How I became a REAL Bass Trombone player


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Posted by Marty Neilan on September 02, 2002 at 23:06:28:

Since I received so many emails about a couple of mouthpieces I recently sold, I decided to post this. I used to be a bass trombone hack and decided to get serious on the instrument this year. I now sound and play a lot more like a real bass trombone player than a tuba player trying to play a bass trombone. Here is how I did it:

1. Play on a REAL bass trombone mouthpiece! I personally like the Yamaha Doug Yeo
2. Take lessons from REAL trombone players. I have been studying trombone with the principal player in the local symphony and a local up and coming bass bone player who can also embarass many tenor trombone and tuba players with his bass tromone abilities.
3. Realize that the bass trombone is NOT a tuba and should not be played as such! (see above)
4. Relax your air (works on tuba, too). Learn how to use your air in the trigger and double trigger range, and make those notes sound identical to the open ones.
5. Just because you can play a good pedal Bb doesn't mean you don't have to spend hours working on playing a clean and intune D, Db, C and B natural above it.
6. Spend at least an hour a day every day on the bass trombone / bass trombone mouthpiece. Develop a seperate embouchure for this instrument. It will not kill your tuba chops if you don't press hard enough to destroy your lip tissue (why press hard at all?) and if you still practice the tuba regularly. I now play 1-4 hours daily on the bass bone now but am still able to knock off the Ride on tuba with near perfect clarity.
7. Learn legato tonguing. See #2. The secret is not only in the tongue but in keeping a smooth, steady airflow.
8. Don't Blatt! As mentioned by several others recently, bass trombones have an inherent tendency to blatt. I have heard a few excellent players including my local friend who can play very loud and very low with minimal blatting. I asked him how - He said when he first picked up bass he blatted all over the place. He practiced his tail off trying to play with a big full sound in the low register without a blatting sound. Nothing worth having comes easily.

I hope this helps! Feel free to add to this list if you wish!





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