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.

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!

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

As it turns out, greasing a tuning slide is pretty straightforward. First, remove the tuning slide if possible. Then, clean both the inner and outer slide thoroughly. Once the tuning slide is clean, apply a small amount of grease to the inner slide and begin to work it in place. If done correctly, you should have successfully greased your tuning slide. Below, we’ll take a look at each step in more detail.

Steps to Grease a Trombone Tuning Slide

If you’ve been using your trombone for awhile, you probably already know how to take care of the main slide. After all, you use it all the time. If something is out of order, you’ll notice and take some sort of action. For instance, you might just spray it with some water, or maybe you’ll reapply some lubricant like Slide-O-Mix.

When it comes to the tuning slide, you’re probably less likely to notice any issues. After all, when you use it, it’s typically at the beginning of a rehearsal, concert, or practice session. Of course, at the time, you usually only move it slightly. In other words, it doesn’t typically move through its full range of motion like the main slide.

Over time, the tuning slide can accumulate dirt and damage, and it’s even possible for it to get stuck. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at the absolute worst-case scenario, a stuck tuning slide, and how to return it to its former glory.

Step 1: Remove the Tuning Slide

If you’re in a scenario where your tuning slide is completely stuck, you might need to invest in a penetrating oil. I can’t recommend any off-hand, but I can point to an interesting discussion around using WD-40. Regardless, you’ll want some lubricant that can squeeze in the gap between the slides and break up any sort of mineral deposits or rust.

If you’re still having trouble, I’ve heard that applying heat can be beneficial. In addition, there are a whole host of methods which can be used to aid in the removal of the slide. For example, try wrapping a loop strap around your tuning slide and through itself. Then, if you manage to tug the tuning slide free, it’ll be attached to the loop strap.

Beyond that, you can always try getting a hold of a trombone tuning slide crook plate. In general, these are metal plates that fit nicely along the inside curve of the tuning slide. Then, you can try tapping on the handle of the crook plate with a hammer to avoid denting up the tuning slide.

In the worst-case, run the horn to a repair shop where an expert can take care of your horn. In many cases, they’ll have tools like the ones listed above which can be used to remove slides. Then, they’ll go through a process which ensures that you get your tuning slide back in mint condition.

Step 2: Clean the Tuning Slide Thoroughly

Once the tuning slide is free, clean it thoroughly. Cleaning is a topic I’ve covered a bit on this site in reference to the main slide, and many of those tips still apply here. In particular, make sure that you clean both the inner and outer slide.

To clean the outer slide, you’ll want to get a hold of a snake or some cheesecloth which you can run inside the tubing. If necessary, you may want to run a mild soap on the inside of the slide to remove any old grease—especially if you used any oils in the previous step.

To clean the inner slide, run some cheesecloth over the tubing. Make sure that you’re removing as much of the old grease and other buildup as possible. If necessary, use a mild soap. If the situation calls for it, it might be worth it to run a stiff brush on the slide as well.

In the worst-case, run the horn to a repair shop where an expert can take care of your horn. In terms of cleaning, a repair may have special chemicals which can be used to remove old deposits and grease from the slide. If you’re lucky, they may even have tools to ensure your tuning slide comes back looking new.

Step 3: Apply Tuning Slide Grease and Assemble

At this point, your tuning slide should be in good shape. If not, repeat the previous steps as needed until you’re ready to put your horn back together. Otherwise, we can move on to applying slide grease.

Unlike slide oil or slide cream, slide grease is more like a thick gel. When applied to a slide, it forms a nice barrier between the inner and outer slide. The purpose of this barrier is three-fold:

• Corrosion protection (i.e. limits corrosion on exposed metal)
• Contact reduction (i.e. reduces damaging contact between inner and outer slide)
• Mobility restriction (i.e. keeps slide from locking but also from moving on its own)

To apply it, place a small amount of grease on the inner slide. Then, like a normal slide, begin to work the slide into place using a twisting motion with one tube at a time. If done correctly, you should get an even coating of grease along the inner an outer slide.

When ready, put the slide in playing position and remove any excess grease with a cloth. With everything in place, you’re finished. Remember to periodically check in on your tuning slide to ensure everything is in working order.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any grease to recommend at this time. However, feel free to check back as I’ll be looking grease options soon.

