My instructor just helped me reach these notes.


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That's great man! When I first started out, that darn A was a pain in the neck for me. Keep working at it, as a lot of the literature out there will require even more range from you. It's great that you're working with a teacher. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, my my instructor that teaches me to play the trombone is the former high school drum major. =D

Cool... how long have you been playing?

That's great that you can reach those notes now. But as you'll find out soon enough, it's one thing to be able to play them in practice. It's a completely different ballgame to be able to play them on a concert or gig when it really matters. When you get to that point, it will just take a little experience to get through it.

The other key to playing those notes is that you have to use no effort at all. The high Bb should be as easy to play as the middle and low Bb. This way you won't waste all of your energy to quickly in the high range and end up losing stamina. So it takes a lot of long tones and and dedicated practice up there to build strength.

Well I've been playing for just less than a year.

Good for you! Range development is a long journey, and it sounds like you have a good start. Eventually the goal is to get your range comfortable enough that you can forget about it and focus on the music. Keep working your range in both directions. Always keep good form. This will especially serve you if and when you decide to start doubling on alto or bass or both.