- The positioning of the lips on the trombone mouthpiece in order to achieve the most effective buzzing of lips for the best possible sound is referred to as one's "embouchure." The lips are centered over the rim of the mouthpiece, held in a relaxed straight line, and buzzed to approximate the desired pitch. The embouchure should be firm but not at all tense, and one must not press hard against the mouthpiece rim. It is impossible to learn fully about embouchure and tone production from books, text, or the Internet. Only a good trombone teacher can help a new player learn how to produce sound on the instrument. Some video clips, such as those in the links provided here, can be helpful as a supplement to in-person lessons. There is also no substitute for sitting in an ensemble, be it a community or school band, a symphony orchestra, or a trombone quartet. Listening to and watching other players is essential to measuring one's own progress.
- The trombone is more capable than the valved brass instruments of achieving perfect tuning on any given note, due to the infinite possibilities for adjustment of the slide. The trombone can also be played more out-of-tune than any other brass instrument by a player unaware of exactly where to place the slide for every note. Learning the precise location of each of the seven slide positions is an essential skill to be mastered early on. A piano keyboard for finding individual notes and an electronic tuner for zeroing in on precise pitch are both very helpful in this effort. Learning all the notes playable in each position (illustrated on the chart linked here) and performing slurred arpeggios up and down in each position as part of a daily warmup can help to build a large "vocabulary" of solutions to technical problems as the player develops greater skill.
- No matter how skillfully the lips are buzzed, how smoothly the slide is manipulated, or how artfully each note is articulated with the tongue, one's efforts will be greatly hampered without mastery of good breathing and control of air. The more air inhaled before playing a note (even a soft or short note), the better the resulting sound and control will be. The muscles of the lip need to be developed, certainly, but expansion of the capacity and flexibility of the diaphragm and lungs is just a crucial to a fine tone. Breathing exercises as described in the attached link can be done without the instrument, while walking or standing.
- No beginning trombonist should practice for three hours at a time. The lip must be built up gradually. A half-hour per day may suffice until the player stops feeling fatigued at the end of each session, and then 10 minutes can be added per day as comfort allows.
