‘The Lip Slur Method You can also articulate within a legato passage with the lip slur method — crossing the natural har: ‘monies of the instrument. This can be just as effective as a soft stroke of the tongue, but it is my experience that not enough players take advantage of it When ‘you combine the slide movement with the lip slur eon- cept, there are sometimes complete phrases that, after the first note, can be played without any tip-of-the- tongue articulation, For example, it is not necessary to use the tongue in this passage: opt SRT He ese Le re phrase can also be played as a lip slur: Fe ean Of course, there are many cases in which the pitch will change without the necessary change of harmon. ics to produce the articulation, and the lip slur method would only produce a glissando, eet El In such cases. it would be necessary to use the soft Improved Holding Position — Better Sound Ry Shoot band and orchestra conductors frequently ask for helpful suggestions for their trombone sec tions. In attempting to help these teachers, 1 begin by plaving a major scale from F to fas I have seen student trombonists play it In sith position the sound is rather good, but as the slide comes up, s0 does the boll (and the mouthpiece!), and the sound becomes thin, tight, and generally bad. It is at this point that usually hear. “Thats the sound our section gets.” ‘About twice a year my own playing tends to slump — sound is not quite right, playing requires effort. em- bouchure is uncomfortable. My first attempt at im Charles Datkert is Assistant Professor of trombone and tuba {the University of Western Ontario, Landon (Canada) where hhe also performs with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Brass Quintet. He holds the MM. degree with a Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music stroke of the tongue with the quick slide move The following phrase from Sonata No. 3 by Marcin can be played as a lip slur with tongue articulsugg only on the two notes so marked ' 8 =p ree Naess eT iy oc of ariel (1) mon tal wil rece oO the etl ateteel ic engicts ieee he aa sng (at the erate aberehrand (2) effective at lower dvnamic levels. in spite of thine babel cor mameneres Receeeeerene 1 A pelea eieerunmad emnetans a thins and wider ers the ip dar soproat often more effective should by ebvines tar method of srcataion shoud be cescraine fa Recerca ahaap rears ae Esha seca oe mathod or by combining this method Suh he naa “Transcriptions for trombone and piano have been published by both Kendor and Associated, Charles Dalkert provement is always by means of air, then embow chure. (Closing the eyes while playing makes the senses of hearing and feeling more keen. ..and aids concet tration!) The problem is usually traced to the left hand. (This is not to sav mouthpiece pressure but mouthpiece direction as a result of holding position.) To improve the sound. then, it must first be deter mined exactly how the holding position affeets sound. The first problem involves the principle of leverage As the slide becomes longer it becomes heavier. nd the instrument tends to slant downward. This is wh the longer positions of the F major seale sound bestet than the shorter ones. The right hand cannot play & part in holding the instrument, since it can only mani ulate the slide. The left hand alone must serve as fulcrum and control the weight (long or short) of the instrumentproblem is that the slide moves near the te body while the arm moves from the ‘that the instrument tends to move toward en the trombonist reaches for the long {45° slide was an attempt to correct although a curve in the lead pipe dis id), but a better suggestion is 10 reach the eross the body for the long positions. It how many trombonists have difficulty glissandi in Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, ‘are in effect "shooting at a moving tar- Hof the daily routine should be practicing ‘watching the bell of the instrument. with the slide, so does the mouthpiece. each to holding the instrument begins with ire. The left hand must accommodate wre (not the reverse); and when one Iding the instrument comfortably, it is ure (not the left hand) that must be com- @ find the most natural position use the Id the mouthpiece against the teeth. then instrument onto the mouthpiece. Another is to buzz, place the mouthpiece onto the lace the instrument onto the mouthpiece. es adjust the instrument to the mou sbonist must continually study his. left because carelessness here can cause problems. If fatigue occurs, it should be the arm and shoulder rather than in the :. To find the proper left hand position, the hand in a flat position and place the fingers between the slide braces with the above the upper brace (Fig. 1). This flat ‘The student should understand that the instrument is suspended from the fingers of the left hand, rather than supported by the arm and shoulder. As a means to show hand. arm, and wrist position, close the index finger like the other fingers but in its position above the upper slide brace (Fig. 3). This is not the’ actual plaving position, but it helps to illustrate arm and ‘wrist position ‘One major problem is a falling of the left wrist ‘The wrist should remain straight. When it bends, not Fig. 4 only does the instrument roll (Fig. 4), but the slide points up and to the right (Fig. 5) so that the mouth- piece rests on the right side of the embouchure. Accord: ing to Donald Knaub,’ one should be able to look straight down the slide; this will be impossible if the instrument falls When properly supported (suspended), the weight ‘of the bell should be on the left slide, with the bell section in a vertical position. When the braces are not vertical, the wrist will begin to bend. It is not neces- sary to have the slide at a right angle to the bell, how- ‘ever. if the line formed by the slide braces is not hori rontal (Fig. 6) Tis most important to remember that the approach to holding position should be free and effortless. At tention to the left hand can help the student achieve a more relaxed holding position and more natural tone production 7 1. Donald Kou, Trombone Teaching Techniques (Furor: Racker fer dal Publier 1900, Bt eamune erate nramenrast 49