Summary

In short, taking care of your trombone tuning slide is a three step process:

1. Remove the tuning slide
2. Clean the tuning slide
3. Apply some grease and reassemble the tuning slide

If you follow these steps, your trombone tuning slide should be back in working order. If not, don’t hesitate to reach out to a trombone repair facility. After all, they are the experts.

At any rate, thanks for taking some time to check out this tutorial. Before you go, don’t forget to respect the brass!

The post How to Grease a Trombone Tuning Slide appeared first on Trill Trombone.

3 Steps to Apply Slide-O-Mix to Your Trombone Slide

In this article, we’ll be looking specifically at the Slide-O-Mix (affiliate link) that comes in two bottles—not Rapid Comfort.

For reference, I’ll be referring to the two lubricant components by the size of their bottles (large vs. small). If you’re in a hurry, I’ve also taken the time to bold the main directions in each section. Feel free to jump around the article as needed.

1. Clean Your Slide Thoroughly

As with many of these types of tutorials, the first step is to always clean your slide—especially if you are switching lubricants. That way, you’ll remove any sort of dirt from the slide, so it doesn’t interfere with the lubricant.

Cleaning can be done in a lot of ways, but it’s probably sufficient to use water and a rag alone on the inner slide. That said, be very careful not to damage the slide as the metal is fairly thin.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can use some mild dish soap or rubbing alcohol. Be careful not to use anything too abrasive near the lacquered surfaces.

Of course, why stop there? After all, old lubricant and other gunk has likely built up on the inside of the outer slide, so it’s a good idea to give the horn a full bath. If you have the equipment (i.e. snakes, cheesecloth, etc.), go for it! I’ve linked a great tutorial by Trent Hamilton if you need any help.

2. Apply a Small Drop of the Small Bottle to the Stockings

When you apply any sort of lubricant to your slide, you should target the stockings, the fat ends of the inner slide. After all, these are the portions of the inner slide that are going to come in direct contact with the outer slide.

To lubricate the stockings, you’ll want to lay the slide on a flat surface. That way, when you extend the outer slide, you don’t apply any torque to the inner slide which could bend it.

Once you have the slide in position, you’ll want to apply a small amount of the Slide-O-Mix to each stocking. In the official Slide-O-Mix directions, they recommend using a “good” drop—whatever that means.

With the lubrication in place, it’s safe to start spreading it out using your outer slide. I’ve seen some folks only lube one tube at a time while rotating the slide to get full coverage, but it’s probably fine just run the full slide up and down a few times. When you think it’s ready, move on to the next step.

3. Let a Generous Amount of the Large Bottle Drip Down the Slide

At this point, you can stand your trombone up so the slide is pointing toward the ground. With the horn in place, extend the slide, so most of the inner slide is showing. Then, apply a generous amount of the large bottle to the top of each inner tube.

If done correctly, the liquid should roll done the slide a bit. Once it’s near the stockings, begin spreading it out with the outer slide—a few cycles should give your proper coverage. If done properly, you’re slide should be running quite smooth.

As a bonus, you can always apply a little bit of water to the slide using a spray bottle. According to Slide-O-Mix, “water is always necessary because our preparation takes advantage of water’s gliding properties.” After a bit of research, I’d say I agree with their assessment: water is an excellent final touch.

Tips and Tricks

If you followed the three steps to apply Slide-O-Mix above, you should be in good shape. In the future, you will be able to apply water whenever your slide gets sticky to bring it back up to speed. If after awhile the water is no longer helping, it’s probably a good idea to start this process all over again.

As always, thanks for stopping by! If you found this article helpful, why not give it a share. In the meantime, remember to respect the brass!

The post How to Apply Slide-O-Mix to Your Trombone Slide appeared first on Trill Trombone.

In short, it’s unclear exactly why trombone players spray their slides, but my best guess is that the water droplets act as mini ball bearings to limit friction between the inner and outer slide. In the rest of this article, I discuss exactly how I came to that conclusion.

The (Speculative) Science Behind Spraying Trombone Slides With Water

Before I listened to the experts, I decided to look into the scientific relationship between oil and water. After all, I think most of us know that water and oil don’t mix. How can that relationship be useful for trombone slides?

When you apply oil to a slide, it creates a layer between the inner slide and the outer slide which reduces friction. To me, that should be enough to start playing.

