Basic Techniques for Jazz Trombone

Basic Techniques for Jazz Trombone

Mastering the basics of articulation, phrasing and improvisation.

In this comprehensive masterclass we will look into the technical side of playing the trombone, some of the improvisational techniques you can use and finally we will bring all these elements together.

I will talk about some of the most fundamental aspects of playing Jazz trombone and I will answer some relevant questions such as:

1 How can we start a note? How to use your air flow and diaphragm? How to use your slide?

2 Beats and grooves: What is so important about time and how can we improve our timing?

3 The 2-5-1 progression, how to study and effectively improvise on it: Learn to connect these chords, playing melodically and composing guide lines. You will also learn some licks that will inspire you and help you advance in your daily practicing routine.

4 How to end a phrase? Personal signature to wrap the phrase: 1) Short note 2) Colouring a note 3) Vibrato with the slide or mouth 4) Fall a slide (variation slur or shake) 5 Fade out (Miles)

5 Horizontal Improvisation: How to connect the notes in your chord progression? Understanding the DNA structure of a song.

6 How can you create variety in your performances? The four elements: Water, Air, Earth, Fire. Learn how to use these elements in a musical context and develop creative listening and playing.

Video's: 2 hours

Skill Level: Intermediate

Backing Tracks: 10 backing tracks recorded for this course from Rob van Bavel

Language: English

Want to get personalised video feedback every lesson and earn a certificate from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam? Go to the "Course" section

How it works:

This masterclass is a series of related video lessons, each structured around a specific topic or topics. By the end of this course, you will have developed a strong sense of direction in your daily study routine.

Weekly video lessons: after joining the course, you will be able to view a new video lesson weekly. Each video lesson consists of:

Examples that musically define the sound of the topic you are studying in each video.

A study routine section in which we first discuss how to study the specific topic of each lesson. We will then play several exercises specially written to show you how to structure your daily study routine.

Assignments that will help you consolidate and practice what you have learned in each video.

Weekly assignments: after each lesson, you will be asked to study, practice and then video record yourself playing an assignment which may consist of several exercises. The process of having to record yourself every week, significantly helps to internalise the material discussed in this course - quickly and naturally.

Weekly personalised video feedback: This function is only available in the "course" mode.

Certificate from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam: This function is only available in the "course" mode

Content of this course:

Bert will talk about some of the most fundamental aspects of playing Jazz trombone and I will go into relevant subjects such as: 
How can we start a note - Beats and grooves - The 2-5-1 progression - How to end a phrase - Horizontal Improvisation - How can you create variety in your performances?

Lesson 1
In this lesson we will learn the basic techniques of the jazz trombone. We will review the light tonging, the use of the slide and the correct way of using your air.

Lesson 2
In this lesson we will extend the methods we explored on lesson 1. We will use play alongs to practice our technique and look into the proper technique of starting a note.

Lesson 3
In this lesson we will work out our rhythm!! We will focus exclusively on rhythmical improvisation and apply exercises to achieve this. we will practice with a groove play along and refine our timing.

Lesson 4
In this lesson we will look at the various ways of ending a phrase. We will practice the different techniques and review the possibilities of creating your own "trade mark" .

Lesson 5
In this lesson we will discuss the four elements FIRE, WATER, AIR and EARTH. We will compare each element to musical elements and implement those in our improvisation over the blues.

Lesson 6
In this lesson we will explore the harmonic and melodic possibilities over a 2-5-1 progression. We will look at the different notes and scales we can apply on the progression and practice the different possibilities.

Lesson 7
In this lesson we will look into the subject of horizontal improvisation. We will start by choosing guide-tones and practicing our way between the different chords. We will go into the table of chord-tones to see the different possibilities.

Lesson 8
In this second lesson about horizontal improvisation we will keep working with the same methods applied on lesson 1. We will extend these methods to a more complex chord progression and apply this technique in our improvisation.