TromboneChat

Hi all,

I’m in my fifties and have been playing trombone back and forth most of my life since I was 10. I was a pretty ok player, playing 1st in marching bands and sextet. 2nd and 3rd in a few big bands. Since about 10 years I play with a really fine homeguard band here in Sweden, and I especially appreciate the marching, ceremonies at the castle and our figurative performances.

Now to my issues. In the end of 2021 I was at peak in my performance, I had practiced for a christmas concert with a quintet and we sounded really clean and nice. A few days before the performance I got the flu and had to be replaced. It took a while before I got back to practicing and in the beginning of 2022 I also had covid, unproblematic though as it seemed thanks to regular vaccination.
Now I like to point out that I’m not saying this was the reason for my issues, but we all know there have been some unusual side effects from covid, especially connected to lung performance.
During spring, going back to practice, I experienced problems with my lips. My feeling was that I had forgotten the technique of playing.

This manifested by air passing on the sides of the mouthpiece, problems of playing a stable tone in the low-middle register, mainly from D up to Bb, with G and Eb as the worst ones. It is mainly a problem when it comes to staccato or tones with some air in between,
interestingly I can play well as long as I play legato and soft attacks.

I have seen some very good and experienced brass musicians and I got some good advice, mainly on breathing. I have tried working with Remington warm up studies as well as daily routines. I’ve also tried practicing variants of Caruso. Both have improved my tone, but my attacks…

When I need to play staccato, my mouth reacts by wanting to open up between the tones and starting over with a new lip position like every tone was the first one that day. And still pretty much air slipping out in the corners of my mouth. Both these problems are mostly in the low-middle register. On the high I can play both staccato and legato from C up to about Bb with confidence.

I have searched this and other forums for similar problems, but no luck so far. I would be very happy for advice that can help me back, this situation is not satisfying.

Thanks in advance, Henke

I can give advice, but to be valid I have to see what you're doing and actually work with you.

Doug Elliott wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 8:22 pm I can give advice, but to be valid I have to see what you're doing and actually work with you.

Have a lesson with Doug

HenkeBoy wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:34 pm
This manifested by air passing on the sides of the mouthpiece, problems of playing a stable tone in the low-middle register, mainly from D up to Bb, with G and Eb as the worst ones. It is mainly a problem when it comes to staccato or tones with some air in between,
interestingly I can play well as long as I play legato and soft attacks.

That sounds like what happened to me in about the same time frame. I couldn't guarantee I could start a note in the middle low register, especially loud or tongued hard.

I took a couple lessons from Doug at that time, and it improved. I'm really not sure quite what he did! But I was close to hanging up the horn at that point, and playing much better now.

I highly recommend a lesson with Doug Elliott. He exposed some fundamental flaws in my embouchure and breathing technique, as well as sharing some strategies to help my embouchure perform more efficiently. I am still working out the information he shared, but I've immediately achieved more consistency and comfort while playing.

I've been on a 15 year hiatus from trombone, just started playing trombone again 2 months ago.
Unfortunately, I caught covid last summer, it included 2 months of facial paralysis/Bell's palsy on the left side of my face. I thought I had recovered fully, but my embouchure quickly let me know it had not. I do not believe Covid effected my breathing at all.

Since returning to trombone, I have struggled with a few aspects. Air was leaking from my left lip, but this has gone away. I couldn't find the "right spot" for my mouthpiece - nothing felt right and had inconsistent results - I now have a spot and find it very comfortable. I have a double buzz in the third partial (D to B in staff), but this is correcting itself with a proper embouchure. I have had trouble with tonguing in the high and low ranges - almost as if the back of my tongue is blocking air when it shouldn't be, this is starting to resolve itself with mindful practicing of tonguing off the horn.

I used to play in large groups. I would play full, big, and sometimes quite loud. I've had to break this habit while my embouchure regains strength and I relearn proper technique. I've really slowed everything down. Tempos, volume, range. Even if I know I can play faster, louder, or higher - I keep it simple. If something feels or sounds wrong, I will work through everything involved to make sure my body is doing what my mind thinks it should be doing. If I'm playing something and the wheels start falling off, I stop and address which wheels are falling off and why. Lowered expectations and patience have been the largest factors in my recovery.

Covid seems to have caused a lot of weird side effects for many of us. Take the time to slow down and retrain your body. Allow your body and mind to reconnect - do not assume, do not work off old sensations, don't blindly trust your gut. Rebuild the foundations.

I found this video to quite informational for me. I found a lot of confidence from this video as well. I may not be a world pro, but it doesn't hurt to have the mindset of one.
Joe Alessi talking about his fight with Bell's Palsy.

Hi,

Thanks for your sharing of experience! It is in someway a relief already knowing that other have similar experience and have coped with it.

@Doug Elliott, I would be happy to take lessons from you. How do we go from here?

Kindly, Henke

timothy42b wrote: Fri May 16, 2025 6:54 am

HenkeBoy wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:34 pm
This manifested by air passing on the sides of the mouthpiece, problems of playing a stable tone in the low-middle register, mainly from D up to Bb, with G and Eb as the worst ones. It is mainly a problem when it comes to staccato or tones with some air in between,
interestingly I can play well as long as I play legato and soft attacks.

That sounds like what happened to me in about the same time frame. I couldn't guarantee I could start a note in the middle low register, especially loud or tongued hard.

I took a couple lessons from Doug at that time, and it improved. I'm really not sure quite what he did! But I was close to hanging up the horn at that point, and playing much better now.

Great to hear that you didn’t give up!

H