(demonstrate each step with one of our Tromba trombones)
“Hi. I’m Gavin and I’m going to show you how to play the trombone.”
“Here is our trombone. It comes in a bag” (hold up bag)
“Let’s see what’s inside” (open bag and start taking the parts out)
“You should have a trombone stand like this”
“There are 4 feet for the stand like these”
“Turn the stand upside down, take one of the feet and hold it so the flat part is at the top.”
“Slide it into the groove in the stand here”
“Do this with the other 3 feet”
“Now turn it up the right way and hey presto – a trombone stand!”
“Now let’s put the trombone together”
“You should have 2 parts: the bell section like this, and the slide section like this”
“We put them together like this… be careful to keep them straight and don’t let it bend or the connector can snap”
“Just wiggle them gently so they fit together.”
“The bell section and the slide section should form a right angle, or corner, like this, with the slide to the right. Now gently tighten the locking nut here, until it grips. Please be careful not to tighten too much”
“Find the mouthpiece and put it gently into the trombone here”
“Please don’t push the mouthpiece in too hard or bang it in as it can get stuck”
“Now put your trombone onto the stand and admire your handiwork!”
“You can adjust the height of the stand like this…you want the trombone to be supported just off the floor”
“We recommend that you keep your trombone on it’s stand when not in use. If you have a corner where it can stand without getting knocked over. Then when you have a few minutes to practice you can just pick it up and start.
“Now pick up your trombone in your left hand like this. Hold it with your left hand however feels comfortable. If your hand is small you may have to hold it like this”
“This is the bell where the sound comes out”
“This is the slide. It can be unlocked and locked using this locking nut.”
“Hold the slide here in your right hand, and push it out and pull it in to play different notes” (demonstrate slide)
“Your slide may come with a handle fitted, like this. The handle is for you to use if your arm is not long enough to push the slide out to its full extent.”
“Are you left handed? These trombones can be turned round to hold the slide in the left hand, but we always teach you to use your right hand, even if you are left handed. This is because, one day when you are getting good at playing the trombone, you might move up to something like this (trombone with F attachment), and these trombones can only be played using the right hand on the slide”
“Your trombone has a tuning slide here, which you may need to use later when playing with other people, to keep in tune with them”
“Here is a water key on the end of the main slide, which can be used to empty out any water from your trombone”
“Do you have one of these in the bag?” (Take mute out of bag)
“It’s called a mute and it can be used if you need to make the trombone a little quieter. You can also put a small duster or sheet of kitchen towel behind it if you need it even quieter!”
“But for now, let’s take it out!”
“Are you feeling comfortable? Pick up your trombone and hold it securely in your left hand, and your right hand holding the slide here, ready to play.”
“OK. Now we are going to buzz into the trombone mouthpiece. Do you remember how to buzz from the last lesson?”
“Squeeze the corners of your mouth and press your lips together, then blow through a small hole in the middle of your lips to buzz.”
“Bring the trombone up to your mouth.”
“Your lips should be lightly pressed up to the mouthpiece, not too hard, like this…don’t puff your cheeks out!”
“Now buzz into the trombone”
“If that didn’t work, try taking the mouthpiece out of the trombone and buzz into it”
“Now breathe in, and buzz into the mouthpiece while bringing the trombone and mouthpiece together”
“You can also experiment with blowing harder or softer, squeezing your lips together more firmly or relaxing them a little”
“Sometimes the best thing to do is to imagine the sound you want to make and just go for it”
“Was that better?
“If you are still struggling to get a sound out of your trombone, take a break from this lesson, and watch our ‘fail to learn’ video below to see if you can get some inspiration! Try experimenting with your trombone. Put it down, have a rest and come back later. You can also ask your music teacher at school for help, or contact us!”
“Otherwise you’re ready to move straight to the next lesson! See you there”
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