In short, all the brands you come to expect in music seem to be missing out on the bell cover craze. Though, it seems KYT Music and Protec have you covered. That said, don’t overlook what other brands like Carbinahome, Bestim Incuk, and ArtJ4U have to offer. Ultimately, whatever choice you make, you won’t be breaking the bank.

Review Criteria

If I’m going to be honest with you, my local community band has been on hiatus since the start of the pandemic. As a result, I’ve had no need for a bell cover. That said, I know other folks do, so I figured I’d simplify the search process for you all.

When I research the best products, I like to leverage the various filtering features of Amazon to limit my search. For instance, I used the following settings to generate this list of the best tenor trombone bell covers:

• Search Terms: Trombone Bell Cover
• Department: Musical Instruments
• Average Customer Review: 4+ Stars

As always, I make sure to sort the products by average customer review, so I know I’m getting the best product first.

5 Best Bell Covers

In this list, we’ll take a look at the five best tenor trombone bell covers that I could find on Amazon. Feel free to share your favorites as well.

#1. KYT Music Instrument Bell Cover – $

Coming in at number one on the list is a very affordable bell cover by KYT Music. According to their product page, this bell cover is 8 inches in diameter, so it should fit snuggly on most tenor trombones. In addition, it’s washable, so you can use it again and again.

Like most bell covers, this one is made of an elastic material, so it should form to the shape of your bell. As an added bonus, the material is double layered and includes a pocket for removable air filters.

All-in-all, this looks like a pretty good bell cover that even promises to limit effects on tone. Likewise, folks seem to be quite pleased with it. Though, there were a few complaints of it not meeting the strictest of safety requirements. As a result, it may be a good idea to use this bell cover in addition to a musicians mask.

#2. Protec Instrument Bell Cover – $

If you’re not a fan of the KYT Music bell cover for whatever reason, Protec makes one that is almost identical. Much like the other bell cover, this one features two layers of fabric which is washable. Likewise, it’s also elastic, so it should fit over a variety of bell sizes.

As far as I can tell, the only difference between Protec’s bell cover and KYT Music’s bell cover is the lack of a pocket for a filter. To me, that seems like a major downgrade. That said, if you don’t need the pocket, then this bell cover will work just fine.

Overall, folks seem to really like Protec’s bell cover. The only complaint I could find was the effect the bell cover has on pitch. In my experience, just about everything from mutes to ambient temperature effects the pitch of a trombone, so I see this as less of a con than a fact about the reality of being a musician. I’d recommend tuning your horn with the cover on.

#3. Carbinahome Instrument Bell Cover – $

Yet another cover in the long list of bell covers comes from Carbinhome. I’ve personally never heard of this brand, but the bell cover seems to be fairly popular.

Of course, like the previous bell covers, this one seems to have all the same features. Specifically, it’s made of an elastic felt, so it’ll stretch over a variety of bell sizes. Likewise, it’s also double layered like the previous two bell covers. In addition, it’s washable, so you can reuse it.

Like Protec’s bell cover, this one seems to lack a pocket for a filter. Again, this would be a major con for me, but you may not care. Given how affordable all of these bell covers are, you wouldn’t be losing any money by going for filter support. That said, it’s totally up to you!

Unlike the previous bell covers, I couldn’t find any negative comments about this one. Though, this manufacturer does sell several variants, so you have to make sure you get the right size (~7-9″ for a tenor trombone). I will say that this cover looks a bit more soft than some of the previous covers, so I would probably pick this one to avoid the possibility of scratches on the bell. That said, I haven’t seen anyway complain about that, but it’s definitely worth considering.

#4. Bestim Incuk Reusable Music Instrument Bell Cover – $$

Up next, we have another brand that I’ve never heard of: Bestim Incuk. My first impressions of this bell cover just from the pictures is that it’s sort of ugly. Unlike the previous bell covers that seem to be completely elastic, this looks like a pair of sweatpants on your bell.

That said, I won’t knock this bell cover as it appears to hit all the same boxes as the other bell covers. It’s washable and reusable and doesn’t effect tone according to the manufacturer.

Like the previous bell cover, you can run into some trouble if you’re not careful. It seems these manufacturers group all of the bell covers under one listing, so it’s easy to buy the wrong size. Also, it seems to be lacking a pocket for a filter, but that seems to be expected at this point.

Overall, there isn’t much to say. This bell cover is definitely the most expensive of the bell covers in this list, but it’s still very affordable. If you’re looking for something a bit uglier, this definitely the way to go.

#5. ArtJ4U Music Instrument Bell Cover – $

Last but not least, we have the Bell Cover from ArtJ4U. Up to this point, just about every bell cover has been the same. This one, however, is a bit different.

First, it’s silver! Or at the very least, they offer both silver and black. In addition, it’s the first bell cover we’ve seen in this list that’s not elastic. Instead, the mechanism they use for wrapping the fabric around the bell is a drawstring. I’m not sure why it includes a drawstring given that the entire thing is supposedly elastic, but I guess that gives you more peace of mind as it loses elasticity over time. That said, if there are any dangling plastic parts, I worry they might damage the horn.

Overall, folks seem pleased with this bell cover, and one person even said they used it in conjunction with a foam ball to make their own mute. I don’t know much about making mutes, but you can find all the information you might want to know about trombone mutes here.

Summary

As it turns out, it seems bell covers are all more or less the same. If you’re particularly picky about them, you can keep an eye out for filter pockets and drawstrings. That said, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the bell covers in this list.

As always, if you find a bell cover you really like and would like me to recommend, feel free to reach out. Otherwise, take care, and remember to always respect the brass.

The post 5 Best Tenor Trombone Bell Covers for Combatting a Pandemic appeared first on Trill Trombone.

• What Is a Mute?
• How Many Types of Mutes Are There?
• How Do I Get a Mute?
• How Much Does a Mute Cost?
• How Do I Learn How to Use a Mute?

As always, these types of articles are meant to provide an overview of the topic. If you want more details about any of the questions in particular, feel free to follow the links provided in those sections.

What Is a Trombone Mute?

Quick answer: it’s a piece of material that goes in, on, or around the trombone bell to alter the tone of the instrument.

More specifically, a mute is a device that you attach to your bell to change how the trombone sounds. Typically, you would own a few different mutes for different occasions. For example, it’s not uncommon for a straight mute to show up in concert band music. Likewise, you’ve probably scene a plunger used once or twice in jazz music. Take a look:

Unfortunately, due to the sheer variety of trombone mutes out there, it’s tough to describe exactly what they are. That said, like most things in music, I find it helpful to just take a listen:

How Many Types of Trombone Mutes Are There?

Quick answer: a lot, but not all of them are practical.

By this point, you’ve probably had a chance to see the various types of mutes there are for trombone, which begs the question: how many types of mutes are there?

This question can be broken up into two parts. First, I would argue there are only a handful of general purpose mutes that you’ll want to have on hand. In my experience, that includes a straight mute and a cup mute. And even then, I’ve gotten away with using a music stand to literally mute the sound of my horn.

That said, there are many, many types of mutes. But outside of the straight and cup, there are only a handful of other mutes that you might be exposed to regularly. These include the plunger and bucket mutes. If you peak at the thumbnail above, there are also several other mutes including pixie, harmon, softone, and buzz. These are significantly more rare.

