Tom Davenport

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Being that my primary study at Leeds Conservatoire is trombone, for the past semester I have been giving Cordelia trombone lessons. Contextually, Cordelia is studying classical trumpet at Leeds Conservatoire, and we collectively agreed that it would not only be interesting in seeing how we both adapted to playing a different instrument in the same musical family, but we also correctly believed that this would give us some form of a headstart in our lessons, as a brass player applies the same technique to a mouthpiece in order to make a substantial sound out of the horn. Through this I managed to gain access to more depth in Cordelia’s playing throughout our lessons and focused on more specialised approach to playing the trombone, rather than starting from the beginning with a person who has never played or blown down a brass instrument prior to a first lesson. To justify my reasoning for this, Uitti J. (2023) writes ‘the purpose of both is the same: to change pitch, giving the musician, who simultaneously alters the tightness of their mouth’s lips (something known as embouchure), the opportunity to hit different notes on a scale.’ Uitti J. (2023) is mostly correct in his argument here, as the embouchure has the same purpose with all brass instruments, yet the position in which we apply our embouchure to the mouthpiece varies, depending on which brass instrument a person plays.

Furthermore, below I have attached my lesson plan – which I strongly believed helped my lessons become effective as possible to develop Cordelia’s trombone playing. I cannot understate how crucial it is to plan lessons, in particular trombone lessons, as it is such a unique instrument that provides such distinctive technical difficulties. Interestingly, Harris P. (2020) writes about how a productive music lesson has a simple structure to it – a beginning, middle, and end. Harris P. (2020) writes ‘most good stories, films, TV programmes and, of course, pieces of music have a simple structure: they have a beginning, a middle and an end. So too do effective lessons.’ I agree with his argument here, as I understand that for a music lesson to be productive, there should be some form of strategy used by a teacher to gain the most out of a lesson. I also agree with the way Azevedo S. (2023) writes about how planning music lessons in a more creative way – for this style of teaching becomes easily memorable for a student. Azevedo S. (2023) writes that ‘music teachers have to be organised and ensure that students will receive a well-rounded and engaging learning experience. Lesson planning is also an opportunity to get creative and implement new and exciting methods in your teaching.’ Further, this could prove further cognitive development and turn what could be hobby into a passion and love for music.

Here is the rough lesson plan I am using for Cordelia’s trombone lessons:

First Lesson	How to construct the trombone, how to hold the trombone, simple tonging exercises, the seven different positions
Second Lesson	Recap on how to construct and hold the trombone, tonging using a ‘dah’ articulation, learn to play ‘Hot Cross Buns,’ scale starting on B flat
Third Lesson	Copying back a rhythm in the same position (using notes in different harmonic series), recap on ‘Hot Cross Buns,’ performing a B flat major scale without assistance.
Fourth Lesson	Learning C major scale, alternate slide positions, double tonging

Before I discuss my teaching methods, I will briefly mention the resources we used in the rooms in which I was teaching Cordelia. The resources were a music stand, a sheet with rhythms on it, a pencil and water sprays and slide lubricant. In addition, there was often a piano in the room I taught in, but this was not used at all.

As noted above in the lesson plan I made for my teaching, I began our first lesson by teaching Cordelia how to assemble the trombone. The trombone Cordelia is using is packed into a case like any other regular tenor trombone – the slide, the bell and mouthpiece each having its own compartment. Teaching Cordelia the correct way to assemble her trombone is important, as, like all other instruments, the trombone is delicate and has rather unique elements to its build – particularly the main body of the instrument, the slide, and the extensive tuning slide. To assist her, I showed her (on her trombone) how to assemble the trombone in order to offer clarity and show a first-hand example of the steps she must do to successfully construct the trombone together – this evidence has been portrayed in the videos attached. Furthermore, teaching Cordelia this from our first lesson was significant, as it successfully establishes good playing habits and maintains a healthy tone and overall smoothness. I researched that Carroll J. (2025) agrees with my intention of teaching Cordelia the basics, writing that ‘learning how to properly assemble your trombone is one of the first and most important things every new player should know. Doing it correctly prevents damage, helps you play comfortably, and sets you up for great tone and technique.’

