- 1). Learn proper breathing for brass playing. Take deep, relaxed breaths, just like those you naturally take for speaking. Open your throat and take in as much air as possible, filling your lungs from the bottom up.
- 2). Master lip buzzing. Lip buzzing is the foundation of all brass instrument sound. Purse your lips tightly together and blow a stream of air fast enough to exit your lips, making them produce a sound like a raspberry, but with your lips remaining flat against your teeth rather than puckering.
- 3). Get a feel for partials. Partials are the different notes that can be played on the same valve combo. Adjust the tension of your lips and the speed and pressure of your air; you'll feel different notes popping into place. Start with just two or three notes per combination (you'll get more as you develop your muscles).
- 4). Use your tongue to articulate notes. Blow a steady stream of air while buzzing, but interrupt the sound by saying "ta" (or "da" for legato passages). Make sure your tongue is starting these notes and there is no motion in your lips.
- 5). Familiarize yourself with the seven major valve combinations. These correspond to the seven positions of the slide trombone and are the same as euphonium and baritone fingerings. They are: open (first position on the slide trombone), second valve (second position), first valve (third position), first and second valve (fourth position), second and third valve (fifth position), and first and third (sixth position).
- 6). Use proper valve technique. Curl your fingers over the keys and press down with your fingertips rather than playing with your fingers stretched and flat; this will give you more speed.
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