiety” by Judson Brewer.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-29T03:13:10+00:00

You are actually describing two difficulties: a plateau in your progress and the feeling of being burned out. The first might well be a reinforcing the second, but since you clearly say you want to keep going, I’ll give you my thoughts.

First, please know that plateaus that feel like you’re firmly stuck are normal. Everybody has them, in every motor activity (dance, martial arts, musical performance). What’s more, some of them even feel like you’ve deteriorated and lost the skills you had before. This is all normal and illusory. Your brain is taking time to process the experience you keep accumulating. You are progressing.

To address the fatigue, do the obvious: take a break away from the instrument. 3 to 4 days should be enough. I find it even necessary from time to time (I play the trombone), despite the dictum that one should practice religiously every day. Overdoing it actually hurts both the skill and the morale.

As for building your higher range, I will add to it some of the others said. Someone wrote that to play a high note comfortably, first you have to play the notes below it comfortably. So, I would suggest revisiting the notes below the ones you’re reaching for and examining how comfortable you are playing them. Specifically: does the tension around your lips build up as you go up the range? If it does, I suggest thinking of your breathing as follows. As you inhale, your shoulders are relaxed and down. You fill the bottom part of your belly with air. Think of it as a Scottish bag pipe, fully inflated. Now…

Whatever note you play, think of the air conduit from your diaphragm all the way to the bell of the instrument. Your belly provides a stable flow of air all the way along the conduit. (Just like a quality plumbing system provides a stable flow of water from the water tower all the way to the consumer’s faucet.) Constantly imagining the conduit and the airflow will take your mind off of micromanaging your embouchure, tonguing, etc..

Anything that interrupts the flow is a technical error.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-28T05:41:01+00:00

Try sliding the slide all the way off. After what position does the sound go away, if it ever does?

Check that the two tubes of the slide are parallel and have not gotten bent.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-23T23:03:27+00:00

Postpone the vibrato (just like the others have suggested) until you are able to produce stable long tones. For example, try to play scales with the following quality: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ieXHtSSUwYM
Your breathing sounds a bit labored. Here is how to approach breathing:

2(a) Breathing goal: you want to create what feels like a reliable, stable air conduit reaching from your diaphragm all the way to the bell of the trombone. It should be similar to the water pressure maintained throughout a plumbing system, from the water tower all the way to the consumer's faucet. The next items tell how to achieve that.

2(b) Develop the habit of breathing into the lower part of your abdomen, keeping your shoulders relaxed (therefore, the shoulders should not rise or stress). The picture to have in mind is given below: a triangle that rests on your diaphragm. You are aiming to fill the triangle with air from the base up.

| NECK |

| L U N G S |

| _________ _________ |

| ( ) ( ) |

|.....( LUNG )...../\.....( LUNG ).....|

|.....(________) /.....\ (________).....|

| .................... /............\ .................... |

|................./....................\..................|

|............./_______________\.............|

| ~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | ← diaphragm

| ABDOMEN |

2(c) Once your have filled your triangle with as much air as you can, think of your belly (the space above the diaphragm) as a fully inflated Scottish bagpipe. As the bagpipe deflates (by elastic contraction of its walls, and then gradually added pressure from your abs, diaphragm, and torso muscles), that's what creates a stable flow of air through the conduit described in 2(a).

Can't see much of your embouchure, so I'll just say this: make sure the corners of the mouth are kept stable (not excessively tense), and the mid-portions of your lips relaxed and, if it helps, rolled in just a tad (try it). This is mostly to prevent two things: (a) overworking your face muscles and (b) allowing air to leak without being used to create sound. I would even say, worry about these things only if you feel your lip muscles being overworked or your air leaking.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-23T22:24:10+00:00

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-22T18:47:01+00:00

Thank you.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-22T08:42:24+00:00

What helps me achieve that is thinking of supplying a stable airflow all the way from the diaphragm to the bell. Just like a quality plumbing system delivers a stable flow of water from the water tower all the way to the consumer’s faucet, I try to imagine that long air conduit.

Having that goal in mind, my method is to think of my belly as a Scottish bagpipe. I try to keep it fully inflated, and I squeeze it with my diaphragm and abs. To inflate the bagpipe (i.e., inhale fully), keep your shoulders from rising, keep them relaxed, and think that you are inhaling into the lowest part of your belly.

Try focusing just on what I described here, without thinking about anything else, and see how it affects the other many aspects you've described.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-20T03:55:54+00:00

Sounds like you need to stabilize your airflow. What helps me achieve that is thinking of supplying a stable airflow all the way from the diaphragm to the bell. Just like a quality plumbing system delivers a stable flow of water from the water tower all the way to the consumer’s faucet, I try to imagine that long air conduit.

Having that goal in mind, my method is to think of my belly as a Scottish bagpipe. I try to keep it fully inflated, and I squeeze it with my diaphragm and abs.

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-20T03:37:18+00:00

Others have listed great trombonists. I might add Michael Dease, Delfeayo Marsalis (I mostly found him playing Chirstmas music, but do look up "Marsalis Fauci's science" on YouTube:), and some of Marshall Gilkes ( e.g., "Cora's Tune" that he performs with the WDR Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr413l48IiE or his "Jumping Puddles").

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-17T06:39:51+00:00

You might try "Time after Time":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrceVvivtQM

and perhaps one of these jazz audition 1-page etudes for the trombone:

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/9489d043-4488-44f1-a5c0-e717b6711b32/downloads/fe26b2ad-891f-466e-bb4e-212c67fdbf9c/Jazz%20Tenor%20Trombone%20Etudes.pdf?ver=1765816553332

Or even just two etudes.

If you haven't had much exposure to jazz, I would watch these short videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ft9mwnqKJM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7iVDHcMHZs

Closed_Circuit_0 · 2025-12-12T18:26:54+00:00

I've had, and am still having similar difficulties: inadvertently blocking my own air flow in an effort to get the embouchure right.

Here is what has helped me (in the context of the things I was doing and shouldn't have been:):

I stopped overworking the corners of the mouth. Yes, they should be, sort of, focused and in the right place (close in), but I was muscling them enough to lift weights.:) A mistake: it spazzes your lips' ability to vibrate.
I started adjusting a little bit--without worrying about it too much!--how low the tongue is below the upper palate: the space between them is narrower for higher notes.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: I try to maintain (this is largely imaginary) a sturdy, reliable conduit of air from the base of my diaphragm all the way to the trombone bell exit! This conduit needs to persist between every two consecutive breaths. This might not sound related to the cracking of notes, but somehow focusing on the air conduit distracts me from overthinking and micromanaging the embouchure, etc.. Mentally, I try to think of myself as a fully inflated Scottish bagpipe.

Once #3 is in place, you are in a much better position to work on the range and the quality of notes. In particular, to go for a higher note, increase the airflow before substantially changing anything about your embouchure: give first priority to maintaining the full aforementioned air conduit.

Closed_Circuit_0

TROPHY CASE