Want to Play HIGHER on TROMBONE?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Please consider supporting the Samuel Plays Brass channel on Patreon at: / samuelplaysbrass
The trombone has an extremely handy built-in tool for improving your upper register: the slide! Today we'll discuss how to best take advantage of the slide's capabilities and unlock higher notes in our range. This method applies to any and all levels of trombone playing, from beginner to professional. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy and make sure to subscribe for more tips, tricks, and tutorials!
~SOCIALS~
Sheet Music Store: samuelplaysbra...
Website: sammorozov.wix...
Instagram: @samuelplaysbrass ( / samuelplaysbrass )
Facebook: Samuel Plays Brass ( / samuelplaysbrass )
~ABOUT SAMUEL PLAYS BRASS~
Do you enjoy content relating to all things music and brass instruments? Sam has got you covered! On this channel we have been devoted to bringing you brass covers, play-alongs, multitracks, gear reviews and discussions, tips and tricks, collaborations, and even vlogs about the music world since 2016! Sam is a hobbyist brass multi-instrumentalist majoring in mechanical engineering. He is an active local performer and has played countless personal arrangements and compositions in small ensemble settings. If you like to nerd out over brass instruments, mouthpieces, music theory, and more, then make sure to subscribe and stay tuned! Thanks for watching.
#shorts #trombone #tipsandtricks
Thanks for watching! I always encourage discussion in my comment section, but please note that I will not tolerate bragging or degrading comments. Nobody wants to know what your highest note is, and nobody wants to see you criticizing beginners or struggling players. Let’s keep it civil.
Thanks it helped
That guy broke the animal nose 😱😱😱
I’ve been using this method for a bit now and it has really helped!
Awesome man, keep at it!
Yeah same, I went from a double high C to a double Eb (on a very very good day) after like a week and a half of this
Commenting here so you might see it. I'm cappet out at a comfortable F the octave above the F played in this video. It's the absolute highest I can comfortably play in a standard playing setting. I can play a Bb5, but not comfortably and it sounds bad. How do I improve past this point?@@SamuelPlaysBrass
Bean playing for 2 years and thisa something I been struggling wit. This is a life saver and a halfthank you sam.
Glad I could help, Liam! You’re not alone. I’ve struggled with it for a long time too.
Another technique that my old tutor taught me that helped me a lot with my range is to start in the middle-low range (I typically start with an F one line from the top of the staff) and play a major arpeggio going up to the next octave, i.e. 1-3-5-1(8) or F-A-C-F, and then repeat, going up a half step until you can't anymore. This technique got me from my highest note being a G three ledger lines above the staff to consistently hitting high Bbs and Cs in about a year
bro got that Samsung keyboard
My daughter just asked me yesterday how to get higher notes on her trombone. And people say our phones aren't listening to us! 😂
Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to share it with her tonight!
Haha, better investigate that! Hope this helps her though!
I’ve been in a competition with my buddy on how high we can go on trombone. We are both currently stuck at 4 octaves. This video will really help me win lol.
Can confirm this works. I also like to combine this with playing intervals once a note feels solidly in range. Just major chords Bb-D-F-Bb, B-D#-F#-B and so on, chromatically up the scale as far as you can go. It adds something practical to the mix since not much music is asking you to glissando up in that register.
I study and teach a lot of instruments. I got into brass (trumpet) like 8 months ago, love it. Got a trombone today. This tip is gonna be very useful.
@@mattoakley5613 Sweet, hope it ends up helping! Good luck with your brass endeavors!
Thank you so much! I’ve used this demonstration and I used to be able to play High F but now I can play C in octave 5!!
So glad it helped! Congrats on some solid progress!!
@@SamuelPlaysBrass👍
He hit the Wycliffe Gordon special at the end ⚡️ 😮
FANTASTIC, definitely utilize what your instrument is good at. I think I had been taught this once in school however the knowledge fell out of my ears at somepoint. 😂
I have been doing that to play lower notes didnt even think about doing it the opposite way thanks m8
Cool! I think it works great in either direction :)
You put a smile on my face 😊. Thank you!
