ITEA Journal Volume 49 Number 1 (Fall 2021)
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Ten Trombone Tips for Euphonium Players
By John Mueller
[Author's Note: I was privileged to contribute a chapter on trombone and euphonium doubling to theGuide to the Euphonium Repertoire: The Euphonium Source Book (2007) by Lloyd Bone, Eric Paull, ed. R. Winston Morris, Indiana University Press. This article serves as an addendum to that chapter. It is based on forty plus years of experience as a performer and teacher]
Today, versatility is key if you want a career in music. You must also be willing to embark on career paths much different than previous generations. This is particularly true for euphonium. Over the last 40 years, the level of euphonium performance, pedagogy, and repertoire has risen dramatically. So have the number of doctoral degrees in euphonium performance. Sadly, performance and higher education positions for euphoniumists have not kept up with the very talented supply. For full-time employment, most higher education positions require research and teaching expertise in multiple areas and the intense competition for positions in professional ensembles requires one to concentrate almost exclusively on euphonium repertoire. Finding a way to keep your euphonium chops in shape while diversifying in other areas is a challenge.
Adding trombone to your skill set is a common choice. However, shifting your focus to trombone after years of intensive euphonium study can be a humbling and daunting task. It requires patience. Elevating your trombone performance to the same standard you have achieved on euphonium will take time that you may not feel is available. Since most euphonium players have some basic knowledge of trombone, I offer the following suggestions to jump-start your trombone studies.
Monitoring your body for excessive tension is key to efficient trombone development. Adapting to the ergonomics of the trombone can be a struggle if not handled thoughtfully. A well-made trombone should be easily balanced in playing position with light pressure exerted by the left hand and fingers. Avoid holding the trombone with a "death grip." The left-hand grip is a potential source of excessive tension that can travel to other parts of the body. Any tension related to holding the instrument can easily trigger or compound tension related to the psychological aspect of learning to play trombone.
Avoiding tension in your shoulders is also key. Try this instrument position exercise :
Do not support the instrument with the slide hand. It is important that the instrument comes to your face and that you do not bend down or to the side to meet the mouthpiece. A tenor trombone with F-attachment or double valve bass trombone may require additional time to strengthen the left hand. If your left forefinger does not reach the top of the upper slide tube, consider having a ring attached where the exterior top tube of the slide and vertical brace meet.
Pro tip: Use a countdown timer to help you stick to short bursts of practice. Take videos of yourself holding and playing trombone, looking for bad posture or tension. Find video models of trombonists with relaxed posture to copy.
Resources: There are manufactured straps and brace extensions available that will help you to support the trombone with just the left hand.
Achieving a good trombone sound requires focused attention. The core of a brass instrument tone is sometimes referred to as the "rub," "grit," or "rubble" in your sound. It can be heard when listening in close proximity to the bell. It does not sound good up close or behind the bell, but blossoms as the sound gets into the hall. When switching to trombone from euphonium, you must find the rub in your tone. The cylindrical bore of the trombone and the different proximity of the trombone bell to your ear can make discerning the rub problematic. Do not try to sound big behind the bell. Attempting to sound big behind the bell will result in a sound that is uncentered or "woofy" when it reaches the audience.
Play this exercise (fig. 1) in a register that responds easily. Start on any first position note. The goal is to create a focused, resonant tone in front of the bell, not behind. You should be able to hear the core develop as you get louder, then move that core to the next note using a glissando (no articulation). If you cannot hear when the core sound develops, have someone listen from the other side of a large room or hall. They should signal you when they hear the focused core tone. It may not sound pretty from behind the bell, but if you can recognize the rub and produce it on demand, you have cleared a major hurdle.
When getting a good, resonant trombone tone (rub), a euphonium player may sense their air moving a bit faster and through a firmer embouchure. A slight change in mouthpiece can also help the tone, especially if your euphonium mouthpiece is a large size and has a funnel contour to the cup. Generally speaking, you will want to use a mouthpiece with similar or smaller rim size as on the euphonium, but with a slightly shallower cup and/or smaller throat. Mouthpieces with more of a bowl shape tend to work better on trombone.
Pro tip : To focus the embouchure, remove the slide and try buzzing long tones and scales on the inner slide. It will not be easy but be sure to buzz to pitch.
