TromboneChat

I'm doing my part to help populate the world with trombone players but haven't played since High School and am just getting back into playing to help the kids at my sons' school. Any advice for exercises to help an 8th grader open up his sound? The only thing I could find was maybe 3-4 bar long tones with crescendo decrescendos from pp to ff back to pp. Thanks!

Problem with long tones and 8th graders is that they won't do them -- it's pretty boring.

Maybe try tunes with the crescendo/decrescendo.

Play the Imperial March from Star Wars LOUD.

Find music they want to play.

My sound opened up when my teacher told me to blow more though the mouthpiece in stead of in the mouthpiece. Or the "imagine a balloon behind the bell, which you want to bow away" metaphor.

Want I want to say, sometimes is just the mindset.

I would make it fun oriented, like playing modern songs together. The odds are they won’t be playing professionally so I wouldn’t try to make them feel like like it’s work. Just play together and have fun that will give them a better chance for playing 10-15 years from now as a hobby

Have you tried getting him to open up his throat?

When I taught band sound development happened through modelling and over a period of time. I played, they played. Praise, correct, I played, they played.

If someone repeatedly hears a good sound and repeatedly sees how that is produced (good breathing, posture, suspension, embouchure formation habits have to be on point all the time), they have will pick it up. The modelling, accompanied by direct and good advice on the basics of breath, embouchure, and suspension will lead to improvement.

Thank you all!