In addition to this, I also discussed and showed Cordelia how she should hold the trombone when she is playing. In this instance, she is playing a small bore trombone (a trombone without a trigger F-attachment) whereas I am playing a large bore trombone (a trombone with a trigger F-attachment) – for this meant we held our trombones differently as I also use a hand strap in order to make the trombone feel lighter and easier to grip whilst playing, whereas Cordelia does not. Nevertheless, I showed Cordelia a step-by-step method to holding the trombone correctly – as evidence provided by the videos attached. Further to this, I also argue that teaching Cordelia how to hold the trombone appropriately is fundamental, as it significantly impacts a player’s comfort and more importantly musical expertise. Additionally, it has been found that a moderate, relaxed hold of the tenor trombone prevents injury and ensures that the slide can move freely and gain effortless access to playing more complex and quick passages of music. In order to justify my reasonings for laying these fundamentals out for Cordelia, I found that Malewicz L. (2021) writes that ‘as you get more comfortable with your new instrument it’s important to start building good habits. One of the first challenges you will encounter (apart from making sound on the trombone) is properly holding it in a way that is not only comfortable but will also give you the best chance of producing a good sound.’

After teaching Cordelia, the process of assembling the horn together and showing her the correct way to hold the trombone, I asked her to play a note using the same lip-buzzing technique she would use in order to make a sound out of her trumpet. As I have mentioned previously above, I believe that having Cordelia already play another brass instrument helped out my teaching enormously, as she found no difficulties in finding her first pitch on the trombone. Further to this, some may argue (myself included) that it is easier and less-tasking, such as Fower C. (2020), to find a pitch out of a trombone than a trumpet – who writes ‘the trombone is easier to get your first sounds on because it has a larger mouthpiece, which makes it easier to make a ‘buzz’ initially.’ Furthermore, I asked Cordelia to play (me included – in order to offer a physical example to her) a low semibreve on a concert pitch B flat. My reason for picking this note is due to the fact that it is argued to be the easiest pitch to play on the trombone – for it is also relative to how Cordelia would play a C on her trumpet, which also happens to arguably be an easy note to play on trumpet. I also instructed how she should relax her embouchure more as well as loosening her lips in order for her to reach this relatively low pitch on the trombone. Relaxation is crucial to playing in the lower register, as this further requires a slower air speed and extended use of more relaxed lips in order for a player to vibrate their embouchure against the mouthpiece effectively. To justify my argument, Bill C. (2025) writes (when discussing his tips for playing in the lower register) ‘loosen the lips slightly, especially the corners, but keep control. Avoid clamping down or over-tightening the mouth. Remember, don’t puff out those cheeks! Keep the corners of your mouth low and relaxed.’

Furthermore, I discussed and explained to Cordelia the seven different positions on the trombone in our first lesson. For Cordelia to gain some understanding to my explanation, I used markers to help label where each position was on the trombone, such as first position – which is found at the top of the slide. I figured this is a sensible way of explaining the positions on a trombone, for Ewart-White M. (2014) also uses this approach when discussing this online. When labelling one of his diagrams of the trombone, he writes ‘third position – brace just before the bell’ as well as writing ‘fifth position – mid way between the bell and stocking.’ In addition to this, I explained how each positions pitch descends chromatically as a player goes further down the slide in each of the harmonic series a player elects to play from. This seemed a logical explanation to Cordelia. I also felt it was necessary to mention intonation and tuning to Cordelia here as well, as some notes need to be altered on the slide in a position in order to find a pitch that is in tune. This is due to it being mandatory that trombone players adjust slide positions as the typical seven areas on the slide are more approximations than accurate positions. It can also be plausible that the trombone is the most complex brass instrument to learn, as there are no valves (similar to that of the tuba, trumpet, euphonium and others) therefore players must listen acutely in order to remain in tune and correct easy bad habits of turning notes flat or sharp. I discovered that Landers A. (2012) explains this point well, writing ‘there are tones on the trombone that you will have to adjust the slide slightly in order to play in tune. A good example is the high G on 2nd position, where you have to adjust the slide to somewhere in between 1st and 2nd position to play it in tune.’ Further, it was clear Cordelia had some understanding how the positions and intention cooperated – therefore I went into more in depth discussions of this matter, this time talking about alternate positions on the tenor trombone. This concept is using when the same pitch is played on a trombone, but is applied through different positions. It is important for all trombone players to understand and use alternate positions techniques, as it provides improvement with legato tonging, make more complex passages of music less tasking and reduce awkward slide movements. To justify my reasonings for explaining this to Cordelia, Mathie D. (2021) writes that ‘due to the length and somewhat cumbersome nature of the hand slide, our technique is hampered by the time needed to move the slide from one position to the next. Not only do alternate positions make difficult passages easier by avoiding awkward slide motion, they also help make possible many natural slurs, and special techniques such as glissandos and lip trills.’

