Trombone: Changing Notes Without Moving Your Slide

Hi, I'm Trevor Dimoff. I teach music and band. In this episode, I'm going to show you how to change your notes on the trombone with just your lips. You can change notes on trombone using the slide. The longer the slide, the lower the sound. But you can also use just your lips. The sound of the trombone starts at your lips. With air pushing against your lips, they vibrate. Put your teeth slightly apart and your lips closed, gently touching each other. As if you were saying the sound, mmm. Try that for me. Very good. Now instead of mmming with your vocal cords, we're going to leave the same mouth position and blow. Mmm. Then gently press your lips together or put a little bit of tension in them, however it makes more sense to you. Mmm. We're trying to get that buzz sound. Once you can do that, add the mouthpiece. You can start and stop the air with your tongue, as if you were saying the sound, duh, without your vocal cords. Your tongue should be touching your teeth at the top, right where your teeth and gums meet. Mmm. Then see if you can change the sound. Mmm. See how low you can go. Mmm. See how high you can go without squeezing your face. Always remember, only lightly touch the mouthpiece against your lips. Don't push hard. Mmm. I can't do that sort of thing the way a guy would normally do it. I want not to do it the wrong way though. clench too tight and don't lift let your trombone rest on your shoulder it has to stay above now see if you can go higher again from that note B-flat sing it for me please that note's called F and that's the one we're listening for B-flat F sing them try to find them on the mouthpiece then when you can do that add your instrument there's another note called B-flat that lives above that an octave higher B-flat F B-flat sing them first try your mouthpiece try not to crinkle your face like you just saw me do with my eyebrows see if you can keep your face relaxed it helps that you can practice in front of a mirror to see your face too once you can get the sounds try to clean it up so that you land right on the sound instead of getting a wobbly if you have trouble focus on the sound in your head sing it in your brain before you play it out the instrument B-flat F and that's how you change notes with just your lips afterwards you can remove your slide lock and practice changing the sounds with different slide positions you don't have to do that many on one breath two notes or three notes on a breath is great and that's how you can change your notes on the trombone with just your lips always remember to put your slide lock back on