However, it really depends on the context. As a jazz musician, I might see plungers more regularly than an orchestral musician. Similarly, folks who play in pit orchestras for musicals probably see the widest variety of mutes for various effects.

If you’re interested in seeing what the most common mutes look like, check out my article on the 5 most common trombone mutes.

How Do I Get a Trombone Mute?

Quick answer: head to your local music store, make an online purchase, or hunt for a deal on Craigslist.

Now that you’ve seen some mutes, let’s talk about how to get one. In general, there are two main ways to get a mute: online or in-person at a music store.

Unlike trombones, mutes are significantly more affordable. As a result, you’re less likely going to want to try-before-you-buy. That said, if you decide to purchase a mute online, I recommend reading a lot of reviews:

• 5 Best Straight Mutes for Tenor Trombones

Worst case scenario: you send it back and buy a different one. If you’re looking to save some money, I’m sure there are folks willing to part with their used mutes on eBay and Craigslist. And since mutes are so rarely used, this might be a good option.

In my case, I don’t think I started buying mutes until high school or even college. In fact, according to Amazon, I last purchased a mute in 2013. At that point, I was using straight and cup mutes more regularly in concert band, and if I ever needed something else, I was usually able to borrow one. And since I used the mutes so infrequently, I went sort of cheap with the old reliable Humes & Berg brand.

If online shopping isn’t your thing, you can always try to find mutes at your local music store. I believe I’ve seen then at larger chains like Guitar Center. Alternatively, if you’re in an ensemble, you can try to see if they have mutes that you can borrow.

All that said, be very careful when you pick out a mute. Trombones aren’t the only instruments that support mutes. For instance, you can buy straight mutes for all sorts of brass instruments including trumpets, French horns, and euphoniums.

How Much Does a Trombone Mute Cost?

Quick answer: trombone mutes are relatively inexpensive with prices ranging from $10 to $100, depending on brand and materials.

Now that you know where to look for a mute, it’s time to talk about how much you’ll be spending. If you’re like me and don’t mind being a little cheap, you can pick up a stonelined mute, which is effectively a very durable cardboard, for around $20. Alternatively, I’ve seen some plastic varieties for around the same price, though I cannot really comment on their quality or tone.

If you want something that is a bit more professional, you’ll have to shell out a little bit more cash. For instance, I’ve seen some nice aluminum mutes in the $30 to $50 range.

As always, the type of mute also impacts the cost. For instance, straight mutes seem to be the most affordable which I’ve seen as low as $10. In fact, I’ve written a nice list of straight mutes, if you’re in the market for one.

Alternatively, cup mutes seem to be about twice the price on average (i.e, $50 – $100), though this makes sense considering they require a bit more material. Likewise, I’ve often seen cup mutes feature removable cups (i.e., a 2-in-1 cup and straight mute). However, those can be a bit annoying to use if you have to switch back and forth often.

Some of the more rare mutes seem to be quite affordable as well. For example, the Harmon mute has a comparable cost to a cup mute. I suspect this is due to the lack of demand, but who knows.

All that said, I am sure there are professional mutes made of fancy materials like rose gold which skyrocket the price. That said, for everyday use, you can get a mute for a very affordable price. That said, be careful not to buy too many. They’re somewhat difficult to store.

How Do I Learn How to Use a Trombone Mute?

Quick answer: pick up a songbook, join a community band, find a private instructor, or watch some YouTube videos.

In my experience, there is not much you need to learn to be able to use a mute, though most of my experience is with cup and straight mutes. In general, those just twist right into the bell. From there, it’s a matter of practicing to get the right tone.

For some of the more intricate mutes like the plunger and Harmon mutes, there are definitely techniques that go beyond blowing into the horn. For instance, here are some techniques for learning how to use a plunger mute:

All that said, mutes typically require context to be effective, so you’ll want to grab some sheet music that includes muted parts. Or, you can always listen to you favorite musician and try to mock their sound.

Ultimately, the best way to learn is with others, so you’ll either want to pick up an instructor or join a community band. That’ll help you get up to speed quickly!

Get Started Today!

If you came here because you knew nothing about mutes, now you have plenty of knowledge to get started. As always, thanks for taking the time to check out the site. As always, respect the brass!

The post Everything You Need to Know About Trombone Mutes appeared first on Trill Trombone.

As it turns out, there are a lot of ensemble options for trombone players. In particular, however, I picked what I thought were the 5 best: concert band, jazz ensemble, pit orchestra, orchestra, and ska. Of course, there are plenty of other options including church bands and quartets/quintets/etc. You just need to find what’s best for you!

If you’re interested in learning about these bands, I’ve provided a description along with a few YouTube videos as examples in the following sections.

List of Ensembles for Trombone Players

Without further ado, let’s get to the list! In particular, there are 5 ensembles which I felt were worth mentioning. In addition, there’s a section that includes a few additional choices if none of the main options meet your needs.

Concert Band

First in our list is concert band—which is sometimes called symphonic winds or wind symphony depending on the instrumentation and ability of the group. While concert bands aren’t my favorite groups to play in, they’re often the easiest to find and join, so they’re the only groups I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to over the past couple years.

In concert band, musicians are typically arranged in a large arch that contains anywhere from 30 – 150 players. In this arch, you can find pretty much any wind instrument including but not limited to:

• Flute
• Clarinet
• Alto saxophone
• Tenor saxophone
• Baritone saxophone
• Trumpet
• French horn
• Trombone
• Baritone
• Tuba

In addition, concert bands often feature plenty of percussion including snare drums, timpani, and marimbas. Of course, it’s important to note that there are usually no string instruments like violins or cellos. This is what differentiates a concert band from an orchestra.

As a trombone player, this is probably going to be your first exposure to ensemble music. After all, almost every music program starts musicians off in some beginner concert band. In fact, I play in a community concert band once a week. Naturally, these types of groups have a low barrier to entry, so that’s why I include them in my list of ways to get better at trombone.

In terms of arrangement, trombones can typically be found toward the back of the ensemble near the trumpets and baritones. As you move closer to the front of the ensemble, you’ll find the clarinets, flutes, and other woodwind instruments.

Jazz Ensemble

If concert bands aren’t your thing, you might opt for a jazz band. Honestly, they’re my favorite ensembles by far, but your mileage may vary.

At any rate, Jazz bands typically come in two forms: big band and combo. In a big band, there are typically about 20 members which have the following breakdown:

• 4-5 trumpets
• 4 trombones
• 2 alto saxophones
• 2 tenor saxophones
• 1 baritone saxophone
• 1 drum set
• 1 piano
• 1 guitar
• 1 bass

On the flip side, a combo is usually a small group that consists of any instrumentation you want. For instance, Dave Brubeck—famous for Take Five—had a quartet which contained an alto saxophone, a piano, a double bass, and a drum set. Meanwhile, Miles Davis had a quintet which contained a trumpet, a tenor saxophone, a piano, a double bass, and drum set.

As a trombone player, you’ll have plenty of options in a jazz ensemble. For instance, the trombone section is typically broken up into four parts including three tenor trombones and one bass trombone.

