The Benny Sluchin method books ( Study Material for the Alto Trombone) have quite a few duets Book 1 has some very basic duets, Book 2 has 10 Mozart duets, and Book 4 consists exclusively of duets. Make sure you are adjusting to the tenor player, not the other way around. Play them slowly and really focus on tuning. Your goal is to get the initial attack of every note within a few cents of perfect.ī) Duets: Play alto-tenor duets with a sure-footed tenor player. A few ideas:Ī) Slow scales with tuner: Work on slow, 2-octave scales with a tuner. I recommend taking it head-on from the very beginning. Several method books are available that contain a nice concentration of this material.Ĥ) Intonation-Intonation is one of the biggest challenges in playing alto trombone. Play solos, excerpts, etudes, duets, trombone choir parts, etc.-whatever you can get your hands on. It’s a little tedious, but I have had some success using it with students.ĭ) Experience: Obviously, the more you play through music, the better you’re going to get at reading it. It sets out a two-week program of exercises (specified by day) designed to give a player a basic working knowledge of the alto positions. In terms of just learning how to read, the Slokar method ( Methode Complete de Trombone Alto) is the most deliberate. There are several good books, including methods by Anderson, Harvey, Parow, Slokar, and Sluchin. Using your position chart and a little trial and error, jump right in and work out your solo or excerpt of choice.Ĭ) Methodical approach: Others who want a broader, more methodical approach may want to consider a method book. Below are a few suggestions for getting started:Ī) Position chart: Here is an alto trombone position chart.ī) Immersion approach: Some people like to jump right in. A few suggestions for this initial phase:ģ) Reading-One of the biggest initial obstacles in learning the alto trombone is simply learning to read music with a new set of positions. There are many other great ones as well virtually all of the world’s top tenor trombonists have recorded on alto as well as tenor.Ģ) Initial Familiarity-When I teach alto trombone, I usually recommend that students take a couple of days just to become familiar with the instrument. Finesse, not muscle!Ĭ) Recordings: Listening to recordings of alto trombone will help establish this new sound concept. In my experience, the students who have the hardest time establishing their alto sound are the ones fighting hardest to make the alto sound like a large-bore tenor!ī) Lighter: Going from tenor to alto requires a lighter approach, which should include less articulation, slightly less air, and a generally lighter touch. The sound will be brighter–don’t fight it! Think of the difference between alto and tenor trombone as similar to the difference between trumpet and piccolo trumpet. Drawn from my own playing experience, research, and 17 years of full-time college teaching, here are a few suggestions for learning the alto trombone.ġ) Sound Concept-Developing a good sound concept for the alto trombone is important from the beginning.Ī) Brighter: In my opinion, the alto sound should be more trumpet-like than the tenor trombone sound.
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