Ok...you guys should all know by now that I`m new to the whole "trombone" thing. I kind of understand what my lips do now, but I have another question. I`ve never tried playing anything brass without braces, so is it more difficult since I have braces? I`ve heard that you have to "re-learn" how to play once you get them off, but...I don`t know. I`m having lots of problems learning trombone...any help is appreceiated.

One other thing: is there anything that I should know about playing trombone? Strange things unique only to the instrument that are really important? Thanks!

when i first started out on trombone i had braces, two years later they were off... at 10 i wasnt really serious into what i was doing, it was just fun to me, but yes, braces make a difference... Its like playing a different trombone, or playing with a different mouthpiece. Once you get them off, it will take a short while for your mouth to readjust, but other than that, its all good, you should be able to play high more easily as well... But every person is different.

Well...starting to play trombone with braces are good, in my opinion.

Reason is, for some natural reason (dang u nature..-_-) We tend to press the mouthpiece into out mouth, making the inside part of the lips cut, red, and tender-like. However, with braces, when you press the mouthpiece to your teeth, it bothers you, and it forces you to "back off" on the pressure...

Bad comparison but...its sorta like biting on your mouthpiece...it shouldnt have teeth marks...right? Its something like that.((I dont know saxaphones, so i may be wrong))

hope that helped you.

well...with sax, there will be marks on the mouthpiece no matter what...unless you use a mouthpiece coushion. it`s not bad to have marks on your mouthpiece; it just doesn`t look too good. : )

i seen people overcome the braces thing many a times. You just gotta stop thinking about whats going on with your face because you will just over think the situation and you should worry about the sound. Make sure you have that air articulation going and that sound will be there for you.

have you tried wax??? the make a swax for instrument players that goes over the braces and makes it easier to play ask your ortho about it or your music store.

One of the best trombonists in my band has braces, tho she switched to third trombone this year because it was getting too hard on her lips, but she played first chair last year and was great at it

i started without bracers then i had them, now i dont and i couldnt tell much difference. now ive been playing for 5 years. and if there is 1 thing to know about playing trombone is that you should play loud!!!

im going to have to disagree with that, and any person that would consider theirself a musician would agree with me, that playing loud sounds like crap a lot of the time. You have to pay attention to dynamics and the flow of the song in order for it to sound right. Just playing loud just makes a person sound foolish.

being a flute player and all (i might be wrong)... i say yes big difference (not to mention it hurts like hell) and i`m assuming that putting on and later losing about a quarter of an inch of space in your mouth is going to make a difference. it`s just something that you have to get used to. i know that some trumpet players have to use brace guards to keep their braces from digging into their lips. ouch!

I first got my braces on after two years of playing trumpet. I lost a lot of range but eventually I gained most of it back. It is harder to play with but you get used to it. I also play trombone and Braces sorta has the same effect. Don`t get discurraged by your braces it all works out over time.

When you have already been playing, and you get braces, you deffinately feel a big difference. You do get used to it, but it takes a bit of time. Same thing with when you get them off. The wax works pretty well from what I hear, and they also make things that sit over the braces to save the inside of your lips.

As for playing loud, I wouldn`t neccessarily say it sounds bad. It`s just very hard. It`s really easy for us to play loud in general, simply because of the physics of the horn, but it takes A LOT of control. Those guys in the huge symphonies that literaly blow the people in front of them away have so much control over that sound it is insane. You just have to look at it differently at fff than at mf. Much more control, and more attention to intonation and sound quality. It does sound bad, until you get used to and good at it. Don`t just go out and over blow to get fff, you still have to think delicately. It is hard to get that good insane loud orchestral sound, but once you master it, and it takes many many years, rather decades, there is nothing more fun.

if you`re playing a really long piece involving high notes, it hurts. for example: my band and i are playing at a graduation. we`re playing "pomp and circumstance" and trombones dont rest at all.
but other than that you`re ok

All I have to say is that when i was in highschool, I was first chair my senior year and the other senior just had his braces removed. He came from 5 chair to second chair fairly easily. I myself have never had braces and dont intend to because I can`t bear to see what happens to my playing. I`d rather have a messed up smile than ruin my playing.

dude i`m kinda new to the bone but i have braces and i don`t really have much problem. the only really thing that i cant do as good is high notes with braces but i got over that and can do them now so don`t wqorry about them