In terms of arrangement, trombones usually sit in 2, 1, 3, 4 part order where the lead trombone is lined down the middle of the ensemble with the lead alto and the lead trumpet. Meanwhile, the bass instruments are on one end of the ensemble and the percussion are on the other end.

Pit Orchestra

While I love a good jazz ensemble, I think my second favorite group to join as a trombone player is a pit orchestra. If you’re not familiar with the idea of a pit orchestra, it’s a small group which plays exclusively for vocal events like musicals and plays. As a result, they tend to be short-term in nature, but they’re a lot of fun.

In terms of instrumentation, pit orchestras can pretty much feature anything—and I mean ANYTHING. After all, if they’re is a particular sound needed for a play, it will be available in the pit orchestra. That said, many of the groups I’ve played for included everything from a jazz combo to a brass band.

In order to get involved in a pit orchestra, you usually just have to get lucky. Many of the gigs I’ve played for were through invitations because they needed more trombones. Of course, I’m sure professional playhouses have formal auditions.

Orchestra

One of the other major ensembles is the orchestra which is a group similar to a wind symphony except most of the winds are replaced with strings. As a result, there are far fewer opportunities for wind instruments. However, trombones can still join. That said, orchestras typically only have enough space for two tenors and a bass.

Personally, I’ve never played in an orchestra, so I can’t speak to the experience. That said, my understanding is that your role as a trombone player is a bit like a percussionists role. In other words, you’re there to play accents, rhythm, and harmony—not necessarily melody. In addition, it’s almost necessary to have a trigger trombone to play orchestra music. If you’re interesting in learning how to use one, check out my article on F triggers.

Regardless, if you’re into that sort of thing, most universities have an orchestra. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with many community orchestras, but there are plenty of professional orchestras as well—like the Cleveland Orchestra. Perhaps that’s something you could strive for.

Ska

If you’re more interested in punk music, there’s an entire genre dedicated to angsty brass called ska. Personally, I’ve never been in a ska band, but I’ve listened to it quite a bit. For instance, I linked a popular piece by Streetlight Manifesto called We Will Fall Together above. Check it out!

If you pay attention, you’ll notice they have a pretty solid makeup: a trombone, a trumpet, a tenor saxophone, a baritone saxophone, a guitar, a bass, and a drum set. Of course, there’s no formal description of a ska band. For instance, at one point, Reel Big Fish had a trumpet, a trombone, a tenor saxophone, a guitar, a bass, and a drum set—though I don’t think they have a trombone player anymore.

If you wanted to get involved in a ska band, you’d probably have to make one yourself. Unlike all the other bands on this list, you’d be unlikely to just stumble upon a ska band at your school or in the community.

Mixed Groups

Outside of the major groups I’ve listed, there are literally thousands of mixed groups you could get involved in. For instance, I spent a winter playing for a holiday trombone quartet. In terms of logistics, we basically just shuffled parts around, so everyone had a chance to play a solid range of pieces.

If quartets aren’t you’re thing, you could always join a local church band. Of course, church bands are usually small and include instruments like the guitar and piano. That said, nothing is really stopping you from filling a cathedral with your beautiful brass sound.

Likewise, you may get value out of niche groups like chamber and baroque ensembles. Personally, I don’t have any experience with them, so Google may be provide better resources.

What’s Your Favorite Ensemble?

And with that, I have nothing else to share. To summarize, there are five types of ensembles you can get involved in as a trombone player: concert band, jazz ensemble, pit orchestra, orchestra, and ska. Of course, don’t limit yourself to this list. There’s plenty more where that came from.

At any rate, what’s your favorite ensemble? Mine is jazz with pit orchestra making a close second. As always, if you enjoyed this article, give it a share. Otherwise, thanks for taking some time to check this article out, and don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post 5+ Best Ensembles for Trombone Players appeared first on Trill Trombone.

In general, the F trigger on a trombone provides three uses. First, it drops the pitch of a tenor trombone by a perfect fourth. As a result, you can access an extended range which includes false tones and pedal tones. In addition, it adds new options for positions like middle C in 1st position rather than 4th. Finally, it opens up the possibility for trills.

In the remainder of this article, we’ll take a look at the anatomy of a trigger, how to hold a horn with a trigger, the benefits of having a trigger, and how to maintain a trigger.

Anatomy of an F Trigger

If you take a look at your horn right now, you’ll notice that the F trigger is made up of four main sections: the trigger, the linkage, the valve, and the wrap.

Typically, the trigger is a piece of metal that sits along the bell brace closest to the bell. As a result, when you wrap your hand around the the slide brace, your thumb will rest right on top of the trigger. Unlike a straight trombone, your thumb won’t go over the bell brace which may feel a little odd at first.

Then, the linkage is the mechanism which connects the trigger to the valve. In general, there are two types of linkages: string and mechanical. With a string linkage, you’ll notice a string that’s attached to the trigger and wraps around the valve. When the trigger is pressed, the valve will rotate into place. Meanwhile, the mechanical linkage functions largely the same way, but the string is replaced with a metallic arm.

On the other end of the linkage, you’ll find the valve which is the mechanism which changes where air flows in the trombone. In general, the rotary valve is the most common, but there are plenty of options including axial flow and dual bore.

Finally, the valve feeds into the wrap which is the additional tubing not found on a straight trombone. In particular, there are two different types of wraps, open and closed, which refers to the amount of additional tubing that sticks out from the bell. If you have an open wrap, you’ll notice that the tubing sticks out beyond the limits of a straight trombone. Otherwise, you have a closed wrap horn which is more compact.

Using an F Trigger for the First Time

Now that we know what we’re looking at, let’s talk about how to use an F trigger. First, grab your horn like you normally would with one hand on the slide brace and another hand on the slide. Of course, the only difference here is that your thumb will go on the trigger instead of over the bell brace. If you’re not totally comfortable with some of this terminology, check out my article on trombone anatomy.

With your hands in place, take a moment to squeeze the trigger a few times with your thumb. Notice the full range of motion of the trigger, and be careful not to push beyond that range. After all, I’d hate for you to break a string or bust a rotary valve.

If you’re doing everything correctly, your trigger should barely move. As you can imagine, the limited range of motion allows you to press and release the trigger quickly. After all, your music isn’t going to wait for you to mess with your trigger.

After you get a feel for your trigger, jump down into the next section to get an idea of what your F trigger can do for you.

Benefits of Using an F Trigger

Now that we know how to use the trigger, let’s talk about what an F trigger actually does. In particular, an F trigger drops the pitch by a perfect fourth. In other words, if you go to play a B♭ with the trigger down, you’ll actually play an F.

So, what does that mean for you? Well, you now have a whole host of new options for positions. For instance, if you need to hit C in 6th position, you can use the trigger in 1st position instead. Likewise, if you need to hit the B in 7th position, you can use the trigger in 2nd position.

In addition, the F trigger also gives you extended range. For example, the E below the staff is about as low as you can reasonably go on straight trombone without diving into false tone or pedal tone territory. With a trigger, you’ll have no problem going down another octave.

