Trombone Technique Through Music_A4

Published by MeisteroMusic Copyright © 2002 by MeistroMusic

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Internet: http://www.EdNeumeister.com E-mail: [email protected]

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Trombone Technique “through music” by Ed Neumeister

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Contents About Ed Neumeister

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About the CD Recording

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Forward

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Introduction

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Philosophy

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Daily Routine

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Concepts of practicing

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The basics

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Breathing

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Section One: Melodic One: Melodic Warm Up Melodic warm up text

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Etudes 1-24

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Section Two: Athletic Two: Athletic stretches Athletic stretches text

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Stretch exercises

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Section Three: Flexibility Three: Flexibility and Rangebuilding Beginning lip flexibility and range building text

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Beginning lip flexibility and range building exercises

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Advanced lip flexibility and range building text

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Advanced lip flexibility and range building exercises

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Section Four: Tongueing Four: Tongueing Tongueing text

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Basic scale and tongueing text

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Scale and tongueing exercises

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Chord exercises

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Section Five: Building Five: Building Technique with Music Building technique with music text

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Section Six: Improvisation Six: Improvisation Improvisation text

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Examples of improvisation exercises text

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About Ed Neumeister Composer/Conductor/Trombonist, Ed Neumeister, has been composing and leading groups since 1978. The current Ed Ed Neumeister quartet has been been together more more than 7 years. As a composer he has received commissions from all over the World including: The Metropole Radio Orchestra in The Netherlands, Hamburg Radio Big Band in Germany, Maribor Opera Orchestra in Slovenia, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in New York, The Milky Saxophone Quintet in Paris France, The Sophisticated Ellington Project in Tokyo Japan and many others. Neumeister freely mixes mixes the styles of classical, jazz and world music in his compositions. He has received three NEA foundation Grants and a Grammy Award Nomination. Neumeister was awarded the 2006 ASCAP/IAJE composition commission in honor of Ornette Coleman. As a trombonist Neumeister performed for 15 years in the Duke Ellington Orchestra conducted by Mercer Ellington, for 19 years with the Mel Lewis Big Band (which became the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra), Gerry Mulligan and many well-known jazz artists. He also performed with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Ballet and many “classical” orchestras in San Francisco and New York areas. Since 1992 he has been touring extensively as a soloist and with his ensembles: The Ed Neumeister Quartet and The NeuHat Ensemble, mostly in Europe. Ed has given many clinics, lectures and master-classes at most of the major music universities in the US and Europe. Ed Neumeister has recorded 7 cds as a leader including Fantasy for Cello and Big Band, JBBG Plays the Music of Ed Neumeister, trombone quartet, chamber trio and jazz quartet and quintet. The latest Ed Neumeister Quartet recording “New Standards” on MeisteroMusic Records was released on January 18 2005. Reflection with the Ed Neumeister Quartet was released in September 2006 on ArtistShare records. Ed currently splits his time between Los Angeles, Austria and touring.

Ed is available for video-conference lessons where he can hear and see you play and offer some individual feedback and suggestions. If you are interested in such such a high-tech lesson (you will need a newer computer with high speed internet access and a web cam or video [email protected] to discuss pricing and camera) please contact Ed by e-mail at [email protected] scheduling.

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Ed plays a King 3B Silver Sonic trombone.

Check out the web site www.EdNeumeister.com The theme of the web site is focus – especially as it relates to composing and performing music. Ed will be offering discussions on composing and improvising, as well as working on various trombone techniques. Ed gives examples of composition etudes and discusses some of the techniques he uses in his pieces. There are also improvisation etudes and trombone routines. Running on the internet radio 24/7 is some of Eds latest projects, recordings and solo performances, which are updated frequently. f requently.

Available now! Creative Practicing – Practice Creatively DVD Take a lesson with master trombonist, composer, improviser Ed Neumeister. “These are lessons and lectures that I found myself giving to every new student. I found them to be universally helpful for everybody, so I decided to make video recordings of them.” Ed Neumeister Includes acclaimed Focus on Focus video which has received over 1,500 views on YouTube and Ed’s website. Also included are over ten solo performances, some of which have been seen thousands of times on YouTube. The Solo for Plunger, Voice and Trombone has already been viewed 73,000 times on YouTube.

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Ed Neumeister has performed as a soloist with: the Metropole Radio Orchestra, Hilversum, the Netherlands, the Berlin Radio Big Band, the UMO Radio Big Band, Helsinki, Finland, the Hessischer Rundfunk Jazz Ensemble and Big Band, Frankfurt, Germany, and numerous other ensembles, professional and conservatory, in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Finland, The Netherlands, Croatia and Japan. Also guest soloist and conductor with Georgia State University Band, California State University, Hayward Big Band, Aloné Junior College Big Band and others.

Past Positions: 1992-1994 1981-1992 1987-1999 1982-1986 1980-1981 1981 1981-1987 1978-1979 1975-1980 1976-1980 1978-1980

The Duke Ellington Orchestra (arranger, first trombone & soloist) The Mel Lewis Big Band (formerly Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Jazz Orch.) Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (composer/arranger, solo trombone) Gerry Mulligan Band (first trombone & jazz soloist) Lionel Hampton Big Band (first trombone & jazz soloist) Buddy Rich Big Band (first trombone & jazz soloist) The Duke Ellington Orchestra (arranger, first trombone & soloist) Principle Trombone with Sacramento Symphony Freelance trombonist with San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet Orchestras Circle Star Theater Orehestra, San Franeiseo (first trombone) member Member “Reconstruction” with Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders

1980-1999: Freelance trombonist with: New York Philharmonic, Long Island Philharmonic, Concordia Chamber Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Westchester Philharmonic, Philharmonic Virtuosi, Sea Cliff Chamber Players, New York Pops, various film and TV soundtracks.

1975-1999: Tours with the bands of Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Gerry Mulligan, Philly Joe Jones, Toshiko Akioshi, Mel Lewis and Duke Ellington. Also performances with Joe Lovano, Michel Camilo, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Garcia, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and many others.