Glad to hear, Kevin!
Bro is ripped
LOL, still working on it!
I’ve been playing the trombone for almost 3 years and it’s something I still struggle with thanks for the tips
Hope the tips help! Good luck!
Watching him do this has reminded me of all the times I nearly broke down trying to hit a high note on bass trombone🥲
Can’t say I blame you. Bass is tough!
man my problems have finally be solved. Ive always needed to play high notes in concerts and this helped!
Super glad to hear it helped! Keep chipping away at it!
I’m just about to start band and I picked trombone this helps a lot thanks
Glad it helped! Best of luck!
As a Euphonium player i practiced long tone exercises and with each week increased what ever notes I played by a half step. It worked for my in high school. I'm 6 years outta high school and outta practice and recently picked up my horn again.
Good luck picking it back up! High school is usually the easiest time to build range. Being a young buck with supple chops definitely makes it easier. I’m finding I have to work for it a lot more now that I’m a few years removed from high school myself.
yes it did help!
Glad to hear!
I remember trying this and then learning how to get about as high pitched as flutes with sustained notes!
I figured this out while trying to play G in fourth position it was really useful 😅
Yep, do that glissando of F-G in 4th-2nd and then in 6th-4th. Should help to get that 4th position G locked in. It’s a tricky note compared to doing it in sharp 2nd!
Great tip! 👍 🎉
Thanks Jen!
I’m in middle school and rlly wanna play high, plan on using this to help me play higher! Thx so much!
Hope it helps out! Thanks for watching!
As someone who has played Trombone for 7 years - I can confirm that this is one of the best ways to build range
Been doing this and now can play bolero solo as a senior in high school
been playing for 10 years
Thank you so much! This helps a lot!
So glad I could help!
Does this work on guitar?
As a guitarist…and trombonist…this comment is gold
it only works on bass guitar
only for slide guitar
I do lip slurs on my trombone every day, the highest note I can clearly hit is the Ab above the staff, I’m hoping to hit the Bb above staff one day, so I’ll keep doing lip slurs. Lip slurs really help with warm ups and reaching high notes
You’ve got this! I was stuck at about a high G for a LONG time but I promise it gets easier with diligence!
Wait help i struggled for a year in 6th grade and this helped me out so much ❤❤❤
So glad I could help!
Instead of falling off that last top F you nearly played, try to hold the note until it becomes a note. When you can play it with vib you've got the note.
Literally what my music teacher sid to do and it works
Glad your teacher and I agree-and that it worked!
Thanks bro
You’re welcome, fellow engineer.
I played trombone in high school, and the highest I was ever really able to get was the G above the register. I played the 1st trombone part of Stars and Stripes Forever which has the high A in there, so it was a little disappointing that I never reached that note...
Thanks Sam you earned a sub :)
Glad you enjoyed! And thanks for subbing!
Thx! This really helped!
Glad you found it useful!
This was very helpful now I can play my Db in how the grinch stole Christmas
Thank you so much as a trombone player. This helps a lot but does it also work for low notes
Glad it helped! Just do the exercise in reverse and go down one position at a time instead of up if you want to work on your low notes!
also in order to make your pitch higher you have to tighten your embouchure and increase your air speed
Those are the same two pieces of advice everyone has heard a million times and they don’t always work very well or only to a certain extent, hence why I didn’t bother mentioning them.
I’ve hit the treble clef C road block and I need it for a audition 😭
i also suggest frowning on the mouth peice
my man did the Wycliffe me we note
I’m a bit late but I do have a question, for high notes what do you recommend to keep them stable? I can play high but it’s my problem is keeping them stable for a long time. My teacher is making me play in treble clef so any tips or advice?
When you sustain a high note, always imagine you’re blowing to the end of the note, not just the beginning of it to “hit the target.” Your air does and should have a target, so to speak, but it should be the very end of the phrase. Just try not to get caught up on hitting the note to begin with. That’s definitely helped me when I’ve had the same issue as you.