Resources : Buy a good quality microphone and recording device to self-monitor tone development.
To keep the rub in your sound, it is critical that youadjust pitch with your slide, not your embouchure or airstream . Tuning with your "chops" instead of your slide can cause your tone to lose the rub. Start intonation work with easy material. If your awareness of intonation on euphonium is good, you can trust it to develop your tuning and slide technique on trombone. Play easy, familiar scale patterns, exercises and simple melodies to develop intonation. I adhere to the mantra of Sing-Buzz-Play. If you do this as you practice trombone, you will recognize when you are not in tune. It is very important to always sing and buzz to exact pitch. Hear your pitches before playing them. If you cannot make in-tune sounds with your voice and mouthpiece, it will be very difficult to do it on trombone.
You must tune with your ears, not with your eyes or arm. Looking at a tuner while playing or reaching for the bell to position the slide will not help in the long run. Work with drones instead, so your ears are engaged. To start, try playing a simple tune, like Hot Cross Buns, in all twelve keys. I like to teach beginning trombonists to play Hot Cross Buns by rote in the key of D-flat or G-flat so they get comfortable with 5th position from the start. (Fig. 2)
Play scales and simple songs with drone accompaniment. Use a digital keyboard or a tuning app (Tonal Energy Tuner is my favorite) to play reference pitches. Again, do not spend too much time looking at a tuner. In performance we must tune with our ears and not our eyes.
Be careful in your use of the F-attachment on tenor trombone or F/G-flat/D valves on bass. The valves should be thought of as a technical aid and not a tuning crutch. Be sure you are well acquainted with 6th and 7th positions.
Since euphonium parts in wind band are in unison and do not require tuning chords within the section, playing in a trombone section can be scary. Ben Coy's intonation exercises cited below are a good place to practice just intonation with other trombones. Remember: adjust pitch using the slide, not your chops or air.
Pro Tip: Use the recording and analysis features on Tonal Energy app to assess your performance.
Resources: David Vining's Long Tone Duets (Mountain Peak Music);Tonal Energy tuning app and metronome, Intonation Studies for Three Trombones by Ben Coy (Kagarice Brass Editions).
Good slide motion should be as smooth and natural as reaching for a plate of pie in the buffet line. To find the correct slide arm angle, slide hand grip, and smooth slide motion, hold the trombone in correct playing position with the slide secured by the slide latch or little finger on the left hand. Without moving the slide, track your right hand between the slide tubes, keeping the fingertips aligned with the slide tubes. Create a smooth motion while keeping tension out of the right wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
Once a good, fluid motion is achieved, gently secure the slide brace with the right hand and move the hand slide with the same smooth and easy motion. Hold the slide with thumb and fingers. Use any number of fingers that feels comfortable. Try to hold the slide brace with the pads of your fingers for maximum control and reach. Do not pinch the bottom tube between your fingers.
Because everyone's anatomy is different, there is no single, perfect arm angle or slide grip. When doing the slide exercise above, be sure that your wrist, shoulder and clavicular joint are not locked or stiff. Remember, the motion should be as smooth as picking up a plate of pie.
Pro tip: Use no more pressure on the slide than it takes to pick up a piece of paper. Practice music with no articulation to help focus on your slide.
Resources: See David Vining's Breathing Book (Mountain Peak Music, 2009) for good information on anatomy and breathing. Use a video camera during practice sessions and performances to monitor slide movement. Compare your grip to those of professionals.
Lip slurs on euphonium typically involve the overtone series of one valve
or one valve combination. Within musical context, movement from one
overtone series to the next on euphonium is often aided by the momentary
interruption of the airstream as valves are moved. Moving across overtones
on trombone is much different. Aspiring trombonists need to understand
"against the grain" slurring. It is a valuable technique but
requires an even airstream and well-timed slide movement. Against the grain
slur occurs when the
slide is moving away from the player (to a lower position) as the pitch
goes up, or when the slide moves towards the player's face as the pitch is
lowered. This is a frequently used articulation in jazz and popular music
but works in other styles too. It creates a smooth articulation without
using the tongue.