If you’re interested, check out this position chart for F trigger trombones. As a brief summary, here are a few noteworthy (pun intended) uses:

• Middle C – T1
• Low F – T1
• Low E♭ (false tone) – T3.5
• Low D (false tone) – T5
• Pedal E – T2.5

Here, T refers to the trigger. In other words, if you want to play middle C, play an “F” in 1st position with the trigger pressed.

Finally, the F trigger can open up the opportunity for trombone trills (like the website name!). Of course, I personally have never tried it, but I’ve heard it can be done.

Maintaining an F Trigger

Like all moving parts on a trombone, the F trigger needs to be maintained. And if you’ve read any of my other maintenance articles, you know I care a lot about keeping horns in good shape. As a result, I figured I’d share one last tip for the road: don’t forget to lubricate your valve.

To do that, there’s a cap on one side of the rotor which you should be able to unscrew. From there, you can apply a small amount of rotor oil directly to the mechanism. In addition, it’s a good idea to remove the main tuning slide and drip some oil down the tube. In both cases, you’ll want to jiggle the trigger, so you get proper coverage of the mechanism.

When I was researching maintenance tips for this article, I found that a lot of folks were very specific in their oil recommendations. For example, some folks recommended using valve oil while others recommended using special oils like rotor oil and bearing oil. In fact, I saw once source that recommended using three different types of oil.

That said, I recommend following whatever the manufacturer of your horn recommends. After all, they designed the horn, so they probably have a manual which dictates how to best take care of it. At the very least, cars do!

As always, you may want to clean the mechanism first. Of course, cleaning a valve is a much more complicated process than cleaning a slide, so make sure you look up a proper guide for your horn. That said, if you’re just looking for some general trombone cleaning tips, I have a whole article on that.

Perhaps in the future, I’ll write a more detailed guide. For now, this will have to do!

Summary

Over the course of this article, we covered a few questions related to the use of an F trigger. For instance, we talked about what a trigger might look like, how to hold a horn that has one, what the trigger actually does, and how to maintain one.

If you don’t feel like this article fully answered your question, feel free to let me know. I’m always happy to expand an article for the good of my readers.

Otherwise, that’s all I have for today. If you’d like to see more of this kind of content, let me know, and I’ll start doing my research. In the meantime, thanks again for your time, and don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Use a Trombone F Trigger appeared first on Trill Trombone.

At a high level, there’s a lot to talk about in terms of trombone anatomy. For example, outside of the slide, the mouthpiece, and the bell, there are also small components like the water key, the slide bumper, and the tuning slide. In total, there are at least 15 unique elements in the anatomy of a trombone.

Of course, if you’re looking for more information, feel free to browse the rest of the article.

Overview

In general, the trombone is made up of three main sections:

• The Mouthpiece
• The Slide
• The Bell

If you’ve ever put together a trombone, these are the three main pieces you have to regularly assemble and disassemble.

Of course, these aren’t the only moving parts on a trombone. For example, the slide is actually made up of an inner and an outer slide. In addition, it features other moving parts like the slide lock and the spit valve.

In the following sections, I’ll break down the three main components into exactly what they are, what they do, and what makes them up.

The Mouthpiece

On a trombone, the mouthpiece is the cup-like object that you buzz into. Unlike the slide and the bell, there’s really nothing too special about the mouthpiece—it’s just a chunk of metal or plastic.

However, there’s a lot of thought that goes into a mouthpiece. In fact, I could probably write a whole other article on the anatomy of the mouthpiece.

For starters, there a few main sections of the mouthpiece worth knowing about:

• Rim
• Cup
• Throat
• Backbore

As you can probably tell from the name, the rim is the circular ridge that you place your lips against. Naturally, the shape of the rim (i.e. flat vs. curved) has consequences. For example, a flat rim is usually easier to play on, but you don’t have as much flexibility in terms of tone.

Meanwhile, the cup is the open space just beyond the rim. As you can imagine, the depth of the cup affects tone color and dynamic range. In addition, cup depth plays a role in player control and stamina.

Just beyond the cup, you’ll find the throat. In essence, the throat is a hole that regulates back pressure and tone quality. Again, these factors are also related to the player’s control and stamina.

Finally, we have the backbore which is the shank part of the mouthpiece that gets wedged in the slide. In addition to providing some way to fix the mouthpiece to the horn, the backbore is also responsible for directing air into the horn. As a result, its design can affect tone quality and dynamic range. All that said, it’s less important than the cup and the rim.

Of course, when you actually buy one, you’ll want to be familiar with the various brands and their part numbers (i.e. 12C, 5AL, etc.).

The Slide

As mentioned already, the slide is the section of the trombone that connects the mouthpiece to the bell. Naturally, I felt it made sense to talk about it next!

As you can see in the image above, the trombone slide has a handful of features. For example, it’s composed of a set of nesting tubes. In other words, there’s an inner slide and an outer slide.

Of course, metal generally shouldn’t touch, so to keep things in good shape, we usually lubricate the inner slide. If you’re in the market for a new slide lubricant, check out my list of the top three slide lubricants. Of course, if you want a quick recommendation, I’d grab Slide-O-Mix then follow my directions here.

In addition, there are sections on the slide that are built specifically for holding the horn. For instance, there are two slide braces that run perpendicular to the slide. One of the slide braces is meant to remain stationary as you hold the horn. Meanwhile, the other slide brace is what you use to move the slide.

When the two slide braces meet, there’s a slide lock which we can use to hold the inner and outer slide together. As you can probably imagine, the slide lock is a small ring that rotates into place.

Just above the slide lock, you’ll find the mouthpiece receiver. This is the location where the mouthpiece connects to the horn.

On the other end of the slide, you’ll find the water key or spit valve which is used to release fluid from the slide during play. At a basic level, the spit valve is composed of a lever, a cork pad, and a spring. As a result, the spring holds the lever and the pad in place to keep any air from escaping.

Finally, the last piece you’ll notice is the slide bumper. If you pay attention, you’ll see it’s the pointed piece of metal extending from the end of the slide. In general, the purpose of the slide bumper is to keep the slide from get damaged. For example, you might stand your trombone on its bumper while counting rests. Without the bumper, you’d be damaging the end of the outer slide.

That said, if you’ve ever seen any pictures of my slide, you’ll see all kinds of dents in it. After all, I’ve been in many ensembles with more chairs than space, so I’ve hit a few chair legs in my day.

The Bell

Finally, we’ve reached the bell which is actually made up of a few pieces. For starters, the slide receiver which is the section of the bell which connects to the slide. Unlike the mouthpiece receiver, the slide receiver typically has a nut which connects to a set of threads on the slide.

Moving along, you’ll notice two more braces. These are called bell braces and they connect the bell to the slide receiver. In addition, they provide structure for the tuning slide—which provides airflow from the slide to the bell.

In addition, the tuning slide allows the player to adjust their tuning. If you’ve never played around with your tuning slide, I recommend doing so as soon as possible. Unfortunately, tuning slides are one of the more neglected features of a trombone, so it’s possible that yours is stuck right now. If so, you should get it to the shop.

Regardless, it’s always a good idea to give it a proper cleaning and lubricating. If you’re curious about how to do that, I’ve written a guide to greasing a tuning slide.