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Selected Discography: as leader: “Reflection” “New Standards” “The Mohican and the Great Spirit” “Metro Music” “Collage”

the Ed Neumeister Quartet the Ed Neumeister Quartet Ed Neumeister Trio the Ed Neumeister Quintet the New York Trombone Quartet Plays

ArtistShare MeisteroMusic TCB Records Timescraper Records TMC Records

the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra JBBG with Friedrich Kleinhapl soloist JBBG plays the Music of Ed Neumeister Mel Lewis

Planet Arts Ars Records Mons Records Music Masters

the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Neil Kirkwood Sunny Murray Bill Mays Neena Freelon Bruce Williamson Duke Ellington Orchestra Mercer Ellington the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Mel Lewis Mel Lewis Mel Lewis Mel Lewis Teresa Brewer & Mercer Ellington

New World Records Timescraper Records Jazzette Records Concord Records Concord Records Timeless Records Music Masters Doctor Jazz New World Records Atlantic Records Music Masters Music Masters Music Masters Collectables Records

as composer - arranger: “Can I persuade you?” “Fantasy for Cello and Big Band” “Here and There” “To You”

as sideman: “Lickety Split” “Neil Kirkwood Octet” “Sunny’s Time Now and More” “Mays in Manhattan” “Maiden Voyage” “Big City Magic” “Music is my Mistress” “Hot and Bothered” “The Legacy of Thad Jones” “20 Years at the Village Vanguard” “Soft Lights and Hot Music” “The Definitive Thad Jones” Vol.1&2 “To You” “The Cotton Connection”

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About the CD recording On this CD you will hear me performing an example of each etude plus some examples of how I might perform a Bach Partita or Sonate, originally written for violin. Also included are some other improvisations. It should be noted that these are only examples how I played these on the day that I recorded them. On another day I might have played them with slightly different phrasing or tempo changes. Also, the rubato nature of many of these etudes allows for great flexibility. Depending on the goal of the trombone student, the etudes can be approached in different ways. For example, if the goal is to work on reading, then it should be worthwhile to read the etudes as accurately as possible. It is also advisable, when able to read the etudes with relatively ease, to approach them in an improvisatory way, experimenting with phrasing, tempi and dynamics. After playing one of my etudes, which are actually improvisations that I recorded and later transcribed, I recommend the student improvise a piece. I suggest performing a piece in a fixed tonality at the beginning. Later, after some experience performing pieces in a fixed tonality, it is advisable to perform pieces with “floating” tonalities and the advanced student can explore more atonal pieces. The examples of the Bach Partitas and Sonatas (tracknumbers 25 & 26), are approached with an improvisatory style. For many years jazz musicians have been taking melodies and harmonies from pop, classical and folk tunes and composing or improvising new melodies or harmonies. Many songs have been written on the basic harmonies to Gershwins “I got Rhythm”. Here, on the Bach pieces, I sometimes use Bach notes and improvise my own rhythms and tempo changes. It is important, I believe, to find inspirational and stimulating music to play. Music that expands the technical boundaries of you and your instrument. Also, included on the CD, are some examples of my “free-er” improvisations (tracknumbers 27-29). I strongly encourage all musicians to improvise some pieces as part of your daily Improvisation” ). Here we begin to think as an routine (see page 75 “Examples of Improvisation”). composer as well as an instrumentalist. The more we study the form and craft of composition, the better our improvisations and our overall musicianship improves. Listen to the examples on the CD to get an idea of one way to perform these pieces. Then, find your way.

Ed Neumeister

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Forward In this book I will describe my philosophy and methods of practicing the trombone. Most of my methods, I believe, can be used for musicians of any instrument. You will see that I am a strong advocate of improvisation and musical expression. I believe that we should always attempt to play with as much personality and feeling as possible within the given musical situation. I have had very fine teachers in my life. Much of what I will introduce here has been given to me, in some form, by my teachers or others that have inspired and motivated me along the way. My two principal trombone teachers were Bob Szabo at San Jose State where I was a student from 1970-73 and Mitchell Ross, in San Francisco, with whom I studied as a young professional from 1975-77. Both instilled in me a sense of excellence and exploration. The goal was always play it right, but play it musically! My education after that was primarily "on the streets". Listening to recordings and reading all I could about music and musicians. I have been especially attracted to the music and dedication of John Coltrane, a person who was growing and searching until the day he died. John Coltrane advanced music more than any jazz musician before or since. He created a body of music that is staggering, especially considering that he died when he was only forty-six. The trombone has yet to have a John Coltrane although Jay Jay Johnson probably comes the closest. He along with Frank Rosolino were my early idols. Jay Jay always plays exactly what is needed with nothing extra, never playing extra notes for the sake of showing off. As a matter of fact Jay Jay rarely plays impressive virtuosic licks although he is certainly capable of doing so. He always lets the music be the judge and jury. Even when he does play something technically impressive it doesn't dazzle the listener, even another trombone player, because it makes so much musical sense and it always sounds so easy. We should all have such goals. Frank Rosolino I loved because of his sense of swing. He took the level of playing that Jay Jay created and took it to a higher elevation. Though he was more impressive as a technician, it never got in the way of the music. He also had a great sense of humor in his playing as well as his personality. These and all great musicians, have completely individual sounds, although they all learned by listening and imitating the players that inspired them. Two notes and you know its Trane, Frank or Jay Jay. This is very important for young players to remember. Early in our development we learn by imitating. Then at a certain point we have to "Leave Home," if you will, to become and develop our own voice. These and the other great trombonists that have inspired me are truly great trombonists. They have been an inspiration to just about every jazz trombonist to come along since. Although Jay Jay, Frank, Curtis Fuller and others have been inspirational for me and other trombonists, they haven't affected the music like such innovators as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis & Thelonious Monk. Nor have any trombonist since Tommy Dorsey achieved much in the way of commercial success. Jack Teagarden did in a way achieve artistic and commercial success primarily because of his singing but he is still mostly known as a sideman for the great Louis Armstrong. Louis was also able to achieve commercial success in light of his trumpet innovations because of his singing, personality and showmanship. The other innovators, mentioned above, were so strong musically that they 8

