Hi I am required to play bass trombone in my schools jazz ensemble (very prestigious) as it was the only way I could get in. After borrowing the schools and trying to get some lower notes out I've noticed its not quite the simple switch I thought it was. What should I practice to get used to the two triggers and extend my range lower and regain the high range I lost in the switch?

Some ideas. I used to play bass trombone, something like 20 years, nowadays bassoon and contrabassoon.

Best advice is to take a few lessons from a bass trombone player. The bass trombone is a different instrument from the tenor and you will save a lot of effort if you get some help.

- breathing is the most important part. A good tuba teacher can help if you cannot find a bass trombone teacher. You will need to learn to breath a lot more than on the tenor.
- long tones. I suggest doing pp -- ff -- pp on each tone
- sound production: I suggest doing a lot of training without tongue, starting the tone with air, not spitting out the tone.
- two triggers: look for note material going down to pedal Bb. It could be just about anything but work out the various slide positions, not that when using two triggers the positions are wider apart than on not using a trigger (always have a tuner at hand)
- scales: as for any instrument. Scales, arpeggios, intervals will help. Generally playing jazz the emphasis will be on 2 to 4 flats, more seldom the sharps.
- listen to the kind of jazz you are going to play and learn the idioms. Jazz is hardly ever played how it is written, you have to know how it is supposed to sound and understand that the notes are shorthand notations.

Good luck and have a lot of fun

/Gunnar

Rochut Etudes down an octave.