One last thing I’d like to mention is that the bell is often the most customizable piece of the trombone. For example, many professionals have triggers which tap into the tubing on the bell. As a result, they’re able to extend the range of their horn while also giving them more options for slide positions. For instance, it’s common to skip C in sixth position and use an F trigger at first position.

Summary

Overall, there are three main sections of the trombone: the slide, the bell, and the mouthpiece. In addition, each section can be broken down into different features. For example, the bell features a tuning slide and multiple bell braces. All that said, there are many different makes and models of trombones, so some features may not have made the list.

As always, I hope you liked this article. If so, make sure to give it a share. Otherwise, I appreciate your feedback. After all, there may be some topics you think I missed in this article. At any, don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post The Anatomy of a Trombone appeared first on Trill Trombone.

In short, applying Superslick is a 4-step process. First, make sure your slide is clean. Then, apply the slide cream (small tub) to the stockings and spread using the outer slide. After that, apply the silicone solution (small bottle) in the same fashion as the slide cream. Finally, spray the slide with water and start playing!

For more details, feel free to leverage the guide below.

3 Steps to Apply Superslick

In the following subsections, we’ll take a look at a list of steps you can use to apply Superslick to your trombone slide. If you’re still deciding on a lubricant, check out my guide to the best trombone slide lubricants. Otherwise, feel free to jump through the steps:

1. Clean your slide
2. Apply slide cream to stockings
3. Apply silicone lubricant to stockings
4. Spray slide with water

When you’re finished, you’ll be ready to play. However, if you still have any issues, I have plenty of maintenance related articles to help you out.

Step 1: Clean Your Slide

If you’ve been following along, you know the very first thing I always tell people to do before they perform any maintenance on their horn is to clean it. As a result, I won’t waste too much time here.

That said, cleaning your slide is important because it removes old lubricant and other debris. If you neglect this step, you risk limiting the potential of your lubricant which will cause you to apply it more often. Over time, you’ll waste a lot of lubricant which can be expensive.

In addition, letting debris accumulate on your slide can reduce the lifetime of your horn. If you’re hoping to keep your horn for a long time, it’s a good idea to clean it regularly.

To do that, I recommend cleaning both the inner slide and the outer slide. After all, cleaning one without cleaning the other is mostly a waste of time since they share the same space. Instead, you should wipe down the inner slide and scrub out the outer slide. For more information, check out my article on how to clean a trombone.

Step 2: Apply Slide Cream to Stockings

With the horn in good shape, now is the time to bust out the slide cream. If you’re not sure which of the three products is the slide cream, look for the jar-shaped container labeled “Trombone Cream.”

Due to the nature of slide cream, you don’t need very much to lubricate your slide. In general, I’ve seen descriptions that vary in size from a “pinky nail” to the “tip of a wooden match.” I think the key here is not to use too much. If you can still see white after spreading it out, there’s too much.

Once you’ve decided how much to apply, use that amount directly on the stockings—the fat ends of the inner slide. Before you put the slide on, it may be a good idea to rub the cream around the stockings first. Then, use one end of the outer slide at a time to spread the cream.

If done correctly, you shouldn’t see any cream on the slide. However, you should feel a bit of cushion between the slides. At the very least, the slide should sound a little different as you move it (i.e. less friction).

Step 3: Apply Silicone Lubricant to Stockings

With most slide lubricants, the cream is usually enough. Just spray a little water, and you’ll get a week or two of smooth slide action. However, Superslick has opted to include a silicone additive which has a few benefits.

For one, silicone is hydrophobic. As a result, when you add water, you’ll get the beading phenomenon that allows for smooth slide action.

In addition, silicone is synthetic, so it’s less likely to break down over time. In other words, it should last longer than typical slide oils. In fact, one of the other products I often recommend—Slide-O-Mix—includes a synthetic element in its mixture as well, and people swear by it.

At any rate, if you’re not sure which product is the silicone, it’s the small dropper bottle labeled “Professional Plus Slide Treatment.” To apply it, follow the same instructions as the slide cream:

1. Apply to the stockings
2. Spread using one end of the slide at a time

If done properly, you should feel like the slide is ready to go.

Step 4: Spray with Water

Now, all that’s left is to apply a little bit of water to the inner slide using a spray bottle. If you’ve cleaned your slide properly, water should be all you need to keep it in good condition for a couple weeks. If not, water may only buy you a couple days.

Regardless, applying water is really a slick trick that takes advantage of the hydrophobic properties of the lubricant. In other words, the water forms tiny ball bearings which cushion the slide and improve speed. If you’ve used other quality lubricants like Trombotine or Slide-O-Mix, you’ll find that water is an excellent addition to your slide care routine.

Of course, you’ll have to experiment with the right amount of water for you. If you use too much, you may find that you’re spending a lot of time emptying it out of your spit valve. In addition, you’ll probably just be flushing most of the lubricant out with it. Likewise, if you use too little, you may not notice the effects.

If you’re a little skeptical of spraying your slide with water, just know that a spray bottle is provided with the Superslick package. Likewise, I’ve written a bit about why I think water is an excellent choice if you’re interested.

Summary

And with that, you should have a properly lubricated slide. Feel free to take it for a test spin. If you don’t like how it feels, there are plenty of other products on the market. For instance, I put together a list of the top 3, but you’re welcome to use whatever the manufacturer of your horn recommends.

At any rate, here’s a recap of the steps:

1. Clean your slide
2. Apply slide cream to stockings
3. Apply silicone lubricant to stockings
4. Spray slide with water

While you’re doing some maintenance, maybe it’s a good time take a look at your tuning slide. If you haven’t touched it in awhile, I recommend greasing it, so it doesn’t get stuck.

Otherwise, thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Apply Superslick to Your Trombone Slide appeared first on Trill Trombone.

To summarize, Trombotine can be applied in 3 steps. First, prepare your slide be removing any old lubricant. Then, apply Trombotine to the stockings and spread thoroughly until no more white can be seen. Finally, spray the slide with some water, and you’ll be ready to go.

If that description wasn’t enough, keep reading to get even more details.

3 Steps to Apply Trombotine

If you’ve never used a cream-based lubricant before, this article will serve as a nice introduction. In general, you’ll want to follow a 3-step process:

1. Clean your slide
2. Apply Trombotine to the stockings
3. Spray the slide with water

If your slide is already in good shape, feel free to jump to the second step. Of course, don’t forget to read to the end. There’s a nice bonus tip to follow.

Step 1: Prepare Your Slide

As always, I recommend cleaning your slide first—especially if you’re changing lubricants. That way, you won’t run into any issues of cross-contamination.

To start, I recommend cleaning the inner slide first with a soft cloth. If you want to go the extra mile, you can use a mild dish soap to remove any grease. In addition, it’s a good idea to inspect the slide at this point for dents and mineral deposits.

If all is well on the inner slide end, run a snake through the outer slide. After all, if you only clean the inner slide, you’ll immediately undo all your work when you put the outer slide back on, so make sure it’s clean too.

To clean the outer slide, some folks recommend using a cleaning rod and some cheesecloth. In this case, the goal is to repeatedly vibrate the inside of the slide until you generate enough heat to remove debris and old lubricant.