Thank you so much!!
The fact that I instantly read the note and was like yeah that’s a super F right there, that’s kinda low
(Joke)
I remember my freshman year of high school we were playing Berlioz’s March to the Scaffold and I had to do the lick that went up to high Eb. My range at the time was the F you played at the beginning and I hadn’t gained any range in about half a year. I worked super hard and got the high Eb and the high F above for good measure after a lot of literal blood sweat and tears but it all payed off.
I got to perform knowing that I could hit the high Eb, only to miss it completely…
Only just saw this comment for some reason, but felt that last sentence 110% 😔
What you use for the lips, motor oil? Embouchure going crazy 😂
Haha I appreciate that, but don’t worry, all it takes is some good old-fashioned practice! It’s cliché of me to say “if I can do it, anyone can” but it’s true!
I'm a trombonist and I managed to play the high A 7 ledger lines above the staff
Someone didn’t read the pinned comment.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass I didn't mean to make it seem snarky but I honestly surprised my self by doing that I'm only a fresh man in highschool
I dont play trombone but I am thinking about it I will use this if I do get one thx
Hope you do end up playing trombone! It’s lots of fun.
I don't play trombone, but I'll keep that in mind
Hi I’m a trombone player I played the trombone for 2 years, I was wondering how fast can you go on it and how high
Can you do this with a trumpet?
Not really. The trumpet doesn’t have a hand slide like the trombone does. The closest you can get is chromatic scales or mess with the 3rd valve slide being all the way out.
So does this increase your range in the long haul? I'm doing a bunch of jazz stuff recently and I'm trying to get into improving, but since improv is new to me I suck at it and need more notes in my tank to fire out.
Yeah, if you keep doing this, it definitely will have long-term benefits. This exercise does a great job of getting you acquainted with the sensation of playing higher gradually enough that it doesn’t feel like muscular overload.
I can already hit like a double F or G on a good day, now I just need the tone and breath support behind it and I can finally be like wycliffe gordon
Wycliffe does a lot more than hit double G’s.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass yea, he has insane mastery of different techniques, and can play MUCH higher than a G5, but getting a higher range is a small step closer to getting my technical skill to his level
I watched the whole video even though i’m a saxophone player lol
This works in the other direction for pedal tones
Indeed!
This method never worked for me that well. I got better results by practicing on the mouthpiece and doing lip slurs. Improving my flexibility helped me unlock higher registers.
Yeah dude I’ve been trying to build up to that double G for the Star Wars high note and I can’t seem to get good tone past double F or so I just have to keep practicing
Not all of us can be Trombone Timo, eh?
My highest range is 4 notes below that high note at the end
i’m stuck on D 😭😭😭
@@ferrety1 Start the exercise on D in 4th position then. This exercise works for basically any note someone could possibly be stuck on!
@ i still can’t do it :/
what instrument to do you mainly okay because i looked at your channel and youve played a lot so whats your main?
I’m mostly a trumpet player. That’s what I started out on.
I learned a lot and I used to do it since I started playing trombone. But I can reach only that G
Just give it a week or two and you’ll have the Ab above it!
Hey what trombone is that, I think I have the same exact one, except in a bit worse condition
It’s a Conn 88H from the 1970s!
Hopefully it'll help be ause I really wanna play louder
If I’m Corekt that’s a trigger trumebone which the trigger removes 6 posiessens
You’re correct that this trombone has a trigger. You can still play all seven positions on the slide, but 6th position can be replaced by trigger+1st and 7th position by trigger+2nd, although a slightly lower 2nd (approximately position 2.25).
I had a master class with a trombone professor at my local college and he taught pretty much the same thing but you start in first and gliss 6th so you’re on a lower note and lip up to the same note you played in first and then gliss back to first while going higher and repeat, idk if that made any sense it’s hard to explain
Is that trombone a conn 52h?
Close, it’s an 88H.
