Intermediate Techniques for Trombone

How to teach legato style on Trombone

I ask my young students to think of the notes being connected by a "bridge" of strong steady air. Without strong air support the playing will be choppy and stilted sounding. Exercises to develop the fast fluid motion of the slide are essential. This fluid motion cannot be achieved with a wrist or arm that is too stiff. The student must have some limberness in the wrist and arm. In other words the movement must feel "legato". Articulation of the notes is another vital (often neglected) area.
I like to equate the articulation of legato notes to be somewhere between a soft "doo" and a "loo" syllable. Please remember that this soft tonguing must be combined with the strong steady bridge of air. The natural tendency when moving fluidly and tonguing softly is to blow the air without enough support. Visualize a very warm solid stream of air while articulating.

Internet Resources for the Trombone

Instrumental music lists

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Great Web pages

The Trombone Page

The Brass Page

Doug Yeo's page

(bass trombonist with the Boston Symphony, one of the best pages I have seen for advanced players)