If you need more tips on cleaning a trombone, I’ve written a guide that runs through the entire cleaning process.

Step 2: Apply Trombotine to Stockings

With your slide in good condition, it’s time to apply the Trombotine. To do that, lay your slide on a flat surface, and extend it until the stockings (the fat ends of the inner slide) are exposed. Then, apply a small amount of the slide cream to each stocking.

From here, spreading the Trombotine is just a matter of preference. For instance, some folks recommend rubbing the Trombotine around the stockings before letting the slide do the rest. Meanwhile, others recommend manually rubbing the cream up the slide.

Regardless, all that matters is that you get even coverage of the cream at least around the stockings which are going to come in the most contact with the outer slide. Be careful not to use too much because you don’t want to be able to actually see the cream. Otherwise, your slide will feel slow and sticky.

Step 3: Spray Slide with Water

With your Trombotine properly applied, it’s time to hit your slide with a finishing touch: some water. In particular, you want to use a spray bottle that will break up the water into tiny droplets that will act like ball bearings on your slide.

To be honest, I’m not sure exactly how much water you should use, but obviously you don’t want the slide soaked. Feel free to experiment and report back with your number of sprays.

If you want to take your slide to the next level, add a small amount of a silicone solution to your slide. If you’re familiar with Superslick, this is actually a part of their formula. Of course, it works just the same with Trombotine. Feel free to follow the small bottle directions for Slide-O-Mix as well.

The benefit of using a silicone additive is that it will last longer than a cream. In other words, it’ll extend the life of your lubricant, and it will improve the slide’s smoothness.

Summary

When it comes to applying Trombotine, the process is pretty straight forward:

1. Clean your slide
2. Apply Trombotine to the stockings
3. Spray the slide with water

Pro tip: you’ll get even better results if you top off this process with a bit of silicone lubricant (i.e. small bottle of Slide-O-Mix).

If you followed this guide and decided that Trombotine isn’t for you, check out my article on the three best slide lubricants.

At any rate, I hope that helped! If so, let me know. Otherwise, don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Apply Trombotine to Your Trombone Slide appeared first on Trill Trombone.

In short, to tune a trombone, you’ll want to make sure your tuning slide works. If so, make sure you get a hold of a tuner. Then, start warming up. With your horn ready to go, blow a few tuning notes (B♭ above the staff) into the tuner and adjust the tuning slide as needed. If you’re sharp, pull out. Otherwise, push in.

In the remainder of the article, we’ll go into each of these steps in much greater detail.

Tuning Steps

In general, there are four main steps to perform if you want to tune your trombone—especially if you haven’t done it before or don’t do it often:

1. Make sure your tuning slide works
2. Acquire a tuner
3. Warm up
4. Sustain, interpret, and adjust as needed

Of course, you may skip to steps 3 and 4 if you already have what you need.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Tuning Slide Works

It may seem obvious, but you should make sure you’re able to move your tuning slide first. After all, if you haven’t been using your tuning slide, it may be stuck. if that’s the case, you’ll probably want to get it in the shop.

That said, even if you can move your tuning slide, it’s probably a good idea to clean it up. For instance, you might want to give it a good bath. To do that, you’ll not to remove the tuning slide and scrub it down. If you have the tools, now would be a good time to snake out the tuning slide as well. For all sorts of tips related to cleaning your trombone, check out my 8-step guide.

With the tuning slide all clean, you’ll want to get a decent helping of grease on both tubes. To do that, apply some slide grease to the circumference of each tube. Then, work each tube on individually to spread out the grease. Finally, work the tuning slide into playing position and wipe away the extra grease. For more tips on how to grease a trombone tuning slide, check out my 3-step guide.

Step 2: Acquire a Tuner

Again, it may seem obvious, but it’s pretty hard to tune a horn without a proper tuner. Sure, you could pull up a YouTube video and try to play to some tuning notes, but it’ll be a lot quicker to use a tuner.

If you’re frugal, most smartphones have free tuner apps. For instance, I use InsTuner on iPhone, but there are literally hundreds of options including TonalEnergy, Free Chromatic Tuner, and more.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can always purchase a professional tuner. When you buy a tuner, you’ll usually get more options like the ability to change the reference frequency (i.e. A = 432 vs. 440 Hz). In addition, some tuners also combo as metronomes, so you can use the device throughout a practice session. Finally, they also occasionally have fun features like the ability to be clipped onto surfaces like guitar necks or music stands.

If you’re looking for a few recommendations, I can put together a nice review, but you really can’t go wrong with Snark SN5X, Korg CA-2, or Korg TM60BK.

Step 3: Warm Up

While you might be tempted to start blowing directly into your tuner, it’s important to warm up first. After all, it can take some time to settle in for both you and your horn.

If you haven’t been playing much, you might want to do some long tones and lip slurs. Each of these exercises can help you get in a state where you’ll spend the remainder of your rehearsal. If you tune too early, you may find that your pitch changes as you begin to settle in.

In addition, you’ll want your horn to reach some equilibrium temperature with the environment. If your horn was out in the trunk on a hot summer day, it might be a bit hot. As a result, the horn is going to tend sharp, so give it some time to cool off. On the flip side, if your horn is cold, it’s going to lean flat. Take some time to warm it up—literally.

Once you’re warmed up, it’s time to tune!

Step 4: Sustain, Interpret, and Adjust As Needed

At this point, it’s safe to blow a few tuning notes into the tuner. Typically, trombone players tune to a B♭ above the staff. As you stare at the tuner, pay attention to what it’s telling you.

If the tuner says you’re sharp, then you need to make your trombone longer. To do that, pull out your tuning slide a bit. Then, try again. If the tuner says you’re flat, then you need to shrink the tubing a bit by pushing the tuning slide in.

After a few iterations, your trombone should be fully calibrated. If you want to go the extra mile, you can try tuning other notes. Of course, if the note is outside of first position, you won’t want to play with the tuning slide. Instead, adjust your main slide. Over time, you’ll start to develop a bit of muscle memory for those key positions.

If you have a trigger or two on your horn, you’ll want to tune those as well. Unfortunately, I’m not as familiar with attachments, so I’m not sure how you would go about tuning them. That said, I suspect the process is similar.

Summary

While tuning might seem like a straightforward process, there’s actually a lot of effort that can go into it. After all, if you haven’t been taking care of your tuning slide, you can’t exactly tune your horn.

At any rate, here’s the main summary:

1. Make sure your tuning slide works
2. Acquire a tuner
3. Warm up
4. Sustain, interpret, and adjust as needed

If you follow these steps, you’ll be all tuned up in no time! As always, thanks for checking out this article, and don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Tune a Trombone appeared first on Trill Trombone.

In short, there are few technical tasks you can do right now like practicing your scales and performing breathing exercises. In addition, it’s a good idea to invest in a tuner and a metronome. Then, join an ensemble! If none of that helps, try recording yourself and comparing it to your peers or professionals. Finally, you may just need to take better care of your horn.

For more details, dive into the list below.

Tips List

If you’ve made it this far, it’s because you’re genuinely interested in getting better at trombone. Luckily, getting better is pretty straightforward. You just have to put in the work.

