Trombone Tone
Written by Professor Donald Babcock, trombone
Producing good tone is one of the most important aspects of playing the trombone. Even if you can do many other things well on the instrument, without good tone, people won't rate you a good player. Make sure you place producing a good tone high on your priority list.
To produce good tone on the trombone, the following suggestions will be very helpful: (1) listen to good trombonists, (2) practice producing good tone, (3) make sure you use enough good air, (4) check your physical approach to the instrument.
LISTEN TO GOOD TROMBONISTS. Before you can create your own good tone, you need to have a concept of what good tone is. Perhaps you know someone who has good tone. Listen to him/her on a regular basis. Listen to the dark, clear sounds as much as you can. Additionally, listen to recordings of some of the most famous trombone players like Christian Lindberg, Mark Lawrence, Alain Trudel, Joe Alessi, Scott Hartman, Blair Bollinger (bass), Douglas Yeo (bass). If you don't own a recording of a good trombonist, BUY ONE TODAY, and LISTEN TO IT!
PRACTICE PRODUCING GOOD TONE. Every time you warm up (every day!), practice making a good tone. Personally, I spend A LOT of time on long tones working on my own sound at the beginning of every day. One should practice long tones soft and low at first, and then later at different dynamics and on different pitches. Once the long tones begin to sound good, try to get the same quality of sound on faster notes. Later and throughout the day, make a conscious effort to be aware of your sound. Even when you are in the middle of a rehearsal or practice session, try to produce the best sound you can. The more you work on good tone, the more good tone will happen automatically.
MAKE SURE YOU USE ENOUGH GOOD AIR. This is SO important. Without a healthy supply of air, you cannot get the best sound. In addition to practicing long tones every morning, I practice breathing inward the best air possible. Breathe inward from the tip of your lips and fill your lungs completely (bottom to top). Breathe inward in the most relaxed manner possible. Now try breathing over a counting pattern to create an exercise. For example, breathe in and out over 4 counts, then 3, then 2, then 1, while focusing on full, even and non-stopping/slowing air. Also be aware of the sound the air makes as it enters your mouth. It should be dark and clear. Don't let yourself sound like Darth Vader! A great quote about breathing is "Breathe inward the sound you want to produce on your horn." Another is "Breathe in and out as though you are relaxing after running a mile." Try them!
CHECK YOUR PHYSICAL APPROACH TO THE INSTRUMENT. Make sure you are sitting up straight (or standing) and relaxed for good air flow and low tension in your body. Make sure your mouth and throat are relaxed and wide open and your tongue is low in your mouth. Often nonmusical analogies help a lot here. Some of the best include: "Fog a window" and "Imagine having a hot potato in your mouth." Make sure your teeth are far enough apart (and the top teeth out of the way of the air stream). I measure the distance between my top and bottom teeth with my thumb. My teeth need to feel that far apart to produce a good sound! If this is too wide for you, try adjusting your teeth position slightly. If this still isn't the sound you want, don't be afraid of adjusting your tongue placement or mouth shape in small amounts. It may take some time to find your good tone. What ever you do, don't make any of your physical approaches terribly uncomfortable. The best tone is produced when your body is comfortably moving lots of air with an open throat, mouth and teeth.
Return to the Trombone Studio
Return to Wind and Percussion Homepage