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were able to attain a certain commercial viability. Of course, each of these players had health and other personal problems that eventually led to an early death. Miles being the one to survive the longest and to the most commercial successful. Besides the players mentioned above, some musicians and artists that have affected and inspired me are: Miles Davis, Pablo Casals, Curtis Fuller, Gill Evans, Thad Jones, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Béla Bartók, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Herbie Hancock, Freddy Hubbard, Albert Mangelsdorff, Kenny Dorham, Booker Little, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Wayne Shorter, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Alban Berg, Pierre Boulez, Michel Bicquet, Egberto Gismonti, György Ligeti and Pablo Piccaso. Note that only a few are trombone players players and some some are not not even musicians. It is important, if not absolutely necessary, to be open to different areas of music, art and life. We can learn from anybody. Studying Tai Chi, Yoga, Alexander technique, meditation and other esoteric subjects subjects has greatly affected my music. My more recent teachers include Dave Liebman and Bob Brookmeyer. Brookmeyer especially has been a major influence on my musical and compositional development over the past fifteen years; first as the musical director of the Mel Lewis Big Band (now called the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra), which I have been a member since 1981, and later as a teacher of music and composition through the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. Playing with Mel Lewis for ten years has left in me a great respect and love for Mel that only the people that knew and played with him could understand. I thank Mel for giving me the opportunity to play with and write for such a fantastic ensemble. Mel's playing affects me more and more even though he has been gone for a couple of years now. I feel very fortunate to have been, and still be, involved with this band. Many great trombonists have disappointed me, players who have developed the technique to do anything they want on the instrument and end up playing time worn music from the past. Our history is important and it is impossible to move forward without studying and absorbing the music that has come before us. Part of the reason that this instrument is not popular today is that few players are saying anything new. There are the players with a modern vision, but not the technique to pull it off convincingly. I believe that in order to make a meaningful artistic statement the craft of playing the instrument must be second nature. Only then will the communication with the audience be complete. In some ways classical players, if they are studying the modern repertoire, are more adept with new and unusual techniques such as multi phonics, plunger mutes and other effects. But if you ask most classical players to improvise, they throw their arms in the air and say "I don't improvise". This is ridiculous, especially today. A professional musician today should be able to play Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky etc. and also be able to play a convincing chorus on the blues or rhythm changes or a standard. This should This should be be The Basics! How else can we bring the music into the present and eventually into the future if we haven't absorbed Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey, Jay Jay, Frank, Albert Mangelsdorff, Curtis Fuller, Carl Fontana and others, as well as other great instrumentalists, singers and composers of jazz and western classical music?

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There is also a vast amount of very creative, spontaneous and inspiring music being created and performed all over the world. Lately this music has been categorized and popularized as "World Music". I have found a wealth of inspiration and knowledge in my listening and studies of music from Africa, India, Brazil, Cuba and Eastern Europe. Some of this music has a tradition of thousands of years and has melodic and rhythmic possibilities that western composers have used as a source of creative inspiration. As trombonists we should should especially be familiar with the music of Cuba, Puerto Puerto Rico, Brazil and other Latin American countries where the trombone is still used extensively and is actually quite popular.

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Introduction My goal as a young player was to grow and improve. I still feel that as long as I am learning, growing and improving I will be content with my development and relatively happy with my playing. I am continually trying to stretch myself, which I feel is the only way to take the music to new places. Trombonists in general have a tendency to the get so involved with the technical aspects of playing, because it is a difficult instrument to play, that they forget about the music. We have to remind ourselves that the trombone is only the instrument and that the reason that we are playing the trombone is to make m ake music. This doesn't mean that technique is not important. On the contrary, it is almost impossible to create meaningful music without technical facility. And it is certainly impossible to take the music into the future without a highly developed technique. We would all like to become virtuosos and it is a reachable goal with the dedication and hard work that it takes to achieve such a status. But we mustn't become so consumed with this technical development that we lose track of the reasons that we became musicians to begin with: to play beautiful and meaningful music. As I grew and matured as a musician I realized the importance of expanding the vocabulary of the trombone as well as the music itself. This I see as almost an obligation to the players that have come before us, players that have brought the music from their past into the future, for us to continue. A kind of a relay, without the race. I hope to show the student an approach to studying music through the trombone that will be both rewarding and fun. It is my premise that we can develop our technique by playing music, rather than developing technique so that we can go and play music. We should always play, whether it is an exercise, etude or an improvisation with as much expression and personality that is appropriate for the musical situation.

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Philosophy We live in a society of instant everything, from instant food to instant gratification. Where most people's role models are television or movie stars. What is your goal in life? Most people will answer that their goal is to be someone or to be famous someday. It seems that most famous people are either actors, athletes or politicians. In the music business you become famous by selling a lot of records. How many of these people have done truly worthwhile work, inspiring work? ...Work that will be meaningful and appreciated fifty or one hundred years from now? Wouldn't it be better if we were spending our time and energy working to DO something? Instead of sitting around dreaming about being somebody , waiting, hoping, praying for the phone to ring, waiting for that BIG BREAK, complaining about not working, wondering why the other guy got the gig, I am working hard at trying to GET SOMETHING DONE. Every time I get something done, finish a project, it's very rewarding, even if I am not completely satisfied with the outcome. I am rarely completely satisfied. That is the point. There is always more to learn. The educational payback is invaluable. After all, we are all already somebody. Each of us is absolutely unique and individual. So why not use our individuality, our uniqueness, to create something that will inspire and stimulate the creative process. We cannot all be great artists. We can, all be artists striving to do great work - keeping the creative channels open in everything we do. Be true to yourself and pursue a life that is creative and spiritual and focused, and you will be content and even possibly happy with how your life is progressing. Unfortunately, financial pressures are ever-present. If you lose track of the creative pursuits in lieu of the financial rewards (for example: writing that hit tune, looking, hoping for that big break) are you still a creative artist? You can certainly be creative and be financially successful. And, of course it is possible to make money creatively. But, if monetary gain becomes the primary focus then the creative spirit will diminish. Why? W hy? Because the creative spirit cannot function in a whole capacity if we are concerned with the audience response to the work. In order for a piece to be whole within itself it must be an organic product of itself and of ourself, which, during the act of creation is the same thing. If you concentrate on personal, professional, artistic and spiritual growth, you can feel good about what has been accomplished and learned, and feel good about achieving goals that you have set up for yourself. If the goal is to learn and grow, you know that you have a life's project that will continue to be rewarding. Being devoted to a discipline and working hard at it not only feels good and is satisfying, but it naturally attracts other people to you. These other people can be other musicians, artists, audiences, critics, students, producers etc. One must be true to oneself first. Look deep inside and try to t o find your true self. We are all influenced by each other (that's human nature) so we must edit our influences and concentrate only on the positive or worthwhile aspects. Discard the negative. An artist must in some way communicate to the audience. Miles Davis did this, in part, by turning his back on them. If you play down to the audience, or try to play what you think they want to hear, then you are not being true to yourself, your art or the audience. When you try to stretch yourself and take yourself to areas where you haven't necessarily been before, then 12

