4 Tips To Make Your Trombone Play More Expressively
Author: Emmett Goods, Guest Contributor
When we want to work on expressiveness in trombone playing in particular, I’d like to offer some nuances that aren’t often considered. Here’s what I share with my students at the University of Rhode Island. I’m primarily a jazz trombonist, so one of my main models for expression are the great jazz vocalists and classic tenor saxophonists. I’ll offer a few things I take from each, which may give some things to consider as you approach practice.
When we say expressive playing, what immediately comes to mind are ballads. When we listen to some of the greatest recordings, they are almost at a walking tempo and the reason is that people still wanted to dance to the music. So keep that in mind.
VOCAL - The baritone voice of people like Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole and Billy Eckstine give a great model of using the lower end of the range when presenting a melody. One great thing about using material out the Great American Songbook especially, is the portability of keys. You don’t have to play something in the “standard” key. Consider the melody to “Body and Soul”, which is in concert D-flat major. This is a perfect example of a melody that sits in the baritone range and allows us to show off our tone and through use of ornamentation and melodic editing notes below the third line in the bass clef that really accentuate the low range of the trombone.
PLAYING IN THE LOWEST POSSIBLE KEY - This brings me to my next point about the classic tenor saxophonist in jazz like Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins et al who often played ballad melodies intentionally in the lowest key possible so that on long notes We could hear the airy rumble of a held concert A. This is another great tool for expression.
ALTISSIMO - Next I think of two players who helped really define the sound of the trombone in the big band era, Tommy Dorsey and Lawrence Brown. Their use of two techniques make any song sound expressive ,especially at the ballad tempo. One is the use of altissimo. Playing melodies completely above the bass clef staff with maybe just a note or two inside and when they are they treat them like the tenor players described in the previous paragraph.
SLIDE VIBRATO - The second technique is most attributed to Tommy Dorsey and it’s the slide vibrato. A tight fast slide vibrato is unique to the trombone. It’s the only brass instrument that can do it and when presenting a melody it can offer a very unique almost humming quality to held notes.
I love using these techniques and adding a bucket mute close mic’d to really nuance my expressions further. By implementing these techniques, you’ll be able to do the same. Best of luck and happy practicing.
About The Author
Emmett Goods is a Pittsburgh native who comes from a very rich musical background. It was under the direction of legendary trombonist Steve Davis that Emmett earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from the Hartt School of Music. He earned his Masters of Music degree, also in Jazz studies, from Georgia State University and is currently working on a Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance at West Virginia University. As a performer, Emmett has shared the stage with a wide variety of artists, including: Dr. Billy Taylor, Wycliffe Gordon, the Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Ismael Miranda, Tony Vega, Yomo Torro and numerous others. Emmett is currently a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island as Lecturer in Jazz Studies/Teacher in Jazz Trombone and leads his own jazz groups.