Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.

    
Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    07:38 on Wednesday, January 14, 2004          
(TySpLo_eViL)
Posted by Archived posts

The person (me):
A newb trombone player who has only played for 1 year. Recently put in Bass Trombone after praticing on a crappy triggerless trombone. Didn`t really like Bass-TB but was force into it cause the other guy in the section sucked hard at low notes.

The problem:
Mouthpiece too weird compared to the 6.5 A 1. Seems to have no problem while using 1 G mouthpiece on a tenor trombone. Being hated by the seniors for cracking notes all day long, lows notes especially. Nothing comes out properly even with using all the air he could in the world. Concert in a week up on stage infront of the school.

Ok so in summary i`m gonna die, so any suggestions?


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    03:13 on Thursday, January 15, 2004          
(The Ar`tak)
Posted by Archived posts

Well, it`s been a little while since I`ve played, but I`ll give it a shot here...

Part of your problem is that you`ve only been playing a year...and I imagine the tenor you were playing on before was a small bore.

The new mouthpiece you are playing with is (or at least should be) a deeper cup than your old one. This is why it feels weird to you...once you get used to playing on a bass mouthpiece, that 1 G will seem so tiny you literally won`t be able to play lower notes without effort with it on your regular trombone.

Add to that the fact that the bore is larger on the new trombone, and that is going to cause some problems for you that only time and a lot of practicing can really fix.

I`d recommend on the low notes taking some time and working your way down. Low notes are worse than high notes about having your embrochure set correctly...if your lips are too loose or too tight, you`ll get nothing but cracks.

Make sure you are warming up thoroughly on your instrument, as well...the reccommended range for most students on a bass is different than a regular trombone. I would reccomend doing 2nd line B flat scale one octave, then proceed downwards with starting notes. I`d recommend the A flat, G, F, and E flat scales, one octave to start, then moving up to two octave when ready.

Also, make sure in your warmup that you are trying to go as low as you can, using your air and embrochure to hold as steady as a tone as possible. (Note:You`re not doing this right unless you feel funny after a two-hour practice at first.) That`s the only way to solidly extend your range, which will stop the cracking.

There really is no quick fix to this problem, given your experience level, I hate to break it to ya.

Hope that helps you out.

Out of curiosity, what style of bass are you playing?

The Ar`tak


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    06:54 on Thursday, January 15, 2004          
(TySpLo_eViL)
Posted by Archived posts

Thanks... anyway i have until wednesday... i`ll have to secretly play with a tenor trombone... somehow. What do you mean by Style?


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    00:11 on Friday, January 16, 2004          
(The Ar`tak)
Posted by Archived posts

style: make, type...equipment...etc.

I`d highly recommend against playing the tenor. It will only sound even worse on the lower notes than you do right now with the bass. They made that thing for a reason, you know.

The Ar`tak


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    08:07 on Friday, January 16, 2004          
(TySpLo_eViL)
Posted by Archived posts

My true aim was never to become a bass trombonist in the very first place. I want something capable of going higher notes so i can do solo when i am free. Bass Trombone is too sonorous and brassy for a solo instrument and what i can see is that bass trombone isn`t easy for hit high notes.


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    12:53 on Friday, January 16, 2004          
(The Ar`tak)
Posted by Archived posts

Well, that`s understandable, I suppose. It`s a special case that actually wants to play the bass (I am one of those special cases, btw).

With work, you can have a very decent range on the bass trombone, going far above the staff. I once watched someone do a four octave Bb scale, extended range both ways, and none of the notes were cracked or of a bad tone. That man was playing a bass trombone. (He was also a college professor. )


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    16:30 on Thursday, March 11, 2004          
(Phil)
Posted by Archived posts

4 octaves what??? holy crap with a double valved bass trombone i MIGHT get 2.5 but i have trouble getting high notes with that


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    20:10 on Thursday, March 11, 2004          
(Stephen)
Posted by Archived posts

Hey dude dont start out on 1G mouthpiece thats insane for a begining bass player, switch to a 3G mouthpiece man, with that you can hit the relatively high notes (I can hit C above the staff using 3G) with it and you can his the low ones with it to. Try it believe me it works.