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you are also stretching the audience and, hopefully, taking them to areas where they haven't been. David Liebman says in his Portrait of a Jazz Artist "The true artist has considered the meaning of his work as well as the technical aspects and attempts to portray this to others. This gives his art depth, relevance and timelessness which is not usually observed in the popular art of a given period." But, before you can go somewhere new, you have to be absolutely secure about where you are. The foundations and roots must be solid. Imagine a high rise building with a shaky foundation. As serious musicians we must spend time concentrating on sound, rhythm and intonation. For me one can not spend enough time developing a personal, unique sound. All the great masters have had very distinctive sounds. Perhaps studying the methods of classic orchestral sound technique, which in itself is a very homogenous sound, is a good place to start developing your own sound. Many teachers will tell students to imagine the sound to create, but I like to go one step further and try to actually be the the sound. Make it a type of meditation. In this way we can attain a highly personal and beautiful sound. Developing a strong foundation in rhythm and intonation involves primarily practicing with and without the use of a metronome and a tuner. But more importantly it involves recording ourselves and listening back while we critique our own performances. We are our own best teacher. While it is often painful to listen to ourselves in "play back" it is the best and fastest way to improve. The tape never lies, as long as the batteries hold out! One of the skills that we need is the ability to listen and analyze. This is the primary tool of the growing musician, listening to everything that we can: the masters to have something to aspire to, and the novices (including ourselves) to see what can be improved upon. We are all our own hardest critics, and we should be, but it is easy to think of our own playing as what we sound like at our best. We are not perceived by others in this way. Our colleagues and peers are more likely to remember our worst rather than our best performance. It is also important to remember that as artists, as musicians, we are also business men or women. We are in the business of selling ourselves and creating work and opportunities for ourselves. We must consider how we will approach our life as a musician. Some people decide to play only the music which they are interested in, which probably means that they will be earning a living outside of music, especially at the beginning. This is a valid approach, because if we are subjecting ourselves, for example, to mediocre arrangements of bad pop tunes this has to affect our musical personality. We can't help but be affected by the music we hear and play. Of course teaching is an excellent way to earn a steady income while pursuing other creative endeavors. Charles Ives, for example, was a very successful insurance salesman. Most of us, however, decide to earn a living with our instruments even though it means playing some not very good, (if not actually bad ) music, in order to survive. Just subsisting as a musician is a battle in itself and this is not even considering the need and desire to be a creative musician. We MUST remind ourselves periodically why we began playing music in the first place so that we don't get bogged down in the competition of survival. Think about this and decide which direction to take, for it is a lifelong process, and the more organized we are the more efficient we will be. Not only are we musicians but we are also our own managers, booking agents, press agents, publicists, marketing managers, travel agents, bookkeepers, chauffeurs and on and on. It is a very demanding and time consuming process which is more than a little frustrating. On the other hand, it is very 13


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rewarding when the pieces come together and the music is finally able to be heard and appreciated. I suggest deciding where you want to be in five years and then figuring out how to get there. If you operate only on a day to day basis, chances are that you will never establish a firm direction. I have worked toward resolving this problem by developing my skills as a composer, arranger, clinician, producer and author of books and articles etc.. So, you see that my goal is to be involved in the creation of and the process of creating beautiful and meaningful music not just as a trombone player but as a musician/artist/teacher/human being. As a composer, performer, and teacher I am concerned with communicating, to the audience and students, a sense of the search for truth about oneself, and our mission in life through self development. There is so much emphasis in our society on financial success that we need to remind ourselves and our students that we cannot begin to reach true mastership if we are overly concerned with charm, personal success, applause, and salary. Rather, we should be concerned with the creation of music, as understood in its highest form. Art, as part of our spiritual quest for the truth, helps us to see life more clearly and gives us the focus and dedication which can lead to a meaningful existence. The musician that I strive to be, and the musicians that I enjoy playing with, are the players who always project their personality into the music, while blending and being an integral part of the musical situation - being being there in the music without sticking out, blending without disappearing and being as creative and expressive as possible within the framework of any given situation.

"There are only two kinds of music: good and bad." Duke Ellington

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Daily Routine I use the term “daily routine” loosely, as I believe it is important to play the music differently each day. It could be something like making minor variations in the phrases to playing something radically different from the previous performance , such as playing a Bach piece using only the notes and improvising the rhythms freely (there is an example of this on the CD). Even the exercises can be improvised on, they should be improvised on . Remember: Music that repeats itself over and over is boring. Music that changes constantly, with few or no connections with itself, is chaotic. Therefore, why not focus on developing themes while exploring the different areas of music. All the while, keeping in touch with, stretching and expanding out technical abilities. This goal can be applied to an individual improvisation, or a whole day of playing music.

1. 2. 3. 4. 4a. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Warm up with music - composed and improvised 1 Athletic Stretches Flexibility and Range Articulations - tongueing & scales (tonalities) Improvise on a tonality (i.e. C maj) Use a metronome on 2 & 4!! Athletic Stretches Break Music - composed and improvised 3 Athletic Stretches TOTAL

15 min. 2 5 min. 10 min. 5 min. 10 min. 3 min. 15 min. 60 min. 5 min. _______ 128 min

It is my opinion that the serious trombone student should spend at least this amount of time per day playing the trombone. Of course, more is better. Four hours per day of focused playing would be optimum. The most important ingredient to a successful day of practicing is focus. When you are completely focused on the music, or an aspect of the music you are playing, then improvement will be evident in all facets of your playing.

1

For example a jazz standard or ballad, a “classical” piece (Rochut, Bach …), or an etude from the book followed by an improvisation in the same tonality. 2

All times are approximate and should be adjusted day to day according to physical condition and mood. 3

For example learning tunes, perhaps continue on the tune or tunes from earlier in the day (1) or work on music for an upcoming concert etc., or classical pieces - solo pieces Bach etc. …. And, of course, some some improvised pieces.