I’m a percussion player :)
So, uh… what brings you here then?
@@SamuelPlaysBrass I’m gaining intelligence on a rival group
I play tuba and i was wondering if i were to play trombone would it allow me to play higher notes on tuba?
Not directly. The higher notes on tuba will get easier with time regardless, and playing trombone *might* help you figure out how those high notes work a little quicker, BUT trombone is a different instrument with a differrent set of techniques and embouchure muscles required, so the benefits of switching are limited. I honestly recommend staying on tuba and not 'crossing the fence' unless you really need to for whatever reason.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass thank you for explaining it to me🙏
how do you know where the alternate positions are for your highest note???
All you really have to do is set up a tuner app on your phone and do some trial/error.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass Okay thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it
Ive been playing since 2019 and my biggest problem ist just that 1 my sound is actually disgusting and 2 I can’t play high notes. I can’t even play the high F you showcased as a staring point in this video
Hm, that's unfortunate. Honestly in your case I'd recommend starting on an F or A in the staff in 6th position and very slowly moving the slide inward while focusing on a wide, steady tone quality.
How do you get your embouchure strong enough to sustain the high notes? Mine always seems to give out and it just sounds like high pitched spitty air
That’s a really good question. My high notes are definitely not the best tone, and my chops aren’t the best either. A lot of my high register ability comes from manipulating the speed/direction/quantity of air. High notes take less air but blown faster and slightly upward. To achieve this imagine flexing your abs as you exhale. Seems weird but it helps massively. Also, angling the horn downward slightly helps me relieve the pressure from my top lip, which helps too.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass I haven’t tried angling it upwards, and the abs thing I haven’t quite understand until now. Thank you so much!! I’ll be sure to try that tomorrow when I practice!
i forget what the name of that trombone your playing is called i play a different trombone
It’s a Conn 88H.
How do I play higher on a bass trombone
The exact same way as what I described here. All the slide positions are the same on tenor and bass trombone excluding the triggers.
Is that a conn 88h?
@@cosmic2111 Yes it is! Good eye!
Tuning slide on the trumpet?
I guess if you have a very specific “problem note” with the tuning slide set normally but you can play it with your slide out to A, you could quasi-glissando to it!
Ok, so, high E flat, 2 ledger lines are my highest. Help?
No matter what your highest note is, the technique is always the same: hold out your highest note and try to move the slide inward one position to see if you can hold out the next note above it.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass alr, thanks!
rookie numbers brotha
ok bro but when did I ask
@@SamuelPlaysBrass bro you should be playing that 8va at least
@@birdpog1 I played that high F 8va later in the video dawg, watch all the way through
@@SamuelPlaysBrass oh no no no, I'm talking about another 8 brotha, 15ma pal
hi
I can hit a g 5 ledger lines up
And when exactly did I ask?
I'm a tuba player and I can reach Eb4 but that's besides the point I also own a trombone actually I've owned the trombone since I was tuba player and I'm only getting this information now? But that's besides the point. Would this help with my tuba high notes?
To be honest, unless you find that you use the exact same embouchure setup and muscles to form your trombone embouchure as for tuba, then I don't think it will carry over. For instance, I play the trumpet, my main instrument, on a very different set of chops than the trombone, and my high range on the trumpet, which goes well into the stratosphere, did not transfer over to the trombone at all, and even to barely squeak out the high F at the end of this video it took hours and years of work in ways I hadn't expected.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass Tried it. Didn't carry over. I don't even know how to play trombone.💀
When i reach the high note, it just goes down
I received a great tip from Demondrae Thurman: sustaining any note (especially a high note) is like driving uphill. You need to keep your foot on the gas pedal, so to speak. For brass players that means a steady, fast exhale and imagining you’re aiming for the end of the note, not the beginning.
What if i have braces
@@Forever_Dan Why would that change anything? It just means you have to be careful not to press the mouthpiece against your face too hard.
