Trombone

Question 1

Popping Lip Slurs (2 causes / 4 remedies)

Answer 1

2 Causes: Placing pitches with breath & slow glissing between notes
4 Remedies: Avoid movement outside mouthpiece, avoid drastic breath pressure changes between notes, practice on mouthpiece, move quickly between notes

Question 2

Pinched Sound (1 cause / 1 remedy)

Answer 2

Cause: Blockage in P-G-K or T consonant positions
Remedy: Focus on allowing air into the instrument

Question 3

Fuzzy Sound (2 causes / 3 remedies)

Answer 3

Cause: Aperture in embouchure is too large due to excessive lip pressure
3 Remedies: Avoid mouthpiece pressure, work for an efficient buzz, practice on mouthpiece

Question 4

Flat & flabby in the low register (2 causes / 1 remedy)

Answer 4

2 Causes: Flabby embouchure & low breath pressure

Remedy: Practice up an octave, then transfer that feeling down an octave

Question 5

“Egging” the notes (1 cause / 1 remedy)

Answer 5

Cause: Movement in the lip, jaw or throat at the beginning or end of a note
Remedy: Play a long note and take a mental picture of the good tone in the middle of the tone. Keep embouchure in that position on subsequent attacks.

Question 6

Difficulty with upper register (1 cause / 1 remedy)

Answer 6

Cause: Mouthpiece too low
Remedy: Move mouthpiece up

Question 7

Difficulty with the lower register (1 cause / 1 remedy)

Answer 7

Cause: Mouthpiece too high / Remedy: Move mouthpiece down

Question 8

Frayed tone quality (1 cause / 1 remedy)

Answer 8

Cause: Lower lip drawn too far back toward teeth
Remedy: Approach problem range stepwise from above or below