Unfortunately, it’s not always clear what you should be practicing. In this list, we’ll take a look at 7 tips you can follow to improve your current abilities.

Practice Your Scales

One thing you’ve probably heard a million times is “practice your scales,” but the reality is that it works. After all, scales are about as fundamental as you’re going to get. And as anyone who has ever played a sport can tell you, you should be practicing your fundamentals.

Now, lecture aside, I don’t always practice my scales. In fact, I can probably only play of few of the major scales from memory (i.e. B♭, E♭, A♭, F, and C). However, speaking from experience, knowing your scales can be immensely helpful.

For example, how many times have you seen a string of eighth notes in your music and thought “I’ll have to practice this.” Well, chances are that those notes are a part of a scale. If you had already built up the muscle memory for the scale, playing a section or permutation of it wouldn’t be an issue.

In addition, practicing your scales is the best time to improve other aspects of your play. For example, you can use a scale to practice techniques like tonguing and dynamics or styles like swing and bebop.

Do Breathing Exercises

As brass musicians, most of our technique boils down to breath support. After all, we can’t buzz without a proper stream of air. In addition, playing a wind instrument is all about managing airflow.

For example, if we want to connect bars, we have to be aware of how much air we have in the tank. Of course, being aware of our remaining air capacity takes practice. That’s where breathing exercises come in.

Personally, my favorite breathing exercise involves busting out a metronome. Pick a tempo then try a few sets of the following sequences:

• In for 4, out for 8 or 16
• In for 2, out for 4, 8, or 16
• In for 1, out for 4, 8, or 16

Each of these sequences should give you an idea of the corresponding dynamic As you get better at managing your air, try different sequences like in for 4 and out for 32.

When performing these exercises, it’s important to be conscious of where your air is going. When you breath in, you want your air to only expand your gut—not your chest or shoulders. If it helps, place a hand on your belly. In addition, you may find it helpful to physically blow the air through your mouthpiece, so you get used to the resistance.

If you’re interested, I’ve found a couple resources which you should give you additional help with breathing exercises:

• Breathing Exercises for Brass Players by Gabriel Langfur
• Breathing Exercises for Brass Players by Deanna Swobada

In addition, I may put together my own breathing exercise resource in the near future.

Use a Metronome

When it comes to playing trombone, one thing I often neglect is practicing with a metronome. After all, the tool is fairly annoying, and it can sometimes be used as a crutch—why should I count if the tool is going to do it for me?

That said, I think we can all agree that a metronome can be immensely helpful in identify sections of music where we tend to slow down or speed up. For example, if we’re playing a piece and we start to rush or drag, we should feel that in contrast with the metronome.

In addition, metronomes can be used to help get us up to speed when we’re practicing a hard part. In other words, a metronome is a nice indicator of progress. If we start at 80 bpm and need to get to 120 bpm, then we can always be sure how close we are to reaching our goal.

Finally, I’ve heard that recording in a studio requires the use of a click track. If you’re used to using a metronome already, then recording shouldn’t be an issue.

Record Yourself

If you’ve ever had the displeasure of watching a video of yourself, you know how painful it can be to hear your own voice or watch your own behavior. Naturally, that cringe you feel is from your own perception of yourself not matching up with reality.

If you take that philosophy and apply it to music, you’ll find that the cringe you feel will guide you to being a better musician. After all, you are your worst critic. If you can identify issues in your playing, you can learn from them and improve on them going forward.

Personally, I’ve only tried recording myself playing trombone once, and I haven’t done it since. However, I do make coding videos, and I find that recording myself does help me identify issues in my presentation. As I’ve recorded more videos, I’ve become more polished and required less takes. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw similar results as a musician.

Listen to Professional Trombonists

To be honest, I probably don’t have to tell you this, but if you listen to professional trombonists, you’ll learn a lot. In fact, I recommend going through the effort to see some of your favorites live. That way, you can hear exactly how they sound in person, so you can try to replicate that.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, here are some of my favorites:

• Glenn Miller
• Tommy Dorsey
• J. J. Johnson

And, I’ll even throw in my old instructor, Paul Ferguson. Obviously, you won’t be able to see most of these guys live, but there are literally hundreds of recordings. In addition, I’m sure all of these guys have tribute bands, so you can at least listen to a profession trombonist try to replicate their work.

Maintain Your Trombone

If you want to ensure your trombone continues to have great sound, you need to take care of it. After all, there’s no use in fighting with a beat up horn. That’s no way to get better.

In terms of maintenance, you should be regularly cleaning the slides and applying the proper lubricants. If your slide is not moving smoothly, it’s probably time to clean it and reapply your favorite lubricant. Don’t have a favorite? Check out this list I put together of the top three trombone lubricants.

Likewise, make sure you take care of your tuning slide. If not, you won’t be able to play in any groups because you won’t be able to adjust your tuning. For those of you who haven’t been taking care of your tuning slides, I recommend an article on how to grease one.

Outside of slide maintenance, it’s never a bad idea to give your trombone a bath. With a regular cleaning, you’ll be able to clear out any debris in the tubing that could be making the trombone more difficult to play. If you’re not sure how to clean a trombone, I have just the article for that.

Finally, you should be ensuring all moving parts (i.e. water keys, triggers, slide locks, etc.) work as expected. If you’re having any problems, it’s probably a good idea to visit your local repair shop.

Use a Tuner

As mentioned previously, your trombone has a huge tuning slide. Of course, it also has a smaller one that needs to be taken care of. If you typically play alone, you might not have used it much. However, once you join a group, it’s important to be in tune.

With a tuner, you’ll be able to adjust exactly where you want the horn to be in your current environment. For example, here in the west, you’ll want to tune an A to 440 Hz. Of course, for trombone players, a normal tuning note would be a B♭ just above the staff.

To actually tune the horn, you’ll want to direct your horn at the tuner. Then, as you blow, note the measurement. If you’re too high, you’re sharp—pull out your tuning slide. Otherwise, you’re flat, so push in a little bit. If you want more information about tuning, I’ll make another article shortly.

All that said, sometimes tuners are not all that useful. For example, if you’re out in the sun or snow, you’ll never have enough tubing to tune your horn. In these environments, it’s better to tune as a group.

Join an Ensemble

If you’re not already playing in a group, I recommend joining one. If you don’t know where to start, I have a list of my favorite ensembles. To summarize, there are tons of great groups you can join such as:

• Concert bands
• Jazz ensembles
• Pit orchestras
• Orchestras
• Ska bands

Of course, feel free to make your own band with your friends. For instance, make a quartet or join a church band. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be a better player because of it. There’s nothing quite like playing in a group.

Summary

At this point, you should be more than ready to improve your trombone playing. The only thing left to do now is put in the work.

If you need a quick reminder of all the tips mentioned in this list, here’s a summary:

• Practice your scales
• Use a metronome
• Record yourself
• Maintain your horn
• Use a tuner
• Do breathing exercises
• Listen to professionals
• Join an ensemble

As always, thanks for taking some time to read my work, and always remember to respect the brass!

The post 8 Easy Ways to Get Better at Trombone appeared first on Trill Trombone.