Of course, some people go the extra mile and spray water on their slide after they apply the oil. Since there’s already oil on the slide, the water creates an additional layer between the two slides.

To me, that shouldn’t make much of a difference. However, something interesting happens when you spray your slide with water: the water beads up. Beading occurs because water molecules are polarized and are therefore attracted to themselves. This phenomenon is known as surface tension.

Of course, water doesn’t always bead up. For example, when it hits your shirt, the shirt soaks it up. So, what makes this scenario different? Well, the water is sitting on the oil.

As it turns out, oil is hydrophobic which means that it’s not attracted to water. As a result, when the two liquids come in contact, they stay separated. Since the oil is hydrophobic, the water attracts itself into a ball-like shape. That leads me to think that the water acts like miniature ball bearings between the inner and outer slide.

Now, I would imagine that water would mostly work on its own. After all, we slip on it all the time, and it’s not like the metal is going to soak it up, right? Then, I realized that water evaporates, so it makes a pretty bad lubricant. In other words, who would want to bother with applying it multiple times a day? That’s what makes oil the better choice.

What the Community Says About Spraying Trombone Slides With Water

If you straight up search “why do musicians spray their trombone slides with water?”, you’re bound to find nothing. At least, that was my experience. To answer that question, I found myself digging through slide oil guides and videos to see if anyone would mention the reason behind using water. In most cases, I found nothing, but occasionally, I’d strike gold.

For instance, when I searched “how to oil trombone slide,” I found an article titled How to Lubricate Trombone Slides by Matt Kerns. In it, Matt explained how to apply slide cream to a trombone. In the last step, he mentions the following:

At this point, the slide should feel fairly smooth, but for the best action use a spray bottle to apply a fine mist of water onto the inner slide tubes before and as needed while playing. The water will bead against the greasy layer of cream and act like tiny ball bearings to cushion the slide and make the action super-fast.

Matt Kerns, 2019

In very few words, it seems Matt has come to a pretty similar conclusion as myself as to why we spray trombone slides with water. Of course, I wanted to know more.

Somewhere in my search I stumbled upon an article titled Trombone Care and Maintenance on the Zachary Music website. In that article, the author talks about the various methods for lubricating a slide. For example, they mention slide cream as the best option, but it has to be used with a water sprayer because:

It is the water that activates the cream and makes it slippery for a great slide action.

Oddly enough, this reference to activation is something I had read a few times in product reviews, but I’m not sure how valid it is. At any rate, my search continued.

Eventually, I stumbled upon an article titled A Short Guide to Trombone Slide Cleaning and Maintenance by Micah Everett, an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Mississippi. In the article, Micah mentions that spraying water is really only appropriate if you use an “old-school” slide cream. In that case, Micah says to coat the slide with the cream before doing the following:

Finally, spray with a fairly generous amount of water—the water will “bead up” and provide the actual lubricating function.

Micah Everett, 2013

Again, my intuition seems to be on the money. Of course, I could just be letting confirmation bias lead me around the internet, but I think this many references to beading up is a good sign that we’re on to something.

Finally, I found a note on a Slide-O-Mix FAQ which mentioned the following:

Our trombone lubricant produces an optimal surface on which the slide can glide without stopping or sticking. In any case, water is always necessary because our preparation takes advantage of water’s gliding properties. The other reason is that, during extended playing, the gliding film wears out and can be “freshened up” with a touch of water.

Anette Königs

Apparently, they claim water has a gliding property which I think aligns nicely with my working theory. Of course, they also mention that water can “activate” or “freshen up” their lubrication as it ages which we’ve heard before. Perhaps, it’s a bit of both!

Survey Says!

Well, if you found your way here because you also wanted to know why musicians spray their slides with water, now you know that water beading is probably the culprit. Of course, if you actually know the history behind why we spray our slides or can confirm the science on it, let me know! I’d love to learn more.

With all that said, I think this article segues right into my list of the top 3 slide lubricants. Spoiler alert: two of the products are creams! In meantime, remember to respect the brass!

The post The Reason Why Musicians Spray Trombone Slides With Water appeared first on Trill Trombone.

As it turns out, there are a lot of different slide lubricants out there. In terms of the top 3, the original Slide-O-Mix is the best you’re going to get. Of course, if you’re interested in trying a cream-based lubricant, Trombotine Slide Lubricant and Superslick Slickit are excellent choices.