During our lessons, I also taught Cordelia how to play basic pieces and constructive exercises in order for her to understand how the trombone cooperates – rather than sticking to teaching her basic technique and simple concepts of the instrument. The exercises I taught Cordelia have been attached in the videos. I found that when I first starting playing the trombone almost a decade ago, I discovered that playing simple exercises and pieces was what benefited my playing the most at the beginning, as it allowed me to not only prioritise more on the essential technicalities of the trombone, but also developing a well-rounded and consistent tone. I strongly believe this will aid Cordelia’s trombone playing as she begins to understand how the trombone coordinates. To justify my argument, I discovered that Mathews L. (2026), who is a guitar teacher with the same approach as myself, writes ‘when we spend quality time with an “easy” piece, we gain many benefits. We work in ways we can’t otherwise. We use our attention and practice skills in different ways. And it all happens in a much shorter time-frame than the big pieces.’ In addition to this, I taught Cordelia the simple tune ‘Hot Cross Buns’ off memory – in which I taught her this in one lesson, and recapped on the tune in the following lesson to measure if she had learnt the tune in her practice. I found this to be an ideal song for beginners to learn on trombone, considering it only uses three different notes (in this case, concert B flat, C and D) – meaning there are only three positions used. The embouchure is also open and loose for this tune, meaning there is no stress on the face – in contrast to other, more high-pitched exercises. This exercise also holds clear focus on understanding and cooperating with the basics of slide technique, as well using the tongue – which is used to separate and articulate notes between changing pitches. Selfridge Dr. (2020) labels ‘Hot Cross Buns’ to be the beginner piece for all new trombonists, writing ‘this is the ultimate beginner song! It’s a beginner band classic that helps you to learn three of your basic beginner notes: D, C, B-flat.’

As presented in the lesson plan above, I taught Cordelia how to play a major scale – starting on a concert B flat. I am a firm believer of scales being a fundamental technique to not only improve quick involvements across the slide, but to also aid in memorisation – as in most professional scenarios, scales are expected to be memorised. To justify my reasoning for teaching Cordelia this, License C. (2022) writes ‘but scales and arpeggios have great benefits to a player, firstly they establish patterns for the fingering or the slide so that when that appears in a piece of music it is second nature to play.’ In more jazz terms, scales can be argued as the most pivotal foundation for improvisation and understanding and applying key signatures. However, for trombone players specifically, remaining in tune requires complex muscle memory throughout application of all seven positions – for scale practice strengthens and develops this and helps hear for any intonation issues. For Cordelia, I chose B flat major scale as it is arguably the fundamental key of the trombone, making it a more natural and easy way of learning. As provided by the videos attached, I explained each position after playing a note in the scale and the correct embouchure for her to use – as I felt this method would be the easiest way for Cordelia to remember the correct, corresponding position. I taught this to Cordelia with the intention of her coming back the following lesson with the B flat major scale memorised – and she had.

In our next lesson, I introduced the complex technique of double tonging to Cordelia, for I am particularly interested in understanding how double tonging is operated on a trumpet mouthpiece, compared to a trombone mouthpiece. My reasoning for arguing that double tonging is such a hard technique is due to it requiring a player to hit the back of their tongue at the top of the mouth, reiterating a K/G sound. Furthermore, double tonging forces a player to coordinate muscular actions from primarily their tongue, particularly under quick and progressive passages of material. I also researched if this technique is used and adapted to wind and reed players – for I found that, according to Murphy S. (2012), ‘although multiple tonguing is a common technique for rapid articulation in brass pedagogy, it has long been a source of mystery for many saxophonists.’ In addition to this, it is justifiable to argue that it is easier to tongue on a trumpet mouthpiece, particularly due to its smaller, shallower depth and size. This meant that it requires less air for a clean tone, and offers a much more direct and precise articulation. To teach Cordelia double tonging, I instructed her how to double tongue on the mouthpiece, instead of going straight into attempting to do this technique on the trombone. We practised the K/G sound, as mentioned above, in order for Cordelia to understand how we make this sound back on the trombone, instead of just on the mouthpiece. Interestingly, Weidner B. (2023) writes ‘the sound on brass instruments starts with the vibration of the lips, which is commonly referred to as buzzing. The mouthpiece serves to focus the buzz and transfer the vibration into the instrument itself. The body of the instrument continues to focus the buzz and amplify its volume. Anything with a mouthpiece, body of tubing, and a flair bell can fundamentally serve as a brass instrument.’ Contrary to my expectation, however, Cordelia was successful in using this technique, and had already quickly adapted to the rather large difference between tonging on a trombone mouthpiece instead of a trumpet mouthpiece.