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Concepts of Practicing There are a few basic concepts that have greatly helped me and my students in the practice room. First, I don’t like the word practice. I see my playing time alone as a performance. This way when I am performing out of my house it is just another performance. You see the distinction? We rarely get nervous when we are home practicing. Why is that? It is because it is not important to sound good when there is no audience. What often happens is that we play our best when there is no pressure for us to perform well. We can be relaxed and completely focused on the music at hand. But for most of us, as soon as there is an audience it becomes much more difficult to keep our focus. This is why, as I mentioned earlier, that it is important to practice (or perform at home) with the tape recorder on, in on, in the record mode . That way the tape recorder is the audience and we are performing rather than practicing. The more we are accustom to performing the more relaxed we are when we are performing out of our house for an audience of more than one or when performing with a group of our colleagues. The other concept here is the idea of importance. It seems that for most of us, as soon as it is important to play well we get so self conscious that it becomes very difficult to play well. For example: You are alone in practice room or studio somewhere playing and feeling completely relaxed. The music is flowing from your instrument. At a certain point somebody walks into the room. Or maybe all you hear is somebody opening and closing a door in the room next door. What happens? All of a sudden you know that someone is listening to your playing. Are you still as relaxed as you were one minute before? Is the music flowing from your instrument as before? Probably not. Now that you know someone is listening to you, you feel self conscious and are not playing as well as you were just a minute before. And here is the paradox: We play music so that we can perform for other people but when we have an audience, when it is “important” to play our best, we often don’t play our best. By performing instead of practicing. By performing for the tape recorder or the imaginary audience we become accustom to the feelings of performing. It’s not a new situation if we are performing at home every day. It’s just another performance. Also, we have to remind ourselves that it is not important. The main reason that it is not important is that when it is important we don’t play our best, another paradox. We usually play our best when it is not important to play our best, because we are relaxed and focused. As soon as it is important to play our best we somehow don’t. Hence: Since we play our best when it is not important to play our best then it can’t be important. The other thing to remember here, is that it really isn’t important if I play a great trombone solo today, not in the big picture. World hunger won’t go away if I play a great trombone solo today. The tension in the middle east will not disappear if you play a great solo tomorrow. In actuality it isn’t important. But the tension within ourselves will disappear when we are completely relaxed and focused on the music. In other words, by placing importance on our own playing we are, in essence, making it harder on ourselves to create music.

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Turn your practice session into a performance session with an audience. Create an audience by turning the tape recorder to record. But whether there is a tape recorder or not, always be playing to an audience. Even if you are only playing an exercise. Play it as if you are performing a piece of music. Imagine an audience sitting in your room listening. The beauty of this kind of practice is that you can still, even though you are in performance mode, repeat passages that don’t go as well as you would like. Remaining in this performance mode also helps to keep the focus on your session. It’s easy when practicing to let the mind wander while playing and repeating an exercise or passage of music. This kind of mindless practice, while better than no practice at all, limits focused relaxed potential gains. You will enhance your playing greatly by playing in a focused relaxed way. Speaking of focus: I recommend picking as single aspect of the music to focus on while practicing. As I discuss later, I suggest focusing on melody early in your performance enhancement session. And later on in the session focus on rhythm followed later by harmonic focus. Here is an example of playing a piece with two different focuses:

1. Play an etude or jazz standard, written or improvised, keep your focus on playing melodically and musically. Don’t be concerned with rhythmic precision. Keep your focus on melodic expressiveness and musicality. 2. Play the same etude or jazz standard, but this time keep the focus on rhythm. If it is a written etude, keep the focus playing the written rhythms correctly and precisely. If it is a jazz tune focus on the time feel or groove. Keep Keep the tune swinging. 3. If you playing a jazz tune that you plan to improvise on then after you have completely learned the melody you should put some focus on the harmonies, which for me means playing through and memorizing the roots and functions of the chords (major, minor, dominant) and the relationship of the harmonies to the melody and the home key (ie II-V-I in Bb to II-V-I in Eb etc...)

I believe that it is very important to learn the tune in the proper order:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Melody focusing on the melody Melody focusing on rhythm, time swing, groove etc. Harmony without rhythmic focus Harmony with rhythmic focus (walking a bass line, arpegiating the chords etc..) Combining above facets (melody with harmony etc.) Add scales to the harmonic focus

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* Studying the relationship of the melody to the home key of the tune is helpful when memorizing a tune. If you know the melody stays in the key of “C” and starts on the third, then it’s much easier to remember. * One should move to step 2 only when step 1 is memorized and completely absorbed, hopefully in several keys. Same with steps 2 to 3 and so on. * When playing and learning a jazz standard one should ALWAYS have the melody in mind. You should always know where you are in the form and be able to quote the melody at any time. If you are not able to do this... then...go back to step one. * It is better to know three or five or seven tunes really well than to kind of know one hundred tunes only OK. * Learning tunes in this way may take some time at the initial stages but subsequent tunes will be learned and memorized easier and quicker as you recognize patterns.

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The Basics In my travels the one thing I have noticed is that inexperienced players have often neglected to pay attention to the basic aspects of playing the trombone. Good posture is a must when playing a brass instrument. Both feet should be evenly carrying our weight with the spine straight and stretched toward the sky. Imagine that you are hanging from a wire coming out the top of your head just above the top of your spine. This doesn’t mean rigid though, erect and tall without being stiff or tense. The weight evenly distributed between both feet and from front to back. Of course we move around some as we play, and that is fine as long as we keep our center of gravity low and centered. Shoulders should be down and relaxed. I see too t oo many players playing while standing on one foot. foot . The horn should be held comfortably at an angle just below parallel to the floor. This changes from player to player but I see too many players playing directly into the floor. Have you ever played for an audience that was laying on the floor two feet in front of the player? Then why do so many trombone players point at the floor when they are playing? While sitting: both feet should be on the floor evenly, not crossed. Spine should be straight as when standing, make sure lower back is not arched in. As when standing, shoulders should be down and relaxed. There should be no tension or pain anywhere. These are just basic concepts of correct posture. I suggest research and study in Alexander Technique, Tai Chi, Yoga and other posture studies to further understand the benefits of a good and correct posture. This goes way beyond trombone playing. The horn should be held with most of the weight being handled by the left hand, again without too much tension and definitely without pain. Of course, this varies from player to player but I find that I support the weight primarily with the crook of my thumb while tilting the horn into position with my index finger. This leaves my right hand free to control the slide properly. The slide is best controlled, I believe, by holding it with the pads of the thumb, index and ring fingers. Arms should be away from the body as to not interfere with breathing. The right arm should be at an angel as to allow for greatest wrist flexibility. Fine tuning slide movements can be accomplished by using the joint of the thumb. We should always be in control of the slide. We’re not in control, if we throw the slide out and catch it again around fifth position. “Place the slide in position” I remember one of my teachers telling me. I don’t believe in the term “alternate position”. I believe that we should use the slide positions combinations that form the most relaxed and smooth combinations in a musical passage. We should avoid, if at all possible, the jerky motion of back and forth when it’s possible to play the same passage with the slide moving in one direction or even in the same position (i. e. middle b- d- b above the staff, #4-b4-#4 rather than 4-1- 4). This is a rather obvious example. Positions that are often avoided but should be used as often as up, F in the staff - 6th, middle Bb - #5, D - b4, Db - b5, F the “normal” positions are, going are, going up, F #4, G - 4, A - 4, High Bb - 5 or 3, C - 3, high D - #3, Eb - #2 or 3, high F #3. These are just a few examples. There are, of course, many others. Rather than thinking of these as alternate positions, I prefer to think as each note having several possible positions. It’s up to the player to use the position that keeps the slide moving in the same direction or from keeping the slide from jerking one way then the other.

