Moving on to trombone

SaxoTrump · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:52 am Post subject:

Yes, Harry - I gave it a thought and I see that thinking in trumpet positions at the beginning stage of trombone development can actually make the things easier.
We need to know where in the overtone series we are as a starting point and then trumpet "mental fingerings" apply well with just a few trombone idiosyncrasies (optional) when moving up a scale.

iiipopes · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2015 Posts: 554

kehaulani · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:29 am Post subject:

Exactly.
My first year at North Texas, I played trombone in one of the Lab Bands. I didn't try to make anything comparable from trumpet to bone, rather learning bone with stand-alone demands. No attempt to relate one to another.
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Crazy Finn · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:07 pm Post subject:

I agree with both the above posts.

It's nice to know how the instruments relate to each other, but rather than "translating" it's better to become "fluent" in the native language of each instrument.
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SaxoTrump · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 3:13 pm Post subject:

Tough guys you are! My hat's off to you.

iiipopes · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2015 Posts: 554

Thanks. If we did it, you can do it.
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Harry Hilgers · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Jun 2015 Posts: 637

SaxoTrump · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:49 am Post subject:

Thanks Harry. I also see nothing wrong with that approach in the very beginning.
Of course I'll get the native trombone pitches down cold with time.

So far I'm writing out 'When the Saints go Marching in' in a few keys to cover the whole slide position set along with the corresponding arpeggios and scales. All notes' positions are marked for quck reference.

Harry Hilgers · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Jun 2015 Posts: 637

SaxoTrump · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:08 am Post subject:

Harry Hilgers · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Jun 2015 Posts: 637

HaveTrumpetWillTravel · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:53 am Post subject:

I'd bought a marching trombone and now have bought a slide trombone. The community band I'm in is sometimes down to just one trombone player, and maybe someday I could switch if they needed me too.

One thing that surprised me on first playing marching trombone was how hard it was to adjust down after playing on trumpet. I remember the first time I tried playing hymns the music was terrible, and then I realized I was playing several open notes too high. I had to reset what a C or G meant. At that point, I wasn't trying to learn bass. Once I had the right tone in my head, I could just read it like trumpet music.

I did buy a basic Yamaha tenor and I really like it. I've tried the 6.5 and 12 mouthpieces (or Yamaha equivalent). I'm also relearning bass clef. A benefit of a cheap tenor trombone is that you get better learning materials--youtube videos, free online instructional books, downloadable practice materials, cheap textbooks, etc. I'm just kind of playing around with this on the side (although I'd like to be able to use the marching trombone in small ensembles, if the intonation is okay) but I know of a number of people who moved over to trombone, horn or euphonium because there was greater need.

kehaulani · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 10:01 am Post subject:

Harry Hilgers · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Jun 2015 Posts: 637

kehaulani · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 12:13 pm Post subject:

I would contend not, but it clears up the answer, anyway. Thanks.
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Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
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HaveTrumpetWillTravel · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 1:10 pm Post subject:

If you do a google image search for "marching trombone," it's all flugabone-style, valve trombones.

LittleRusty · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 1:11 pm Post subject:

Harry Hilgers · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Jun 2015 Posts: 637

nieuwguyski · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:27 am Post subject:

To the OP: What mouthpiece are you using on the alto? If it's the one that came with the horn, it's likely around a Bach 12C diameter which is considered pretty small by most trombone players, but not crazy small. Bill Watrous played a Bach 11C on his Bb tenor trombone. Tommy Dorsey played a mouthpiece around that diameter on tenor trombone as well.

The thing is, a small trombone mouthpiece is still a lot bigger than any trumpet mouthpiece.

In the video you gave the link to, Mike Lake mentions using a Bach 6.5AL on alto trombone, which is rather large and deep for alto trombone (Vincent Bach designed it for euphonium). If you're emulating him I think you're setting yourself up for trouble.

It's a long shot, but you might try to find a trombone player who bought a "pBone Mini" plastic alto trombone. They were marketed mainly as a "Suzuki method" trombone for little kids and came with a plastic mouthpiece that truly was halfway between a trumpet and trombone mouthpiece -- pretty much about the diameter of an Eb alto/tenor horn mouthpiece. The plastic mouthpiece will work fine on a brass horn and the smaller diameter would probably help a trumpet player trying to develop alto trombone chops.
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plp · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 5:34 pm Post subject:

About a year ago, our band's trombone player had to leave to do a job in San Diego, and we knew he would be gone for at least 6 months.

I drug out the valve trombone, and went to the woodshed to try to cover for him, on a few important songs.

I once played both valve and slide trombone, while I had to put the trumpet down completely to make the transition (Maynard and James Morrison can pull it off, I can't) did make it.

Not so, this time around. I don't know what changed, but could not get the resonance right, which happens in the chops. There is a certain marshalling of air, that occurs there, to set up the resonance, to get a full tone and not have to take a breath every 10 seconds. I couldn't get it going right.

I ended up trading the 'bone to Trent Austin for a C trumpet, which I actually needed far more than I did a valve trombone.

Another member of the band bought a baritone, and filled the slot, and he can switch from cornet to baritone to Bb trumpet to C trumpet at will, and does with aplomb over a 4 hour gig, want to stab him in the eye some nights.....
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