Doubling

[bpat9107]

I frequently play in pit bands for musical theater shows. Recently I have been called for gigs that call for me to double on multiple instruments in one book, most commonly bass trombone. I noticed that in the event I have to change instruments quickly it is quite difficult to adjust to the largeness of the bass trombone mouthpiece and vice versa with tenor. Do any other doublers have any recommendations for bass trombone equipment that make doubling easier? Currently I play on a Benge 290 bass and a Yamaha 59L mouthpiece. I’ve also tried a Yamaha 60L which feels like a happy medium.

[brassmedic]

I treat each double as its own instrument. I don't try to compromise between instruments. Tried that before and it didn't work. If you try to make instrument X more like instrument Y, you're not really playing instrument X. So why bother? My 2 cents...

[brtnats]

It’s not at all uncommon for a bass trombone to play the tenor book, especially in a reduced brass section. Some pit conductors like the extra weight a bass can bring. Is that not an option in this case?

[BGuttman]

I try to play one trombone if possible. Note that a Yamaha 60 mouthpiece is LARGER than a 59 and may make the transition harder rather than easier.

I played one show where it was a mix of bass trombone, tenor trombone, and euphonium. I found that there was only one number needing the tenor so I just played it on bass.

[dukesboneman]

I frequently have to double. I had a show last year that I had to double Tenor & Bass on. I just started practicing with both so I could get used to it.

[hyperbolica]

I switch hit between high tenor and bass in our quartet. DE104 on tenor and ~1 1/4g on bass. You just have to practice both.

Depending on the range, I do have a small bass. With a Ferguson V mouthpiece, I can go either way convincingly. An Olds S20 with 2 valves will play down to about pedal G and up to high D on the single mouthpiece.

[Burgerbob]

Practice both instruments. There's no shortcut.

[dershem]

As has been said above: Practice each instrument enough that when you pick it up it's native to you. That's the only real way.

[AndrewMeronek]

There's a notable interview with Tom "Bones" Malone on the OTJ where he describes his approach:

https://www.trombone.org/articles/view.php?id=47

Choose a mouthpiece that works for you. Center your embouchure so that the mouthpiece placements form "concentric rings" (Maynard Ferguson). Do not over blow, and don't play too loud in the upper register of the trumpet. This may cause a "stretching" of the skin of the upper lip that vibrates. This type of damage will affect your ability to play the other brass instruments. Also, do not use extreme pressure of the mouthpiece on the lips.

Breathing is the most important aspect of playing and/or doubling on brass or woodwinds. Most trombone players who attempt to play the trumpet put too much air into the trumpet. The trumpet only requires half the air of the trombone. Conversely, most trumpet players who attempt to play the trombone do not put enough air into the trombone. It took me many years to understand this concept. Similar analogies can be made towards playing the saxophone family, clarinet family and flute family.

My first brass instrument was the tuba. Playing the tuba is a lesson in itself on breathing!

Select a mouthpiece appropriate to the type of sound you want and the register you want to play in. Larger, deeper mouthpieces produce a great sound, but require a powerful embouchure for sound, range and control. I play the Bach 6 1/2 AL mouthpiece on a Bach 16M trombone. This mouthpiece is a little larger than most commercial musicians play, most play 12C mouthpieces and smaller trombones like Bach 12 or King 2B or Conn 6H. The Bach 6 1/2 AL opens up my sound...I only recommend this mouthpiece to trombonists who are willing to put in the time. When I was younger I practiced all the time.

He obviously does more extreme doubling than tenor/bass bone, but similar concepts apply.

[Doubler]

My primary instrument is trumpet, but I double on trombone when needed. You will note that the difference in mouthpiece size between the two is greater than the difference in tenor and bass trombone mouthpieces, so there is a distinctly awkward feeling when transitioning back and forth between them, especially when going back to trumpet from trombone. I devote enough time to practicing this transition so that I can do it without difficulty. You tend to do easily what you practice well. It can be done.

Here's an inspiring example of one of my musical heroes:

[Rusty]

You just need to spend more time on each instrument alone, and also more time practicing the switch. Also keep in mind you’ll need to accept that you won’t be 100% on any instrument when you’re doubling... there was a quote I read by a LA studio doubler basically saying that if he was playing better than 85% on any instrument he knew that he was lacking on another. Obviously his 85% is a ridiculously high level of playing, but this is worth keeping in mind. I’m often far more frustrated now doubling than when I just played small bore tenor.

As for equipment, standard sizes of horns and mouthpieces are a good place to start.

[imsevimse]

I recently played an opera gig where the opera was composed by our 89 year old Italian conductor. The music was very good and influences were from classical, jazz and latin music. The orchestra had four violins, one viola, one cello, one string bass, two flutes, two clarinets, one oboe, one trumpet, one french horn, one trombone, one piano/synth and three percussion parts.

The trombone part I was hired to play spanned over a large register from high b to contra G and there was lot to do on the valve. Several low C's and B's. Solo patterns that were definitely bass trombone parts and other patterns that was clearly tenor parts. I did not know what to use because the part just said trombone. First I thought I would use my small double valved Martin with 9" bell and .536 bore and just switch mouthpieces to make it a bass or a tenor. As I practiced the part I discovered the Martin was not enough of a bass trombone to make the broad solid appropriate sound I needed for the valve jobs. The higher solos did work but the Martin did not help to produce the best solo-sound I needed up there either. I had to give up the Martin and picked my Mount Vernon Bach 45B with my Hammond 20BL instead and played the whole part on that horn. It did work and the low B's I had I did with fake notes. Nobody noticed they were fake-notes. The sound was better in every aspect. Both the real low parts and the high parts worked with that horn. The pattern that started on the high b was a little more work but still better to use the Bach on everything. The Bach is really a very versatile little bass and the sound is much better compared to the strange Martin bass.

The Martin I used as a bass with a big band a couple of weeks ago, and it did fit, but it was old style jazz and the gig had no modern bass parts.

/Tom