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In my playing, I use F- 6th, Bb - #5, D - b4, F - #4 more often that the “normal” or first learned positions. The common response when I mention this in a workshop, clinic or to a student is: “These positions are often out of tune so I prefer to play the note in a position where I feel more secure”. To which my response is sometime like: “Of course Bb in 5th position is not as secure as when you play it in 1st. If you have played this Bb in 5th position as many times as you have played it in 1st then it would be equally secure. One way to work on making these under used positions positions more secure is to repeat a note, playing every other note in a different position. For example: Play D alternating between b4th and 1st positions. Don’t confuse the timbre change with intonation. Check the pitches with a tuner. The D in 1st position will have a slightly different sound or timbre than when played in 4th.

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Breathing Breathing is another very important aspect of playing a wind instrument that often gets overlooked and or forgotten about entirely. This is interesting, as without breath there is no life and there certainly is no sound. But when our mind is concentrating on all the other things that we need to be concentrating on, we tend to forget to breathe properly and completely. We need to focus and expand our breathing so that our expanded breath for playing becomes as natural and and automatic as our natural breathing. The first thing I have my students do in the study of breath is a meditation on posture and breath: Stand with feet parallel and shoulder width. With eyes closed, make sure that weight is distributed evenly right to left and front to back. Then put your focus on your posture. Stretch your spine to the sky as if you are hanging from a wire on top of your head above your spine. Make your self taller. Tuck your buttocks in slightly to straighten the base of your spine, almost as if your are tucking an imaginary tail between your legs. Now continue to focus on stretching your spine. Make sure your shoulders are down and relaxed. There should be no tension anywhere. Check your hands to make sure they are also relaxed. If you feel tension or pain move your body and gently shake the tension off. Once you have established a relaxed and erect posture move your focus to the breath. While breathing naturally observe and explore your breath. When the chatter in your mind appears just bring your focus back to your breath. Allow the chatter to drift away as you bring your focus back to your breath. Periodically check on your posture. Focus on your breath in this way for a few minutes. After some time start to exhale completely and then follow your exhalation with an expanded inhalation. Take several breaths slowly with, now, complete exhalation and deep full inhalations all the while observing the apparatus of your breath. Be careful not to hyperventilate. You could pass out if you over do it. If you feel yourself getting dizzy just sit down and breath naturally for a minute. Just to be safe, do the breathing meditation where there are no sharp corners or hard furniture near by. You should find this to be quite relaxing and a good way to start your day or practice session. What should happen when we breath is: The air, when it comes in through the nose or mouth should fill up from the bottom to the top. Just as you would fill a container container with water. Some think of it as a three part process: First, fill the lower abdomen area, start filling from the area about three inches below your navel. Then the middle chest area followed by the upper chest. The shoulders should move somewhat with the chest when we fill the upper chest area. The shoulders should not move anymore that is necessary to follow along with the upper chest. They (the shoulders) should remain down and relaxed. It’s important to remember that we are three dimensional, at least, so we should focus on filling from both sides and the back as well as the front. Work on filling up completely. Take a complete breath then inhale some more air. Hold it and take in some more air. See how anywhere. You should feel completely much air you can hold without any tension or pain anywhere. You full and supported with every breath that you take when you are playing or getting prepared to play, even if you are only playing one note.

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The breath is highly therapeutic. When you are feeling a little nervous - focus on your breath. Take a couple of deep breaths. If you are having problems with endurance - focus on your breath. Some high notes - breath, low notes - breath, long phrase - breath, difficult rhythmic passage - breathe etc. etc. Most problems can be improved improved by focusing more on the breath. I personally have survived some extremely nervous situations by taking several deep breaths or by doing the t he above breathing meditation.

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Section One: Melodic Warm Up 

5-30 Minutes

When I begin my practice session for the day, I want to start the day playing music, a tune. It doesn't matter which kind of tune I start with. It could be a jazz standard, a classical melody from a symphony or a classical etude. It should be something that is easy and tones, a beautiful melody. What a melodic and probably legato. This is my version of long tones, a great way to start the day! Start in the middle register and gradually expand the register, both high and low. Here are some examples of jazz standards that work as warm up long tones: "My "My One and Only Love," "Body and Soul", "In a Sentimental Mood," "All The Things You Are," "Stella by Starlight, "If I Should Lose You," "Lush Life," basically any jazz ballad will work. Playing a jazz ballad has several applications. Don’t forget what I talked about earlier, we are performing these melodies! As jazz musicians we have to develop a repertoire, so we must learn the piece while we play it. Each tune, melody and changes, should be memorized and some tunes should be played in various keys, if not all twelve keys. This helps to develop our ears. As serious musicians we must also have a working knowledge of the keyboard. All great jazz musicians have been, at least, good piano players and many brass and saxophone players have been and are quite good piano players. Dizzy Gillespie played piano on some Miles Davis recordings. As trombonists the standard key is not always the best key for the horn. Note that Jay Jay Johnson often played tunes in nonstandard keys. The only way to find out which key is best is to try several. When the original key is a flat key I try to keep it in a flat key. For example Polka Dots and Moon Beams: Most people play it in F whereas Bb is a better key for the trombone. Jay Jay recorded Stella by Starlight in Eb instead of Bb. I think the practice of learning a tune in several keys is not stressed enough. Of course, like anything else, it gets easier the more you do it, and it helps the process of memorization, which is very important. In some ways this is the most important time in the practice routine. Look at all the subjects that are covered in this "warm up" period: sound, musical expression, range development, tune learning, transposition, memorization, intonation, legato phrasing and other articulations etc.. I also like to play parts of Bach's Cello Suites, or his Violin Partitas and Sonatas or even some Rochut (Bordogni) Etudes. Take it easy though, playing only short sections at first hurt. Pain is not gain. When you feel pain or when it is a longer piece. It should not hurt. tension, stop and rest for a minute. The goal is to strengthen and develop the muscle of the embouchure. This way we can extend our endurance. By resting between sections or pieces we allow the muscle tissue to rebuild and strengthen, rather than tearing it down. Make a point to memorize the pieces even if they are classical etudes. The more we memorize the easier memorizing becomes, so when you have to t o memorize something for a performance it is not such a burden.