I don't know how to do this on my tenor trombone
That’s exactly what this video is meant to help with. Tenor, bass, it doesn’t matter.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass oh ok
Rusty trombones hahaha
Beg your pardon?
I am the 100 liker🎉
Thanks for your support!
I don't play trombone but cool
Cool! But I dont have a trombone
Step 1: acquire trombone
@@SamuelPlaysBrass I do have a saxophone... BUT a trombone is noice
Seriously
I've been eyeing a trombone but tbh 700 dollars is a bit too much to ask for lol
@@NotFine yeah, too much at the moment
Ugh I want to play trombone so bad
Does your school have a band program? I’d highly recommend giving it a shot!
As a flautist I simply hate manoeuvring upper registers for obvious reasons
Woah my trombone doesn’t look like that
you sound like markiplier
Really cool, but we all know that in the end it is futile, for trumpets are the best.
Y’all really need to make it all about yourselves literally all the time, huh?
@@SamuelPlaysBrass Of course we do, because trumpets are the best. 😎
@@WasatchWind Point proven.
@@SamuelPlaysBrass it's all in good fun friend, I know as well as any person who's done concert, jazz, and marching band the great variety of wonderful sound that can come from all the other instruments.
🤪
there had to be a trumpet behind the camera.
I can’t even put a D sharp
@@Liamcullen752 The nice thing about this exercise is that you can start it on any 6th position note! F in the staff, A at the top of the staff, and C one line above the staff can all be played in 6th, and you can do a smooth slide up the positions starting on any one of those.
i dont even play trombone why am i watching this
Well, whatever the reason, I appreciate the view as it helps with the algorithm!
The best way to learn how to play high with a trombone is to put it down and learn the trumpet first. Then go back to the trombone. It will also improve your general skill with the trombone or any other brass instrument as well, since the trumpet is the hardest and requires more skill.
I say this as a trumpet player and as respectfully as possible: this is just entirely wrong. I’ve heard it before, and I find it a lamentable view to hold on the matter. Sure, trumpet players can squeak out high notes if they pick up a trombone and approach it the same way they do the trumpet. But their embouchure and approach to playing will be VERY poorly suited to the middle and low registers of the instrument, and the sound they produce will be far too bright and edgy for any symphonic or concert setting. When I picked up the trombone, I cultivated a completely separate embouchure for it than I use for the trumpet. It was hard work, and it meant saying goodbye to the “free” high notes, but it helped in the long run.
Every brass instrument poses its own challenges. Objectively speaking, the horn is the hardest from a technical and acoustical perspective, although the slide makes the trombone in some ways the hardest. Trumpet requires a solid knowledge of how to pressurize your airstream without physically “using” a lot of air. That does not mean the knowledge from playing trumpet will benefit you on any other brass instrument. For most people, it is unhelpful at best and actively detrimental at worst to try to pick up the trumpet. Its approach is different from any other instrument in the brass family, and playing on such a small and shallow mouthpiece can seriously mess up a low brass player’s embouchure.
You might be right in some very rare instances, but for the vast majority of low brass players, it is nothing but harmful to put a trumpet in their hands.
I’m meant to play lower
Low notes are more fun anyway on trombone. Practice lots of pedal tones!
It doesn’t work
@@Company_Baddie Plenty of people have said it worked for them. What issue are you having?
my fucking highest note is a G3 4th position
If that’s the case, no big deal! Hold that note in 4th and slowly move your slide to 3rd while aiming your air forward. It’ll come sooner than you might expect!
@@SamuelPlaysBrass i made this comment whilst in high school band and have since graduated. i now can play E♭4. working on getting to B♭4.
But it makes my head hurt
I would suggest playing high notes as quietly as possible and not force air through the horn at such a high speed. Head rush is definitely a common issue, but won’t occur frequently if you approach high notes with the correct technique.
Become a Pro,yhen we'll chat
What a cynical mentality. Just because someone isn’t a professional, their approach is completely invalid?
I am soo sorry. I got so mad until I saw the bass clef bc in treble clef thats a D