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Here are some etudes to improve the high register and also a few simple multiphonics exercises (sing and play at the same
time) which also cover tones that are played in the wrong positions (fake-tones). Other studies are for flexibility and legato
playing. There are some exercises with arpeggios that can be played in a classical style or as jazz (swing).The exercises
can be used for warm-up or be included in a daily routine. I will add several routines in the future.
I wish there are some very experienced and professional players reading this page and hopefully also a lot of not so
experienced players.
Practicing without notes.
1) I add this position chart for the ones that need them. The Ab on first position is avoided as it is not possible to play in
pitch. It is to flat. I should add that there are no fixed positions on the trombone so there have to be small adjustments done
to tune every tone at any position. The correction depends on the instrument, the mouthpiece, the one playing and the
harmonic context. There are some general rules about adjustments though. I will add a more complete chart later with this information. I have also added a chart covering the high register further down on the page for the player who has searched
the internet all over.This chart (below) covers the common register on the tenor trombone and is what is demanded of an intermediate tromboneplayer with exception of the lowest note (G) in the fourth position in this diagram. The G is a lot more
difficult than the Ab just above and therefore is not usually demanded of an intermediate player. Low notes are especially
difficult on a small trombone with a small mouthpiece and certainly not for an intermediate player with this equipment.
This is a link to another position-chart, but this one does not show the complete set of alternate positions. It only shows the
most common position for every note within the normal register wich is also good information.
2) This chart covers the high register (and beyond) on the tenor trombone.
Note that I tune my instument in a way that I never normally play first position with slide completely pushed together (exept when playng a d2 at first pos,
this would be the fifth note in the sequence below). When you read my chart you have to consider this.
3) The upper part (red) are to be sung and some low notes are ment to be played at the false positions I suggest just for practice.
4) There are occations when you have to move the slide fast between the uncomfortable sixth and seventh positions and the first position. This happens sometimes when playing third trombone in a big band. There is a way to deal with this without getting a trigger-trombone.
5) Another option is to start on 1st position with the Bb and play the C on 4th position as a false tone. You have to move the slide more.
Bb on fake positions?
Here you can watch a video where I show how I practice the Bb on fake positions. An example almost as the one above.
As you can see I have a F-valve so I really do not have to do this on this horn. I decided to use this horn anyway so you could compare the "factitious-notes-pattern" and "lipped-notes-pattern" to the normal way of using the F-valve to play fast passages like this.
I'm starting on the trigger and play two normal notes Bb-B (I use T3-T2 on the trigger). Then I play the same two notes using only the seventh position. I start on a lipped Bb and then I raise a semitone to the normal B in seventh position. I dont move the slide, I only use my lips to change between these notes. After this I play a pattern of alternating Bb's and C's. Two half notes [Bb-C] followed by eight 16th notes [Bb-C-Bb-C] [Bb-C-Bb-C]. Finally I land on a sustained Bb on the first position. I'm trying to do this whole pattern at tempo 104.
First time I play the pattern I only use first position. I use the trigger for the C which makes it easy.
Second time i play the Bb in first and the C in sixth which is hard, and needs a fast slide.
Third time I try to remove the fast slide movements with a factitious note for Bb in sixth position. Thats when I play both Bb and C in 6th position.
Fourth time I start the 16th notes series with a Bb on the seventh position. That is a "down-lipped" or bended Bb in seventh. I alternate with the regular C in sixth position.
Finally I changed the pattern somewhat and played Cb instead of a C. On a straight trombone this needs fast changes between the first and the seventh position. I play the notes using only the seventh position and no trigger involved.
The best result I get when I use the trigger in the beginning, but I think I do rather well on the final [Bb-Cb-Bb-Cb] combination on the seventh position.
Here are a link to more videos and studies in fake-tones https://sites.google.com/site/brazzmusic/fake-tones
6) This is a flexibility warm-up that Aake Persson (Åke Persson) used to play. Mr Sven Larsson, bass trombonist and former teacher at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm who did play with Åke Persson in the 70's showed me this exercise. Aake even included the idea in his solos. It can be heard on a legendary recording of a swedish radio broadcast with Quincy Jones and his "Free and Easy" orchestra 1960. In a duell with Jimmy Cleavland Aake decides to include this as a part of his solo. American musicians were in the band, Aake was the only swede.
6) Here are three etudes for altered harmony. You could play them to practice sight-reading but I recommend you study the sequence and play them without notes.
7) Here is a Carl Michael Bellman solo for trombone. Theme and variations over "Stolta Stad"
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