Practice the exercise above and strive for a smooth connection when shifting the slide as you slur. No tongue is used. When you get comfortable with one position shifts, move on to two, three, and four position shifts. Practice the exercise starting on all first position notes. The speed of the slide should be fast enough for a smooth connection, but not too fast that it causes the instrument to shake when moving or stopping. You may also play the exercise in reverse, moving the slide from an extended position to first position as you go down in pitch.
Note: On euphonium, one should always depress/release the valves with a quick, well-timed snapping technique. However, the speed at which you move the trombone slide during slurs varies upon the required distance, as well as the desired style or articulation.
Pro tip : Practice solo repertoire without tonguing. Recognize where you cross overtones (you may choose not to tongue). Keep the tone consistent and smooth on across-the-break slurs by adjusting slide speed and air flow.
Resources: Check out Brad Edwards' book Lip Slurs: Progressive Exercises for Building Tone and Technique (Ensemble Publications).
The overtone series (all the notes playable using one valve combination or slide position) plays a far greater role on trombone than euphonium. On trombone, a working knowledge of overtone series allows for efficient slide technique, varied articulation and improved section intonation.
Due to all the bends and twists in the design of a euphonium, the overtone series often lacks the consistency of tone and intonation that you will find on a well-made trombone. The acoustic quirks of euphoniums (especially compensating models) can result in inconsistencies within a given overtone series and between valve combinations. (example: the fifth overtone may be flat with no valves down but sharp with valves 1 and 2).
When euphonium players use alternate fingerings, it is often without consideration as to where they fit in the overtone series. It is just a convenient technical or intonation option. However, on a well-made trombone, you can expect that the tuning corrections needed in each overtone series will be fairly consistent in all positions with little tone quality deviation. This fact makes the use of alternate positions a real asset and not a gimmick.
Note: the amount of pitch correction increases as the slide is extended, but the direction of change is consistent.
Practice playing arpeggios using one position (see fig. 4). Be sure to keep the rub in your sound and tune the intervals using the slide, not your embouchure. Experiment playing the arpeggios in several registers to learn how much adjustment each overtone and position requires. Remember, the longer the position, the greater the adjustment.
Pro tip : As you work on scales, learn to use alternate positions by key so they become natural in musical context. Practice alternate positions slowly until your arm trusts your ear.
Resources : Consult an overtone tuning chart to be certain of tuning tendencies. Milt Stevens' Scale and Arpeggio Studies for Tenor Trombone has very good alternate position patterns. Also, see Ben Coy's text listed in Hack #3.
It can be a struggle to learn fast passages on trombone that you can easily play on euphonium. You may have forgotten about all the long hours of practice it took to develop valve facility on euphonium. While you will need to do some slow practice to develop your slide technique, you can develop muscle memory on specific phrases by breaking them down as shown below:
As shown above, making the slide movement at speed on every other note will allow for more accuracy. Be sure your slide movement is crisp and rhythmic. Once you have mastered the rhythmic variations, immediately play the original version to help lock in the pattern.
Pro Tip: Remember to keep a light grip on the slide as noted in Hack #4.
Resources: Check out Selected Studies by Kopprasch (trombone version, pub. Carl Fisher), using alternate positions as indicated and Lip Slur Melodies by Brad Edwards (Hornbone Press).
In my experience, trombone repertoire (solo and ensemble) requires a wider variety of articulations than euphonium. Besides legato tonguing under a slur, other subtle articulations are expected, especially in the jazz and orchestral repertoire. Additionally, the conical bore of a euphonium can sometimes hide flaws in articulations that are brought to light with the added air resistance of the cylindrical bore trombone.
As indicated in the fig. 5, start with legato articulation on sixteenth and quarter notes. By playing legato sixteenths, your tongue will stay in a lower, more forward position. This allows room for good airflow to the lips. Once your legato sixteenths are consistent, gradually work your way through the articulation continuum to more detached styles. Practice this exercise in all registers, dynamics, and keys.
Be sure to begin at a slow tempo (quarter note=60) and gradually speed up. Single tonguing sixteenth notes with the quarter note as fast as 132 is a good goal. If first note response is problematic, use a "hoe" or "poe," non-tongued start on the quarter note until air, lips and tongue are coordinated.
