Never try to insert the mouthpiece in the receiver with the palm of your hands—this is guaranteed to jam it.

Don’t press too hard—a moderate amount of pressure is all you need to connect the bell section to the tuning slide.

Take two fingers and place them on the edge of the bell—this is the distance that should be between the mouthpiece slide and the bell. Tighten the thumbscrew once you’ve aligned the mouthpiece slide properly.

Use your remaining 3 fingers to grip the vertical bar below your index finger. Make sure the slide is locked when you aren’t playing the horn. If you leave it open, the slide can fall off and get damaged. The slide lock is typically located at the region where the main slide connects to the bell section.

Relax your right-hand grip and shoulders. Always maintain a firm grip on the trombone with your left hand, even as you relax your right hand.

Avoid sitting whenever possible. If you sit, place your feet firmly onto the ground while keeping your body centered.

Make a small hole in the center of your lips as you blow air. Don’t puff your cheeks out when playing—this will make you short of breath quickly, and your note will sound rough and spluttered.

Make sure that you stay relaxed when playing higher notes and blow faster air through the instrument. Don’t make any weird faces that would cause tension in the sound. It will feel natural to press against the mouthpiece for higher notes—resist this temptation, as it will lead to problems later.

When you first start playing the lower register, it may be very challenging. To do well, increasing your lung capacity is the key.

Make sure you don’t slam the slide in when returning to the first position.

On most trombones, there is a lip or marking where the seventh position is. The positions may vary slightly depending on the type of trombone you play.

Conduct scale exercises regularly. Remember that trombone technique workbooks are available from most music stores. If you’re serious about learning to play the trombone, check them out!

Practice some general breathing exercises.

Keep an ear out for songs with trombones and if you hear something you like, learn it! Download sheet music for free here: https://www. 8notes. com/trombone/.

Choose the Student membership for the cheapest option. For more comprehensive packages, choose the Library, Donor, Patron, or Lifetime package. Visit the ITA website here: https://www. trombone. net/.

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