From the Teaching Studio

Here are some suggestions that I have shared with students on a recurring basis over the years:

You become what you practice. (Norman Bolter)
If you think you practiced how you were supposed to and still can’t play a section, then you may just need to do more. Don’t go by the clock; give the music the work that it demands.
Practice slow and in small sections
Sometimes you need to practice a different way.
Practice everything with attention and purpose.
Warm up and diligently; consistently practice proper technique so that it becomes part of your muscle memory.
Record your practice, record your lessons.
A mirror and metronome are two of the most important external tools.

Warm up before your lessons.
You should be working harder than your teacher for your lessons.
Prepare so that you don’t pay someone to tell you what you already know (like the key signature, time signature, rhythm, etc.)
Record your practice so that you don’t pay someone to tell you what you could have known.
Take notes after your lessons, from memory or your recording.
What kind of expectations should teachers have of their students? Students of their teachers?

Listen to recordings of great musicians, especially soloists, on many different instruments.
Attend live concerts.

Breathe to expand; don’t expand to breathe. (Arnold Jacobs)
If music is foremost in your mind then the right breath will usually follow. Sing your part in your head or out loud, exactly how you want it to go. If you need air but the music needs to keep going, then take a quick “invisible” breath, one that doesn’t hinder the phrase.

Make a statement; don’t ask a question. (Arnold Jacobs)
Express the atmosphere that the composer was aiming for.
Play full note values unless the implied style dictates something less or unless they are marked staccato.
Round off your phrases. The sound of a piano or a plucked string decays naturally, but brass players must manufacture a beautiful tone all the way to the end of each note.
Support the sound all the way through every note.
Listen for your best possible tone on short and long notes alike. Every tone is a vowel.

Use a mirror. Keep your embouchure still on the outside, with no excess facial movement. The action should occur inside the mouthpiece.
The left arm holds all of the weight of the trombone as if it is sitting on a shelf, and the right arm glides the slide along a plane, without jarring the instrument.
Find base-line positions with a tuner and be honest about your tendencies so you can make corrections. Second position is not very far out. Sharp-second is only a little above second. Sharp-third is only a little above third.
For a great tone keep teeth apart, air supply constant, and ears vigilant and attentive to the beginnings, middles, and endings of notes.
Technique is inspired by music so play good music that you like.

“When you are interested in something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you are committed, you accept no excuses and produce only results.” (Anonymous)

Play well, have fun…that’s what really matters. But remember, at least some of that fun comes from achievement!

Written 11/15/2003, revised 8/16/2006 and 12/25/2016.