Review Criteria

Ideally, when looking for a new slide oil or cream, you’d want to try them out. Unfortunately, that’s always practical. Instead, I like to rely on the internet to collect some data. In particular, I used Amazon to dramatically narrow my search using the following criteria:

• Department: Brass Instrument Cleaning & Care Products
• Average Customer Review: 4+ Stars
• Search Terms: Trombone Slide Oil

As usual, I then sorted the products by average review rating to get the best reviewed products first.

3 Best Slide Lubricants

When it came to assembling this list, I just selected the top 3 slide lubricants based on my search criteria above. Then, I browsed the reviews to get an idea of what you’re going to get.

#1. Slide-O-Mix – $$

Coming out on top is the original Slide-O-Mix, a two-part lubricant mix. As you can see here, Slide-O-Mix comes with two bottles each containing a different component of the lubricant.

To use Slide-O-Mix, you apply a little bit of the small bottle followed by a more generous supply from the larger bottle. Like any other lubricant, you’ll want to move the slide around until the oil has properly coated the surface. After that, you can spritz the slide with some water. If you need more details, check out my guide on how to apply Slide-O-Mix.

Of all the oils in this list, Slide-O-Mix is the most expensive. That said, it’s certainly the most popular lubricant. In fact, some customers report that Slide-O-Mix gets better with age. In fact, some customers were so happy that they even shared their tips.

Of all the products I’ve seen on Amazon, this is probably the only one I’ve seen with a perfect score (ignoring the one 3-star review for confusion) after all these years. If that doesn’t speak to its quality, then I don’t know what will.

#2. Trombotine Trombone Slide Lubricant – $

While it might be hard to compete with Slide-O-Mix, there are a couple of excellent alternatives. For instance, you may prefer Trombotine, a cream-based lubricant for about half the price of Slide-O-Mix.

To use Trombotine, you’ll want to apply a small amount to your inner slide just like you would with most lubricants. Of course, since it’s a cream, you might need to wiggle the slide around a bit to get solid coverage. For an added bonus, spray some water on the slide, and you’ll be ready to go. If you need more details, I’ve already put together a guide for applying Trombotine.

One thing I found really interesting about Trombotine is that some folks make the argument that one tube will last you a lifetime. To be fair, I’ve gone through probably three bottles of oil in the last 13+ years, so you’re not exactly saving a ton of money by going the Trombotine route. That said, I think that’s a pretty solid claim.

In terms of reviews, everyone was pretty impressed. In fact, one customer claims they only need to reapply the Trombotine every two weeks. Apparently, even the professionals love it. Of all the reviews, the only complaints I could find were with the lack of directions.

Overall, if you’re not a fan or oil, maybe this Trombotine cream is right for you.

#3. Superslick Slickit – $

Last but not least is Superslick trombone slide cream and lubricant. If you couldn’t decide between Slide-O-Mix and Trombotine, this is sort of a best of both worlds. In this particular set, you’ll get the cream, oil, and spray bottle for just five bucks.

To use Superslick, you’ll want to apply the cream as described for Trombotine. In other words, apply a small amount of cream on the inner slide. Then, you’ll want to apply the oil as you typically would. When it’s all said and done, hit the slide with a few sprays of water, and you’ll be ready to go. Naturally, if you’re looking for details, I also have a guide on how to apply Superslick.

One thing I really like about this product is its heritage—at least according to one of the reviewers. Apparently, it’s been around awhile. As usual, I try to find a negative review or two to round out the review. In this case, most people seemed to be offput by how many steps it takes.

That said, everyone seems pretty satisfied with Superslick as well, so I figure it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

Summary

When I started my search for the best slide lubricants, I never expected to find such a diverse set of products. After all, I’ve been using regular slide oil for that past 13+ years.

Fortunately, I was never really led astray as my personal choice, Slide-O-Mix Rapid Comfort, comes in at #4 on this list. Of course, now I think I’m going to make my switch to the original Slide-O-Mix. Why settle for anything less?

At any rate, thanks for taking some time to check out this review. If you’re in the market for a budget tenor trombone, I have just the review for you. Otherwise, thanks for stopping by. As always, respect the brass!

The post 3 Best Slide Lubricants for Trombones appeared first on Trill Trombone.