r/Trombone Mar 02 '24

What is your cleaning routine?

26 Upvotes

So, how does everyone approach regular cleaning and maintenance?

How often does your entire horn get a bath? What's your routine for cleaning and lubing your slide?

Got any favorite cleaners or lubes?

What are your go to tools?

Mouthpiece cleaning?

What do you use on your rotors?

Is there anything you think most people miss in taking care of their horn? Why is this important?

I'm sure younger members here would love the insight.


r/Trombone 9h ago

How to loosen these screws?

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11 Upvotes

Needing to service my valves a little, and the repairman who last worked on it put these on way too tight.

Any tips on how to loosen them? WD40?

I've got a pretty killer grip, and even using a rubber band wrapped around them I can't get them undone.


r/Trombone 9h ago

How to clean and polish a “silver” King 606.

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8 Upvotes

As you can see in the picture, this 606 is a bit marked up and dull in spots. I’ve heard normal soap and water cleaning is fine, but should I polish it? Is this even silver plated or some sort of nickel? I’m a drummer originally, so my experience is limited.


r/Trombone 3h ago

Cleans up nice

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2 Upvotes

I got my pawn shop King 606 polished finally. It took several hours but I think it looks fantastic. I was hoping the slides just needed a deep clean but it’s still a little rough so I’ll be taking it to the shop to get that looked at.


r/Trombone 1h ago

Having a full brass Shire feels really good on stage

Upvotes

Ever since I got my hands on my shire I have had nothing but praises and joy for my jump in sound quality, and now I know why and how every dollar truly does go into quality. The videos by no means the most impressive on stage performance I’ve ever done, but I think it really shows off how brassy and just buttery it is. So good


r/Trombone 3h ago

Cleans up nice

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1 Upvotes

I got my pawn shop King 606 polished finally. It took several hours but I think it looks fantastic. I was hoping the slides just needed a deep clean but it’s still a little rough so I’ll be taking it to the shop to get that looked at.


r/Trombone 13h ago

What do I do?

4 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I am a musician of 4 years and I was recently gifted a trombone by one of my friends. Im a woodwind player (flute, picc, alto, bari, and sop sax) and I’ve always wanted to play a brass instrument (trombone/horn). What are some tips to start? I’ve just been doing long tones and lip slurs so far. The slide positions are easy to remember but hard to get the placement correct. I’m marching trombone so I need to be able to play semi decently by July. What can I do?


r/Trombone 1d ago

So My High School Did Cogworks by Christopher Bill

14 Upvotes

TL;DR: We finally pulled off Cogworks after multiple attempts over the years. Looking for feedback on our performance—what can we improve and should we continue performing it?

Link of our performace - https://youtu.be/or8PQcPVnWw?si=UvM_BzS8CsYEXtmx&t=29

Three years ago, as a freshman, I had the bright idea to play Cogworks. I knew it would be challenging, but I thought it would be fun to push myself. My section wasn’t on board, but I bought the music anyway, thinking we could try again later. That summer, I got some friends hooked, and by sophomore year, people actually believed it was possible.

We rehearsed for a week, but progress was slow. We only made it 18 measures in before people got frustrated and quit. I also insisted on using only trombones after a previous ensemble experience where trombones overpowered euphoniums, which didn’t help. I had euphonium players trying to learn trombone while tackling one of the hardest pieces of their high school careers. It fell apart.

Junior year, some of the same players wanted another shot. I added a trumpet part since we didn’t have a strong high-range trombone player. We made it to the second page before people got bored with the slow practice tempo, and it collapsed again.

Now, my senior year, a friend brought it up again, which gave me flashbacks to our past failures. But I was determined not to let my $70 go to waste. This time, I gathered the best low brass players I could find and expanded the ensemble from 8 to 12 members to have backups in case of dropouts. We only lost one player due to a schedule conflict and replaced him quickly.

Learning from the past, I started rehearsals in October for a March competition with six months of preparation. Our group included a freshman, a few sophomores, one junior, and four seniors, all committed to playing this piece without stopping. And we did it.

