It sets out a two-week program of exercises (specified by day) designed to give a player a basic working knowledge of the alto positions. In terms of just learning how to read, the Slokar method ( Methode Complete de Trombone Alto) is the most deliberate. There are several good books, including methods by Anderson, Harvey, Parow, Slokar, and Sluchin. Using your position chart and a little trial and error, jump right in and work out your solo or excerpt of choice.Ĭ) Methodical approach: Others who want a broader, more methodical approach may want to consider a method book. Below are a few suggestions for getting started:Ī) Position chart: Here is an alto trombone position chart.ī) Immersion approach: Some people like to jump right in. A few suggestions for this initial phase:ģ) Reading-One of the biggest initial obstacles in learning the alto trombone is simply learning to read music with a new set of positions. There are many other great ones as well virtually all of the world’s top tenor trombonists have recorded on alto as well as tenor.Ģ) Initial Familiarity-When I teach alto trombone, I usually recommend that students take a couple of days just to become familiar with the instrument. Finesse, not muscle!Ĭ) Recordings: Listening to recordings of alto trombone will help establish this new sound concept. In my experience, the students who have the hardest time establishing their alto sound are the ones fighting hardest to make the alto sound like a large-bore tenor!ī) Lighter: Going from tenor to alto requires a lighter approach, which should include less articulation, slightly less air, and a generally lighter touch. The sound will be brighter–don’t fight it! Think of the difference between alto and tenor trombone as similar to the difference between trumpet and piccolo trumpet. Use a tuner to double check the positions for each note.Drawn from my own playing experience, research, and 17 years of full-time college teaching, here are a few suggestions for learning the alto trombone.ġ) Sound Concept-Developing a good sound concept for the alto trombone is important from the beginning.Ī) Brighter: In my opinion, the alto sound should be more trumpet-like than the tenor trombone sound. Is yours? If so, every position on that partial should be played slightly longer than usual. Many are slightly sharp on the 5 th partial. Learn the characteristics of your trombone. To play in tune, a player must listen to every note and make micro adjustments while playing. Learning where a position should be is just a starting point.
Find the slide position by listening Exercise: The best way to determine the exact slide position for any note is to listen. The use of the trigger will change the slide positions. The sky is the limit.īass trombones and some tenor trombones have an additional “trigger” or valve.
There are as many partials on a trombone as a player can buzz. The high Ab in 1 st position is not usable for this reason. high G is played in a short 2 nd position). Tip: Notes on the 6 th partial (starting with Ab in 1 st position) are naturally flat so all positions on that partial need to be shorter than usual (e.g.