Hello there

I am a trumpet player/teacher living in the UK. I teach trumpet in a school that has several unused trombones, and the school have asked me to get the kids started off on trombone until they find the resource for a regular trombone teacher. This could be quite a few months off so its better to get the kids started even if its real basics.


Basically, i need all the help i can get in how to get these kids started (they are 11 years old)
I don`t actually play the trombone although i do play the tenor horn as well as the trumpet. I have a slide position resource to work from but need some of ideas of where to start kids off at.

Usually with trumpet beginners i start out with lip buzzing, some breathing exercises and mouthpiece buzzing and then graduate them onto the instrument with some basic scales, lip flexibilities, and long tones.

so can anyone offer any help ? what range/slide positions are normal for beginners to work from ?

can anyone recommend any other good online resource? many thanks for your help!!

jake

how you start your kids soudns like a great way to start bone players.

excpet your going to have to spend time on the slide positions.

i wouldnt worry about anything but that for beginners(why does that look so wrong... i cant spell)

good luck

thanks

is it usual to start around the bottom B ? (second ledger line in bass clef)

cheers

jake

Ya thats normal. But Bflat is you know the concert pitch everybody tunes to(your C). So your ledger line below the staff (C) is the 2nd line Bflat for trombone.

Usually a good place to start.


i forgot to mention though. one of the hard parts about teaching trombone is the slur. Even though for you the valves create a slur for you, trombones need to tongue EVERY note. So i dont know how you going to do this, but i suggest teaching a "no" syllable to help them get a good legato tongue. I wish i could explain better but its not easy in words.

good luck. Cheers!

Trombone Pedology is a great topic. You might want to go to trombone hole (do a google search)

A basic first lesson for bone is start them on the note they start with (this is usually a bflat (second leger line) or the f above it). then have them plau a hole note the a couple half notes and some quarter notes all on the same pitch. (that is the first lesson) if you have more time go to the other note if they played the f have them play the bflat and vise versa. same exercize.

3rd lesson do a little of both back and forth like bflat f bflat f in half notes then in 4 quarters introduce the e flat 3rd position. Bla bla bla. that is first few lessons. (if working with just one student you might make it through alll this in one lesson.)