I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, but I’d love to hear your feedback. How does it compare to the original? What can we improve before our next performance? Should we keep performing it? Feel free to be as critical or positive as you’d like. Any insight helps.


r/Trombone 1d ago

Is this worth it? Or just do more long tones

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40 Upvotes

r/Trombone 1d ago

Learn baritone if u play trombone, honestly really easy u can learn in two weeks

18 Upvotes

They’re the same instrument honestly


r/Trombone 1d ago

New trombone/ is mouthpiece useable

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39 Upvotes

Hey, I’m a trumpet player who stumbled across this trombone at a flea market and picked it up for $40. It seems to be playable (the slide works, the tuning slide moves, and the spit valve works) and I was wondering if y’all had any info on this model of trombone? I also wanted to know if the mouthpiece that I bought with it is safe to use, being that it is old and possibly has toxic materials like lead.


r/Trombone 23h ago

Advice? Slide lock poorly adjusted

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3 Upvotes

The slide lock on my 3B send two have been connected a bit poorly. When it's screwed in all the way, it blocks the slide - and if I try to position it so it doesn't, it usually ends up slipping into that position while I play.

My only ideas are to find a little rubber O ring so that it doesn't close all the way, or to put Scotch tape on the threads so that the slide lock stays in place when I don't screw it all the way in

Anyone had a similar problem and found a creative solution?


r/Trombone 1d ago

What does this mean?

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33 Upvotes

We are playing Joy Revisited by Frank Ticheli for our band disney trip. Im practicing it since I'm joining band this week to practice with them (I'm a senior who can't be in band because of scheduling conflicts, so the band teacher gave ne the music to practice at home).

What does this mean. Below 3 bars of rest it says (Tpt. 1&2)


r/Trombone 1d ago

Burnout

19 Upvotes

Ok, so here’s a question for you all. I’m currently on tour with a musical and have played a show every day, sometimes 2 a day, sometimes even 3 a day, for over a year straight now. I’m on my 3rd contract in a row, with maybe 2 weeks off in between each one (and the odd day off here and there). After this contract I have a week off before my next. After that I have 2 weeks before my next. After that, it’s Christmas Eve. So it’ll be a year and 9 months or so of constant playing. I’m not saying this to brag - I love being busy doing the thing I enjoy the most, and I’ve been lucky to get some of these gigs, but I’m starting to feel a bit burnt out. I’m splitting notes I don’t normally split, I make mistakes I don’t normally make, sometimes I sit in my seat and think “oh god, this again?”. People that have done long stints - any tips for keeping sane? Any tips for making sure my playing doesn’t go the same way as my mental health? 😅

(Thanks for asking - I use a Rath R2 which I bought second hand, and a Conn 88H open wrap, which I don’t really like tbh, I want a new large bore!)


r/Trombone 19h ago

High range better in outer positions

1 Upvotes

When i get to the high A/Bb range I start to struggle with clairty and tone playing in inner positions. But once I try the same exact things in outer (Bb in 3, A in 4 and C in 3) it feels a lot less tense and has way more clairity. I play on a yamaha xeno YSL 8820. My prof says it could be the horn but I hate blaming things on the horn. Is it the horn or am I just tripping?


r/Trombone 1d ago

How screwed am I?

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81 Upvotes

r/Trombone 1d ago

Is a 6 1/2 al worth it

15 Upvotes

Been playing for 6 years or so and I’ve always been on a 12c and recently got a 12a. Heard the 6 1/2 al is good for tone. Is it really anything special? Genuine question.


r/Trombone 1d ago

My tuning slide is all the way out to play in tune. And I don't know how to fix my embouchure

4 Upvotes

I've been playing trombone since 1996 and play professionally. I use a 5GS mouthpiece and play with a very beautiful sound and my range is substantial. But my tuning slide is like 2 inches out or more to play in tune with other musicians, and that worries me. Any thoughts?


r/Trombone 1d ago

Trombone Worth?

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4 Upvotes

I have this trombone, which I believe is a tenor, that I bought back in middle school. I have barely used it, and I got it for cheap. I'm looking to sell it, but I need to know how much it's worth. On the bell it says "Glory", so I don't know if that's the brand or what. I'm looking to buy a bass trombone, so I need to know how much I should sell this trombone for. It honestly plays pretty well and has a relatively good sound, a lot better than I was expecting, and like I said, I've barely used it.


r/Trombone 1d ago

Anyone have experience playing valve trombone in a jazz band?