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Here are some warm up etudes that I have composed. These are essentially my improvisations. Ideally a portion of each area of the practice routine should contain some players alike. Improvise your own improvisation. This is important for jazz and classical players jazz ballad. Improvise your own classical etude. Improvisation is composition on the fly. We should incorporate this into every aspect of our practice routine! I will talk more about improvisation later.

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Etudes 1-24

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Etude 1 Track: 1

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Etude 2 Track: 2

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Etude 3 Track: 3

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Etude 4 Track: 4

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Etude 5 Track: 5

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Etude 6 Track: 6

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Etude 7 Track: 7

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Etude 8 Track: 8

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Etude 9 Track: 9

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Cont. Etude 9

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Etude 10 Track: 10

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Etude 11 Track: 11

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Etude 12 Track: 12

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Cont. Etude 12

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Etude 13 Track: 13

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Etude 14 Track: 14

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Etude 15 Track: 15

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Cont. Etude 15

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Etude 16 Track: 16

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Cont. Etude 16

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Etude 17 Track: 17

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Etude 18 Track: 18

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Etude 19 Track: 19

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Etude 20 Track: 20

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Etude 21 Track: 21

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Etude 22 Track: 22

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Etude 23 Track: 23

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Etude 24 Track: 24

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The trombone is just the instrument with which we can express ourselves through the music.

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Section Two: Athletic Stretches 

5-15 Minutes

After playing the warm up etudes, it is time to do what I call athletic stretches. As brass players we are also athletes - we develop and train the muscles in our embouchure. As an athlete might run a little to warm up then get down on the ground to stretch their muscles, we need to stretch and loosen our embouchure muscles. This will expedite the building and strengthening process, building stamina, while helping to avoid injury. Streches, I like to start in the middle register and play down into the pedal With the Athletic Streches, I range. Start with major arpeggios. I start on Eb because it is the first trigger note. If you it but play the note in the position as if you have a trigger play this exercise without using it but were using the trigger (i.e. Eb in flatted 3rd). Play these slow. Breathe when you have to. Go as low as you can comfortably. Remember trigger. Make it sound as if you are using the trigger. fake all trigger notes, do not use the trigger. Make This will make your trigger notes stronger and more centered if you use one.

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Athletic Stretches #1 Play as low as possible, use no trigger

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Athletic Stretches #2

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Play it right, but play it musically!

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Section Three: Flexibility and Range Building 

5-15 Minutes

Beginning lip flexibility and range building For beginning and intermediate players: Start slowly and move to the next note only when the note you are playing is very solid. The first thing to concentrate on is the volume of air. The lower the note the more volume of air, the higher the note, less volume is used. In other words, it takes more air to produce a lower note. There is a larger volume of air being blown into the horn in the lower register but the air stream moves faster as we move up in register. We must concentrate on playing softer as we get higher. This goes contrary to what might seem natural and is contrary to what some players teach. But I have found that practicing in this way helps to develop a nice relaxed upper register. Start this exercise at Forte in the lowest register and Pianissimo in the upper. We have to understand that the upper register will naturally project better than the t he lower so we don't have to work as hard in the upper range. The only way to develop these higher ranges is to be relaxed.

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Beginning Lip Flexibility & Range Building

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Cont. page 58

As above becomes easier, start adding notes up the overtone series (see advanced range building and flexibility on next page). 1. Play in all seven seven positions, only as high the comfortable, breathe breathe when needed. needed. 2. Play through each note: With each consecutive note getting softer as you go up and louder as you come down. 3. Play with a metronome, making sure that each each note is in time.

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When I begin my practice session for the day, I want to start the day playing music, a tune.

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Advanced Range Building & Lip Flexibilty For intermediate and advanced players. Once players feel comfortable with the previous exercise they can start with this. Play with a metronome! Although this should be played with NO TONGUE, the articulations should be clean and even. Start slow and increase the tempo. The tempo should be just one notch faster than what is comfortable. All are based on the overtone series. We should play as high as possible for a short time every day immediately followed by the lower register. Once you have learned these examples make up some of your own.

Variations are played in all seven positions

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Advanced Lip Flexibility & Range Building B uilding 1. Play in all seven seven positions as high as possible and and breathe when needed. needed. The goal is to be relaxed as you play higher. Don’t be concerned (now) with the tone quality in the higher register, a squeak today good sounding tomorrow, or…maybe the next day. 2. Tongue only the first note! Use natural articulation (sometimes (sometimes called against the grain) 3. Use the metronome! 4. Play through each note: With each consecutive consecutive note getting getting softer as you go higher and louder as you play lower. 5. Play with a metronome, making sure that each each note is in time. Only when a slow tempo is comfortable, move the metronome marking to slightly faster

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Optional! Play only when previous example is played with ease! Play as high as comfortably possible without pushing!

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Section Four: Tongueing

"It’s knowing when to tongue” Frank Rosolino

Articulations should sound the same whether you are tongueing the note or using the natural breaks of the horn. Each player must experiment to decide what type of rapid tongueing he will use, doodle, double, da-ga or ta-ka etc.. But the most important, at the beginning especially, is the single tongue. The tongue is a muscle that needs to be developed and strengthened. For the beginner this should be done on just one note, trying all the different syllables. Da-da-da-da-da. Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. La-la-la-la-la, and combinations thereof. The goal being to play clean articulations, legato or staccato, at any given tempo. Of course it is easier to play a passage with a fast light articulation than with a heavy staccato. But practicing a rapid staccato will help develop the more rapid legato that a jazz player will have a tendency to use. The metronome should be used here clicking, and this is important, on 2 and 4! It is important for any musician to be able to play with the metronome clicking on different beats of the bar, but it is especially important for the jazz player to be comfortable with the click on 2 & 4 as well as 1 & 3. As you get more comfortable with your time you can use beat 2 of a 3/4 or 3 of a 3/4 etc.. Once you have gotten a tempo on one note it is time to move on to scale practice, still with the click on 2 & 4.

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Turn your practice session into a performance session with an audience. Create an audience by turning the tape recorder to record. But whether there is a tape recorder or not, always be playing to an audience.