As it turns out, cleaning a trombone is pretty straightforward. First, you’ll want to take apart your horn and submerge it in a bathtub. Then, you’ll want to snake all the tubing and remove excess buildup from the slides. When you’re finished, rinse the horn and reapply all lubricants. Finally, put the trombone back together and schedule your next cleaning in three months.

Of course, if that wasn’t enough detail for you, feel free to read the remainder of the article.

Trombone Cleaning Steps

In this article, we’ll be looking at a few techniques you can use to clean a trombone. Of course, we’ll be targeting tenor trombones, but these techniques can be used on most brass instruments.

For a high-level look at the process, here are the steps:

1. Disassemble the trombone
2. Soak the trombone
3. Clean the mouthpiece
4. Clean all inner surfaces
5. Clean all outer surfaces
6. Apply lubrication
7. Assemble the trombone
8. Establish a schedule

Below, you’ll find each of these steps in great detail with links to additional sources to aid in the process.

Step 1: Disassemble the Trombone

Before you do anything, make sure that you’re familiar with the anatomy of your trombone. After all, you will need to take your horn apart, so it’s important that you know how to put it back together. If it helps, consider recording yourself as you take it apart. That way, you have something to reference later.

In general, however, a typical tenor trombone is made up of five major pieces:

• Bell
• Tuning Slide
• Main Outer Slide
• Main Inner Slide
• Mouthpiece

If you have a trigger horn or a bass trombone, you likely have even more moving parts. For instance, pay special attention to extra attachments and tuning slides.

When you’re ready, take the trombone apart and place each piece on a soft surface like a towel to avoid scratching. If you have any issues removing any pieces (like a tuning slide), do not try to force them free. Instead, take the horn to a repair shop.

Step 2: Soak the Trombone

Now that you have the trombone disassembled, fill a bathtub or some other large container with warm water and some mild dish soap. In general, you’ll want to be able to submerge each section of your trombone, so bathtubs usually work best. Also, it’s a good idea to lay a towel in the bottom of the bathtub to avoid scratching your horn.

When you’re ready, place each section of the horn into the bathtub until all pieces are submerged. At that point, leave the pieces to soak for about ten minutes. If you’re weary of soaking like some folks, you can always run water over the trombone while actively cleaning it. Of course, for people like me who don’t have a bathtub, running water over the horn is the only practical way of cleaning it.

Regardless, the main idea here is you want to break up the gunk inside the horn with water before you try to use any tools. In the next step, we’ll talk tools.

Step 3: Clean the Mouthpiece

Of all the parts that make up the trombone, the mouthpiece is probably the easiest to clean. As a result, I recommend cleaning it first while the rest of the horn soaks.

To do that, grab a mouthpiece brush or part of a snake and run it through the shank or the tube end of the mouthpiece. While you’re doing this, it’s helpful to run some water over the brush to flush debris as you’re scrubbing. If you want a thorough clean, use some mild dish soap. Never use anything like bleach as it will strip the surface and reveal the underlying metal (been there; done that).

Once you’ve finished cleaning the mouthpiece, set it aside to dry. In the next step, we’ll dive into how to clean the remainder of the horn.

Step 4: Clean All Inner Surfaces

Before you clean the outside of the horn, it’s important to get inside the horn first. That way, your cleaning efforts aren’t a waste of time.

To clean the inside of a trombone, you’ll probably want a snake and a cleaning rod with a metal head. With a snake, you can clean out the curves of the main outer slide and the tuning slides. Meanwhile, the cleaning rod can be used in conjunction with cheesecloth to thoroughly scrub any straight pieces.

In general, you’ll want to run each tool through the tubing for a few minutes to break up more stubborn deposits. If successful, you’ll find that your slides go on easier during assembly.

As you clean the various inner surfaces of your horn, be sure to run water through the tubing to flush any remaining gunk and soap out of the horn. In addition, don’t forget to remove each piece from the bathtub when you’re done cleaning its inner surface.

Step 5: Clean All Outer Surfaces

With all the inner surfaces thoroughly cleaned, it’s a good idea to flush the bathtub of the dirty water. That way, you can continue to use the tub to clean the outer surfaces.

With the tub empty, you can begin rubbing down important outer surfaces like the main inner slide and the tuning slide. Both of these surfaces need to be thoroughly cleaned as they can contain buildup from lubricants and other debris. In many cases, it may be enough to use cheesecloth, but consider using some dish soap.

In some cases, you may find it useful to run a brush over the tuning slide. Unlike the main slide, the tuning slide doesn’t get as much work, so it may have some mineral buildup. Of course, you would have already noticed this while taking the tuning slide off.

As you rinse off the outer surfaces, take a soft cloth and hand dry them. Then, set each piece aside, and let them air dry for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6: Apply Lubrication

With the trombone completely clean, you can begin assembling the slides. However, you’ll want to apply your favorite lubricant first.

For the main slide, first apply your favorite lubricant to the stockings (the fatter ends) of the inner slide. Then, work the lubrication on one end at a time using the outer slide and a twisting motion. When the lubrication is thoroughly applied, spray the slide with some water.

If you’re not sure how to apply your specific brand of lubrication, I have a few guides you can check out:

• How to Apply Slide-O-Mix to a Trombone Slide

Also, if you’re in the market for a new slide lubricant, I have an article on that as well. To summarize, the three main lubricants I recommend are Slide-O-Mix, Trombotine, and Superslick. Of course, the manufacturer of your horn may have better recommendations.

For the tuning slide, you’ll want to use slide grease—not slide oil or slide cream—to lubricate the tuning slide. To apply slide grease, there’s a slightly different process which I have documented.

In short, the process for applying the grease is similar to the main slide. Specifically, make sure to apply a small amount of grease around the circumference of each tube. Then, work the grease on one tube at a time using a twisting motion. When there’s an even coating on both tubes, put the tuning slide in playing position and wipe away excess grease.

Step 7: Assemble the Trombone

When both slides are in position, you can finish assembly. In particular, I recommend putting the entire horn together as if you were going to play it. That way, you can ensure that horn works. For example, you’ll want to make sure that you didn’t break your water key or slide lock in the process of cleaning the horn.

To assemble the horn, replace all slides as mentioned previously. Then, attach the main slide to the bell and place the mouthpiece in position. If everything went smoothly, you should be able to operate all moving parts as expected. In addition, you should be able to produce quality sounds.

Step 8: Establish a Schedule

At this point, your horn should be in good shape. If your horn was in particularly bad shape before the cleaning, it might be a good idea to create a cleaning schedule. Depending on how often you use the horn, you should be shooting for a cleaning at least twice a year.

If you follow a regular cleaning schedule, you’ll extend the life of your horn considerably, and you’ll limit repair trips. Of course, if you run into any problems during the cleaning process, it’s not a bad idea to take your horn to a repair shop. There’s no shame in that!

Summary

In short, the best way to clean a trombone is to give it a good bath and reapply all the lubrication. Of course, you may find it useful to record yourself during the disassembly process, so you don’t forget how to put your trombone back together.

At any rate, thanks again for taking some time to learn about trombone care and maintenance. In the future, I’ll be looking to extend this article to include specific references for lubrication and other maintenance tips like greasing a tuning slide.

As always, don’t forget to respect the brass!

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