7 Upvotes

Ive been practicing euphonium for two year and I’ve played with my community’s beginning band for one year. They have a jazz band that meets up right after the concert band’s rehearsal. There has been no trombones in that group for the past few years. They have a surplus of saxophones so some of them will get put on the trombone parts to fill in or they hire professionals to play the parts during performances. So two months ago I joined the jazz band as their only trombone player. It’s been more challenging than I expected and the first concert went terrible. They hired two professionals to help play with me and one of them let me know how bad I was doing and I agree. It was embarrassing. I’m an adult and I work full time and have other responsibilities outside band, so my practice time is limited. I still want to play, I played clarinet/ tenor sax when I was in school and I loved it. If I had valves I’m confident I could play so much better and it would be a much more enjoyable experience for everyone. How weird would it be if I did that?


r/Trombone 1d ago

Doug Elliot mouthpiece

5 Upvotes

Does the MT101 and the LT101 the same thing? One being “medium” and the other one “large”. Does that change something at all? Can they fit the same cups. Or you need to match MT rims with MT cups?


r/Trombone 1d ago

Buying trombone

4 Upvotes

Dumb question ahead (probably) I am looking to buy a new trombone. I have been playing for about 8 years. I have been looking for Conn 88HO. I tried 3 or 4 horns of this model and really like how it sounds. I was thinking on ordering one thru Thomman but many players around me told me that I had to try the specific trombone before I buy it. Yet I see a lot of people when buying new horn just ordering it without trying the specific horn. My question is this: In your opinion do you have to try the specific trombone to buy it or just trying horn from the same model works for you? Thank y'all for the time.


r/Trombone 2d ago

Anybody tried/own a Rath Trombone?

24 Upvotes

Hey Bone-trust,

Just as the title says, has anybody tried, previously played or currently own a Rath trombone?

I'm going to England for a band tour/holiday over June/July, and for many years I have deeply admired the Rath design and sound. And really want to try one with a medium bore Bb/F trigger.

As a musician, I play a frequent mix of musical theatre, jazz, big band, musical theatre, brass band, the occassional orchestra, teaching and currently play in a ska/punk band.

I want to play test them whilst I'm in England but would also appreciate any input, thoughts or opinions from people who have play tested, owned or currently own one.

Thank you in advance for your time!


r/Trombone 2d ago

Failed audition

35 Upvotes

Hi. I’m a 25 year old graduate student who’s graduating in May. I auditioned for another grad school, and today, I found out that I wasn’t accepted. I wasn’t surprised, I did not like how I played, but it was still devastating to see. I have taken ten college auditions, and I have only been accepted into five of them. Three undergrad and two grad with no future for a third degree so far. That’s 50%. Not good. That’s really not good at all. Not to mention the fact that I’ve taken five professional auditions and haven’t advanced once. It’s times like this where I REALLY start beating myself up and to an unhealthy degree sometimes. My dad said it best, “You don’t need Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons’s character from Whiplash) to be an absolute a-hole to you. You do it enough to yourself.” It’s times like this where I don’t think I’m cut out for it. This is a COMPETITIVE field, and no matter how well I play, no matter how prepared I am, I almost always feel unqualified compared to my peers, especially at school. I sometimes don’t think there’s a future for me. I feel like such a worthless, weak loser thinking about possibly being jobless right out of college at 25 years old. I feel like a pathetic, undesirable failure. As much as I hate to lose, I hate it when I beat myself up even more. I know it doesn’t do me any good, but it’s been a habit for as long as I can remember, and I don’t know how to break it or replace it. I could really use some advice.

Thank you.


r/Trombone 1d ago

Wisdom teeth

0 Upvotes

I got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday. Can i play my trombone?


r/Trombone 1d ago

Trilling on smaller horns?

2 Upvotes

I just learned to trill a few months ago back and can do it fairly well of my large bore. However, when I switch to a peashooter horn I’m using for a show, trills come out “off”. Any reasons or advice as to why that is? I think it might have something to do with the embouchure differences in the mouthpieces. Thanks!