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Basic scale and tongueing exercises Start slowly and practice all the various articulations: single, legato, staccato, double (daga-da-ga), doodle and my version of doodle which I consider more of an extension of the single tongue. As the tempo gets faster the articulations go from da-da-da to the tongue alternating between the upper roof of the mouth (where the teeth meet the gums) and the same area of the lower teeth. So in essence the tongue is just flapping back and fourth (da la da la). This is something that we all need to experiment with as I think each of us needs to find the most natural way to produce clean and rapid articulations. The important thing is that we start with the single tongue slowly and develop that into a light rapid articulation that leads comfortably into doodle or da-la or da-ga or double or whatever you want to call it. Don't forget to practice triple tongueing also. As jazz rhythm is based on the triplet feel, being able to tongue in groups of three is very important. We should be able to go back and forth between the various articulations (single, double and triple) comfortably at any tempo. Also, we must be able to double (doodle) much slower than our fastest single tongue and single tongue much faster than our slowest double so that we are able to make transitions smoothly. I suggest this kind of mundane practice while watching TV. Sports events are Star Trek, Trek, one hour a day especially good for this sort of thing. I used to use the TV show Star of nothing but tongueing and scale practice. Don’t forget that you are performing though!

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Scales & Tongueing

Play in all twelve keys

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Chord Exercises Chord Exercises are perhaps, for the jazz musician, more important then scales. Never the less, take a scale and play every other note and you have the chord. These basic chord exorcises should be played both legato and stacatto and played slowly at first. Then when comfortable and memorized, the tempo should be gradually increased. Memorize!

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Section Five: Building Technique with Music After some time on scales, chords and tongueing it is time to play some music again. At this point in my practice routine I usually play either improvisations or some classical etudes. I like the Bach Cello Suites, Violin Partitas and Sonatas or Rochut Etudes. I believe that it is important to find some composed music that inspires us. This music can be from any period of musical history. The important thing is that the music is inspiring and challenging. I am sure that there are decent pieces written for the trombone t rombone (I haven't found many) but there is a lot of enjoyable music in the world that is playable on the trombone. I am always looking for something interesting to play. J.S. Bach is a favorite of mine, he was such a fantastic composer and for me the first great jazz musician, I play some Bach almost every day. Here is a good time to improvise some pieces.

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Section Six: Improvisation I have been very interested in the study of improvisation and composition, which are essentially the same thing, the study of improvisation in its purest sense. My emphasis is in going beyond the traditional techniques of learning improvisation. It is impossible to compose or improvise in a vacuum. An artist uses his resources of ideas, inspired by other artists or nature, techniques and tools of the trade to create a piece of work. Our tools are the same used by any instrumentalist: scales, arpeggios, articulations and stylistic considerations, etc. The trombone is just the instrument with which we can express ourselves through the music. Art must have form in order to exist. Form is a fact of art; however, the form does not have to be the 32 bar song form or a 12 bar blues, etc. There are many other forms that need to be explored. Through my studies I have acquired and developed several exercises to help explore different forms or frames of improvisation. Here again, I point out that composition and improvisation can often be interchanged. These exercises are not just exercises in and of themselves, but they are performances and should always be approached as such. They can also be used as a learning and growing tool. A taped session becomes a performance rather than merely a rehearsal. Also, the recording can be used for future study and analysis. This study of one's own playing helps to develop the individual and his or her unique voice. The goal is to avoid clichés, and to integrate a focused discipline with the spontaneity of daily life to achieve pure musical ideas with a sense of form.

"But in order to get results - and this is the paradox - you must not look for results. If you look for the result you will block the natural creative process. It is important not to focus on the result, but on the process” Jerzy Grotowski, „Towards a poor theater“

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Examples of improvisation exercises:

1.

Improvise with no harmonic or rhythmic preconceptions for 5 minutes. Rely and trust intuition and impulse.

2.

Improvise with limited harmonic/melodic possibilities (i.e. any major or minor scale) for 5 minutes.

3.

Limit the choice even further (i.e. use 5 notes or 3, or 1) for 5 minutes. mi nutes. Any of the above played with metronome.

4.

Improvise on a song form. No rhythmic accompaniment, except possibly the metronome.

5.

Infinite variations on above.

Always tape when possible. Transcribe and study selected improvisations. Exercises can be performed solo, duo, trio or with any size ensemble.

Group improvisation is also important for the development of the musical artist within the ensemble as well as for the group as a whole. This developmental process applies to groups of any musical discipline (i.e. Chamber, New Music Ensembles, Jazz, Big Band, etc.). By getting "non improvising" musicians to improvise in group situations, musicians realize that they need not be shackled to the printed page in order to create meaningful music. This gives them a clearer perspective when they are faced with a written manuscript. When improvising within a group, a different set of rules and obligations apply. The first skill being, "to play or not”. Then what to play? Contrast, opposite, similar, parallel, etc.? I maintain that these practices should be a part of every musicians' development and growth. By introducing a spiritual approach to our growth and development, searching for the truth in ourselves, we can break down the barriers and reveal the true t rue substance. Music should swing. Swing is a term usually associated with jazz but it really applies to any kind of music. The difference between a good technical performance and a moving musical experience is usually a result of how the music flows or swings. Have fun and enjoy!

Ed Neumeister Neumeister 77

Ed Neumeister’s ________________________________________ ___________________________________ _____


Ed is available for video-conference lessons where he can hear and see you play and offer some individual feedback and suggestions. If you are interested in such a high-tech lesson (you will need a newer computer with high speed internet access and a web cam or video camera) please contact Ed by e-mail at [email protected] to discuss pricing and scheduling.

Available now! Creative Practicing – Practice Creatively DVD Take a lesson with master trombonist, composer, improviser Ed Neumeister. “These are lessons and lectures that I found myself giving to every new student. I found them to be universally helpful for everybody, so I decided to make video recordings of them.” Ed Neumeister Includes acclaimed Focus on Focus video which has received over 1,500 views on YouTube and Ed’s website. Also included are over ten solo performances, some of which have been seen thousands of times on YouTube. The Solo for Plunger, Voice and Trombone has already been viewed 73,000 times on YouTube.

Look for book two, which will include more etudes and exercises covering some of the following subjects: Rhythmic Studies More scales, modes and chords. Advanced techniques: Plunger, Multiphonics, Wide intervals etc.

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Trombone Technique Through Music_A4

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