Pro tip: Practice all fast sixteenth notes passages slowly in legato or tenuto style to avoid a choppy sound. It is easier to shorten the articulation when the fast tempo is achieved than to undo the choppy style.
Resources: Remington Warm-ups ed. by Hunsberger and David Vining's Daily Routines offer good articulation exercises.
Vibrato is a valuable expressive tool. Just as spices are needed for great dining, the addition of vibrato can make or break a musical performance. Garlic in Marinara? Sure. Garlic in chocolate milk? Not so much. Vibrato in a Bordogni Vocalise? Of course. Vibrato in the trombone chorale in Brahms' Symphony #1? Nope.
Vibrato on euphonium is expected in most solo repertoire as well as in wind band and brass band. Sometimes it happens unconsciously or out of habit. In wind bands and orchestral settings, trombones usually do not play with much, if any vibrato. If you typically vibrate while playing your daily long tones and slow lip slurs, make a conscious effort not to use vibrato in your fundamental trombone exercises. As mentioned above, you want to maintain the rub in your sound, which requires you minimize any embouchure motion (jaw vibrato) and adjust the pitch with the hand slide.
Beautiful vibrato can be a great asset when playing lyrical music on trombone. Monitor its use in trombone repertoire but do not be afraid to use it. Experiment with slide vibrato for jazz and commercial applications.
Pro tip : Trombones can be called upon to play with a jazz/terminal vibrato as well as orchestral non-vibrato sound on the same gig. Listen to many models of both. Be able to do both on demand.
Resource: Check out recordings of Bill Watrous' intro on Fourth Floor Walk Up (Manhattan Wildlife Refuge album) and the classic Tommy Dorsey classic recording of I'm Getting Sentimental Over You for great examples of jazz vibrato.
My doubling career started in high school. Over the years there were times when, unfortunately, I sounded like a trombone player on euphonium or a euphonium player on trombone. My goal in all performances is for the audience to be focused on the music first, not the instrument delivering it.
I am often asked which instrument I work on the most or which one is my priority. I try to play both daily, but in all honesty, it depends on what gigs I have coming up next. On a "good" day, I start with an extensive fundamental session (20-40 minutes) on trombone and then have two to four more sessions to cover my repertoire needs. If I have a big euphonium performance coming up, I still do my daily routine on trombone, even if the rest of my practice is on euphonium.
Your individual needs may dictate otherwise, but I like to start with my initial daily practice with a basic routine on trombone for the following reasons:
1. The ergonomics on trombone suit me much better than euphonium. The trombone is much easier to be held "in tune" with my body (See David Vining's Breathing Book, exercise #1). That is to say, relaxed and balanced. Do not start your day with any tension.
2. Good tone results when your airspeed, oral cavity and lip aperture are calibrated. As I mentioned above, my trombone airstream is a bit faster than it is on euphonium. I find it easier to find the speed I need on trombone, and then relax my airstream when moving to euphonium. I find it more difficult going from the euphonium set-up to trombone.
When I do move to euphonium practice from trombone, I typically play easy lip slurs and flow studies or Clarke Technical Studies to relax my air and open up the sound. To reacquaint myself with the intonation of euphonium, I frequently do Clarke Studies or scales with a drone. If you do a lot of doubling, I highly recommend using a tuning slide trigger on your euphonium. Used properly, it minimizes some of the air and embouchure tuning adjustments when going between the two instruments.
Final Thoughts
Throughout my career, I have made it a point to play with musicians who were better than myself. I swallowed my pride and let go of my fear of embarrassment. I just went for it. Modeling is an effective pedagogical tool. You can learn a lot just by being around good trombones players. Always listen to and watch good models. Try not to be self-conscious and do your best. We are our own worst critic, and you may not be as awful as you might think. As acclaimed jazz trombonist Luis Bonilla (Vanguard Orchestra) once told me, "We are not qualified to judge ourselves." Just go for it!
John Mueller has taught trombone and euphonium at the University of Memphis since 2001. Prior to Memphis, he had a 21-year career as euphoniumist with The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own), Washington, D.C., retiring as euphonium section leader and soloist. He holds a BS in Music Ed. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and MM and DMA degrees in Trombone Performance from The Catholic University of America. His principal teachers are Dan Perantoni, Milt Stevens, Robert Gray, and Brian Bowman.
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