Hi, I'm new in the "trombone gang" (I've been doing trombone for a month now) and I have a problem with one of my blow (I don't know how you can call that) like when in position 1 the first is a B-Flat then the second "blow" in position 1 is an F etc. But when on my "third blow" (the one that is also supposed to a B-Flat in position 1) isn't as clear as the others, I can go up to 5 "blows" (until the next F in position 1) and they I can do clear notes with most of them but the third one is always shaky / bad. I don't know how to fix this issue but really need to, as in most of the music I play it is one of the most used...
Does someone have a solution ?
One of my "blow" is shaky
-
Maeldlx
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:38 pm
-
BGuttman
- Posts: 6359
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
- Location: Cow Hampshire
Re: One of my "blow" is shaky
You are still new to trombone, so be patient.
What you are calling "blow" is a lip pitch or partial. Bb (second line up in bass staff) is the first partial (Bb an octave down is called pedal Bb and is the fundamental -- eventually you will be able to play it). F (4th line up on the bass staff) is the second partial. Bb on top of the bass staff (sometimes called "tuning Bb") is the third partial. D above the bass staff is the 4th partial and F 2 lines and a space above the bass staff is the 5th partial.
In order to fix your problem at this stage you need to play long tones. Tuning Bb in 1st position is also on the same partial as F (4th line up in the bass staff) in 6th position. How is your F in 6th position? If it is less of a problem then try a long tone (12 beats at q=60; i.e. 12 seconds) on the F, then move up to Gb and do another long tone, then move up to G and do another long tone, and so on until you reach Bb in 1st position.
Once you can get Tuning Bb stable we can look at getting to D and F above it.
Just for our information, what kind of trombone are you playing and what size mouthpiece?
What you are calling "blow" is a lip pitch or partial. Bb (second line up in bass staff) is the first partial (Bb an octave down is called pedal Bb and is the fundamental -- eventually you will be able to play it). F (4th line up on the bass staff) is the second partial. Bb on top of the bass staff (sometimes called "tuning Bb") is the third partial. D above the bass staff is the 4th partial and F 2 lines and a space above the bass staff is the 5th partial.
In order to fix your problem at this stage you need to play long tones. Tuning Bb in 1st position is also on the same partial as F (4th line up in the bass staff) in 6th position. How is your F in 6th position? If it is less of a problem then try a long tone (12 beats at q=60; i.e. 12 seconds) on the F, then move up to Gb and do another long tone, then move up to G and do another long tone, and so on until you reach Bb in 1st position.
Once you can get Tuning Bb stable we can look at getting to D and F above it.
Just for our information, what kind of trombone are you playing and what size mouthpiece?
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
-
Maeldlx
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:38 pm
Re: One of my "blow" is shaky
I don't really know what trombone I'm using... It is a trombone my parents already had in the band when they were in the same band 20 years agoBGuttman wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2023 2:16 pm You are still new to trombone, so be patient.
What you are calling "blow" is a lip pitch or partial. Bb (second line up in bass staff) is the first partial (Bb an octave down is called pedal Bb and is the fundamental -- eventually you will be able to play it). F (4th line up on the bass staff) is the second partial. Bb on top of the bass staff (sometimes called "tuning Bb") is the third partial. D above the bass staff is the 4th partial and F 2 lines and a space above the bass staff is the 5th partial.
In order to fix your problem at this stage you need to play long tones. Tuning Bb in 1st position is also on the same partial as F (4th line up in the bass staff) in 6th position. How is your F in 6th position? If it is less of a problem then try a long tone (12 beats at q=60; i.e. 12 seconds) on the F, then move up to Gb and do another long tone, then move up to G and do another long tone, and so on until you reach Bb in 1st position.
Once you can get Tuning Bb stable we can look at getting to D and F above it.
Just for our information, what kind of trombone are you playing and what size mouthpiece?
I'll try doing the F in 6th position but as I already did it wasn't much of a problem. Every shaking note I really had was in the 3rd partial (as you call it). I'm currently training it by trying to do long notes but the problem mostly occure while I'm training switching partials (1st to 2nd to 3rd...) : I'll start from the 1st and go up to the 5th without any issue but when I go down from to the 5th to the 1st the 3rd do this weird thing again.
I assume it is a respiration problem so I'm training diaphragm breathing but hadn't any good result yet
-
timothy42b
- Posts: 1609
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:51 am
- Location: central Virginia
Re: One of my "blow" is shaky
I don't think it's breath.
You're starting on the low Bb in the staff, calling it 1, and having trouble getting up to the middle Bb on top of the staff, calling it 3. Those aren't real standard terms but they work. (I'm assuming bass clef, if you're a treble player it's different.)
The low Bb is so easy you can play it with any chop setting. A good teacher could advise you on a more correct setting that would work higher more easily. But failing that, maybe reframe your numbering.
Make your middle Bb 1. Start there. Call your higher D 2, and your F 3. Call your F that's lower -1, and the Bb that's lower -2. Temporarily.
You're starting on the low Bb in the staff, calling it 1, and having trouble getting up to the middle Bb on top of the staff, calling it 3. Those aren't real standard terms but they work. (I'm assuming bass clef, if you're a treble player it's different.)
The low Bb is so easy you can play it with any chop setting. A good teacher could advise you on a more correct setting that would work higher more easily. But failing that, maybe reframe your numbering.
Make your middle Bb 1. Start there. Call your higher D 2, and your F 3. Call your F that's lower -1, and the Bb that's lower -2. Temporarily.