Conclusively, I have really enjoyed teaching Cordelia, as it has helped my confidence in approaching teaching, as well as instructing methods for tricky techniques on the trombone. I found that teaching is incredibly beneficial for yourself, as it not only fosters patience, but also establishes a relationship between teacher-student. I found the most rewarding aspect of my teaching was observing and understanding the progress Cordelia had made on the trombone, as it provided satisfaction and productive emotions for myself. I found it interesting that Wild T. (2024) writes about perseverance and mentions the pivotal method of teaching that is the Suzuki method, as he writes ‘research has also suggested an impressive link between learning music and increased perseverance. A study by Laurie Scott (1992) shows that music lessons – specifically in the Suzuki method for violin – were better at stimulating perseverance than other types of creative endeavour, teaching children about the wonders of delayed gratification!’

Bibliography:

Uitti J. (2023) TRUMPET VS TROMBONE: What are the differences between the two? – YAMAHA. Available online: https://hub.yamaha.com/winds/brass/trumpet-vs-trombone/ [Accessed 30/03/26]

Harris P. (2020) Professional Development for Teachers: lesson plans for the 21^st century – FABER MUSIC. Available online: https://www.fabermusic.com/news/lesson-plans-for-the-21st-century29062020 [Accessed 30/03/26]

Azevedo S. (2023) Planning a Music Lesson – Music in Motion Canada. Available online: https://musicinmotioncanada.ca/planning-a-music-lesson/ [Accessed 30/03/26]

Carroll J. (2025) How to Assemble a Trombone: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners – Chagrin Valley Music. Available online: https://chagrinvalleymusic.com/how-to-assemble-a-trombone-step-by-step-guide-for-beginners/ [Accessed 31/03/26]

Malewicz L. (2021) Trombone Basics: Correct Posture and Holding the Instrument – OTJ. Available online: https://www.trombone.org/articles/view.php?id=343 [Accessed 31/03/26]

Fower C. (2020) What Is Easier to Learn – Trumpet or Trombone? – pBone Music. Available online: https://blog.pbonemusic.com/what-is-easier-to-learn-trumpet-or-trombone [Accessed 31/03/26]

Bill C. (2025) Developing Low Notes on Trombone & Brass: Techniques and Tips – dawkes est1966. Available online: https://www.dawkes.co.uk/sound-room/developing-low-notes-on-trombone-brass-techniques-and-tips/?srsltid=AfmBOopNuPOH9sCPQh2Zso4RQF0FcKgEfOpVzDbjFbi76-_Lq_MaqPJs [Accessed 31/03/26]

Ewart-White M. (2014) Trombone Notes and Positions – Normans Blog. Available online: https://www.normans.co.uk/blogs/blog/trombone-notes-positions?srsltid=AfmBOoq-G2D20z9dEQeUNjVRC9IoiVP8mrqwaSkcLBqoC64u_r-F7NZY [Accessed 01/04/26]

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Mathie D. (2021) Alternate Positions (And How to Use Them) – OTJ. Available online: https://www.trombone.org/articles/view.php?id=346 [Accessed 01/04/26]

Mathews L. (2026) HOW TO USE EASY PIECES IN PRACTICE – Classical Guitar Shed. Available online: https://classicalguitarshed.com/easy-pieces/ [Accessed 01/04/26]

Selfridge Dr. (2020) Hot Cross Buns: TROMBONE – DR. SELFRIDGE MUSIC. Available online: https://www.drselfridgemusic.com/post/hot-cross-buns-trombone-1 [Accessed 02/04/26]

License C. (2022) Why do we need scales (and arpeggios)? – WEST MIDLANDS BRASS ACADEMY. Available online: https://www.westmidlandsbrassacademy.co.uk/why-do-we-need-scales-and-arpeggios/ [Accessed 02/04/26]

Murphy S. (2012) Double Tonguing On the Saxophone: Tips from the Masters – THE INSTRUMENTALIST. Available online: https://theinstrumentalist.com/november-2012/double-tonguing-on-the-saxophone-tips-from-the-masters/ [Accessed 27/04/26]

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Wild T. (2024) Why learning music is important – the many benefits of a musical education, and the challenges of delivering them – CHAMBERLAIN MUSIC. Available online: https://www.chamberlainmusic.com/blogs/teacher-hub/why-learning-music-is-important?srsltid=AfmBOop0nLJdi9u1QzoCYW0Dnnk_oT4N24QAc7t3NyyvdbzzFib6H989 [Accessed 29/04/26]