Free beginner trombone warm up
While many books focusing on fundamentals are available for trombonists, they can often be intimidating for young players. Those like Arban’s, Marsteller and Remington are wonderful for intermediate and advanced players, but not quite suitable for those just starting out. Here’s a comprehensive and simple “warm-up” or “daily routine” for beginner trombonists.
Download a free trombone warm up pdf for beginner trombone players by filling the form below:
Daily routines for early and advanced intermediate players are coming soon! Stay tuned.
Here are some points to consider for a young trombonist when deciding how to warm up and work on fundamentals:
Why do I need to warm-up?
Brass instruments can be physically taxing of small and sensitive areas our face. We don’t want to shock the muscles or nerves in our face when it’s time to rehearse or perform on our instruments. Begin your playing day with soft, easy notes, where you use only the motion of air to start the sound, not the tongue (“air attacks”)
How long should my “warm-up” or “daily routine” be?
The time you spend working on “warm-ups,” “daily routines,” or “fundamentals” should last a quarter to a third of your playing time each day. While you may be warmed up enough after 5-10 minutes of playing to work on your etudes and solos, the rest of this allotted time should be focused on fundamental exercises.
Why shouldn’t I just move on to my music after I’m warmed up?
It’s unlikely that all aspects of playing will be covered in your current repertoire. Your “fundamentals” session allows you to maintain skills that may not be addressed in your repertoire on any given day. However, play your “fundamental” exercises as if they are part of a song.
What are the fundamental skills that make up a daily routine?
For your whole range:
Sustained sound across slow notes or “long tones”
Slow and fast slurs
Variety of articulation styles
Staccato, marcato, etc.
Practicing our softest and loud dynamics
Scales and arpeggios
Certain exercises can cover multiple fundamental aspects at once, and you can also alternate exercises you play every other day if you run out of time to cover your entire routine.
Everything we play is tone—focus on achieving your most beautiful sound through every moment of your playing.