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    13:28 on Saturday, March 27, 2004          
(The Ar`tak)
Posted by Archived posts

*scratches head in disbelief*

Do WHAT?

I could hit three octaves plus easy with a double trigger, and that was after a year of playing bass, and six playing regular.

How long have you been playing if you can only hit a C above the staff, anyway?


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    23:24 on Friday, April 9, 2004          
(Jeff()
Posted by Archived posts

I have actually all the way from pedal C to high Bb(the really high one)which is about 4 octaves,but I can only do it every now and then,I think a bass trombone`s range is supposed to be from a pedal F to a high C(again,the really high one,like 3 lines above the staf.)

Btw,I`m a bass trombone,and have been playing for about a year,played tenor for 2 months,and was switched over,and as a freshman made it to All-State this year!


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    08:35 on Wednesday, April 28, 2004          
(Steve)
Posted by Archived posts

A little late to help with your concert, but I can offer you some advice for the future, if you continue on the Bass.

I`m actually a euphonium player by trade, just finished my last year of high school, but I`m Salvation Army, so I know what I`m talking about - trust me.

The best way to improve not only how low, loud and long but also the tone quality is the play long tones. Long tones are the key. Start on a Bb (second line in the bass clef), then down a semi-tone to the A, then down another semi-tone etc. until you reach the Fb (E natural, if you will). Don`t use the trigger. Hold the notes for 2 bars at 120 mm to begin with, and gradually work up to 4,6, or even 8 bars. Be sure to maintain the same dynamic, as well, as this is going to help with breath control, and believe me, on a bass trombone, breath control will either be your best friend, or your worst enemy.

Good luck!!


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    22:01 on Wednesday, March 30, 2005          
(Nate)
Posted by Archived posts

Actually, the range of a tenor or bass trombone is technically lower than the "pedal" F. I commonly hear the pedal Bb from my fellow trombonist to my left, but I`m not yet capable of supporting a Pedal Bb. The highest range of the bass trombone is not limited to the high c (not three lines above, that would be a high G). The high C is commonly the highest note written for a trombone (or so I`ve been told ::shrug:. I`m also a struggling bass trombonist, but I`m just relying on persistent practice and advise from our interning college student (also a trombonist) to help me get into the upper ranges (I have issues with the High Eb, also do to a Vincent Bach mouthpiece that is just a bit too much for a beginner such as myself).

Best of luck to you - I hope we both become far more sucessful.


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    17:04 on Saturday, April 2, 2005          
(Mas)
Posted by Archived posts

Im going to add something after the fact here. Bass trombone is a VERY easy instrument if your thinking about 2 things.
1) making sure you are keeping a solid air column the whole time and not shifting around with your face. So dont think that puffing your cheeks or moving your face on the piece is going to help you pop those lower notes out.
2) When it comes to "high" or "low" playing one thing is EXTREMELY important, pitch. When were playing high we have a tendency of playing sharp because we are doing stupid things with the air column so it tends to go sharp and it becomes really hard to play in the upper register. Hence fatigue. Same thing applies to the lower register. IF you sit down and spend a few hours on JUST tuning you will notice some very kooky things on the bass bone. the fact that some notes are in VERY weird places on the slide. So if you concentrate on just making that beautiful sound in tune and not think about playing bass or tenor trombone. things will settle down.

and if you think that the bass bone is no good and playing high or a good solo instrument go talk to george roberts or bill reichenbach. in my opinion george roberts has the most fluid sound on trombone. Nobody will ever sound as beautiful as he does when he plays awesome beautiful songs. if you dont believe go buy the nelson riddle album - The joy of living.

cheers.


Re: Help a guy who has problem with a bass trombone.    02:11 on Saturday, April 9, 2005          
(Erik)
Posted by Archived posts

Ahhhhhh... George Roberts is a God. No, he IS God. I still play on an old beat up Marcinkiewicz George Roberts custom bass mouthpiece for bass work. Check out some of his Sinatra big band stuff as well.

As for the 4 octave scale thing, yeah, it`s very possible. One of the bass bone players I gigged a lot with in college had an incredible double pedal range, so he could beat out the 4 octave Bb scale no problem. The 4 octave F scale is much easier, as long as you are rather comfy with pedals. And of course if you have the stratosphere range.


   




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