TromboneChat

Hey everyone,

I haven't played the trombone in over a decade and looking at picking it up again. My partner bought me a tenor trombone for my birthday in the hopes to inspire me. The thing is I'm trying to find books that will teach me the basics again and books to get my chops back in working order. Hoping some of you have some recommendations. Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Jonathan

Arban's of course.
Rubank's Advanced Method (several volumes)
Carl Fischer Melodious Etudes for trombone


There are many, many , many more out there. I would recommend taking a few lessons if you can. Your instructor will recommend books for you that will help. It will also help you start the right way. Learning on your own can be frustrating. Remember you won't be Bill Watrous at the start (that will take a week or so ). I would also look for some easy play-along books (with CDs) so you don't get bored.

Welcome back.

I'm not sure your ability level, but here's where I would start:

Lip Slurs by Brad Edwards
https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku058960.php

Melodious Etudes (Rochut)
https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku086846.php

If you're looking for something really simple, I like working out of the Rubank books with my beginner and middle school students.
Elementary - https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku000833.php
Intermediate - https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku000834.php

I'm sure there are other books I'm forgetting, but those are my main three. As always, work on long tones and scales. Feel free to be as creative as you want to be to keep the fire burning.

And when you're bored, feel free to put on your favorite music and just play along.

The Andre Lafosse method book may be a good choice. It has from very basic, one position exercises to much more advanced material. You could progress from where you are at your own pace.

When 5-6 years ago I started practicing trombone after 20 years of abstinence, I simply went back to my old daily practice book that I used before. This was

Steiner Ferenc - Everyday Exercises For Trombone,

a Hungarian book that is really excellent both the the breath of exercises and how well they are thought out but seem to be pretty much unknown in the US.

Everything was gone: tone quality, range, intonation articulation, slide technique. I pretty much played long tones and Steiner for a year till I looked at other stuff focusing first on tone quality, than intonation, range, etc. I enjoy lots warms ups and exercises. Long tones are like meditation and relaxing. For me playing trombone killed three flies with one stroke: making music, mediation, and physical exercise. It is a perfect instrument for that. On top of it I can play role model for my sons to practice their instruments, which also serves as a good "excuse" to my wife when she is in the mood of questioning me putting so much time into trombone.

The Lip Slurs book(s) by Edwards suggested above is (are) really good. It helped me with lots of things like breathing, better intonation across partials, embouchure "setting" and pivot, smooth lip slurs, smooth legato, control of timbre across partials etc.

I never really liked Arban. Very mechanical. But perhaps I am too traumatized by Arban when I started on trumpet before trombone.

Cimera phrasing studies is great, and not mentioned yet that i saw. Like rochut but easier and shorter. Available at cherryclassics.com

bcschipper wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:11 pm
I never really liked Arban. Very mechanical. But perhaps I am too traumatized by Arban when I started on trumpet before trombone.

You can actually make Arbans more fun (or less annoying) and useful by varying articulation, speed, and inflection.
It’s good for working on the mechanical stuff, getting the brain and lip / arm connected is possible.
Also paying attention to the individual notes in the exercise instead of just completing the pattern helps.

Lip Slurs - Brad Edwards
Lip Slur Melodies - Brad Edwards

Thank you everyone for taking the time to give suggestions and talk about your own experiences, helps get me started. Really appreciate it.

Regards,
Jonathan

One trick that has worked for returning trombonists I know: find another bone player who will do duets with you. Preferably a good one!

Find some sort of basic routine that uses full breaths like long tone work, but also has partial changes and scales and articulation work, with metronome, then organize your life so you can do it first thing every day. As skill accumulates, expand the thing over the entire horn. Make it as crazy as you become able. Having done this first, anything else you do in the day will have great effect.

The basic exercises at the beginning of Arban are excellent for coming back and you can return to them for the rest of your playing career. Change inflections, dynamics, keys, range (different clefs), tempo - the possibilities are many and varied. You can eventually move into the more active/advanced exercises, but those basic ones are money.

There is also the Arban's Manual which is an ordered way of going through the method. If you're interested this would be good eventually but probably not initially.

I second the use of the Cimera Phrasing Studies. You can buy them commercially or find legal free copies online.

I think this books is thoughtfully written and provides some additional guidance. “Comeback Chops”, Ken Ebo

https://www.mountainpeakmusic.com/searc ... y=Comeback+

johntarr wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:57 am I think this books is thoughtfully written and provides some additional guidance. “Comeback Chops”, Ken Ebo

https://www.mountainpeakmusic.com/searc ... y=Comeback+

Hello
I'm new to the forum and coming back to trombone is how I found this forum. Thanks for posting about this book.

I came back after a 27-year lay-off and needed to improve quickly as I had a paying gig. Comeback Chops was invaluable. Also Arban’s, lip slurs and long tones.

I would also suggest having a couple of lessons, after a long lay off you often forget what you used to do or think I used to do this, I know I benefited hugely after my 10 year break from having a lesson with Dudley Bright, broke the friustration and speeded my return

johntarr wrote: ↑Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:57 am I think this books is thoughtfully written and provides some additional guidance. “Comeback Chops”, Ken Ebo

https://www.mountainpeakmusic.com/searc ... y=Comeback+

+1

Another Mountain Peak Music book that I can highly recommend is The Breathing Book by David Vining. Possibly the most comprehensive and accurate book ever written on the subject of breathing as it relates to playing the trombone. I play it every Sunday as a breathing tune-up for the coming week's practice.