BEGINNING BRASS: ESTABLISHING FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESS

David Brandon, Duncanville High School, Duncanville, TX

INSTRUMENT SELECTION
The goal during the instrument selection process is to match the student with an instrument
they are physically suited to as well as one they are interested in playing. You may need to
sell students on instruments they might not have originally considered if you know its one
they have the highest chance of succeeding on. Most kids who drop out at the end of
beginner band did not feel successful on their instrument. Set them up for success at the
very beginning by getting them on the right instrument.
While there are always exceptions to the rules, here are a few things to consider when
selecting brass players:

Gradescheck with counselors and teachers or get a printout of the last grading
period for all potential band students. Horn players should be A/B students but try to
get A/B kids in every section.
Personalitycheck with teachers. Try to get outgoing kids on every instrument.
Aural Skillsask students to identify high vs. low pitches, sing back pitches, etc.
Horn and trombone players need to be able to distinguish between pitches from the
very beginning. A background in piano is a plus.
Lip Size and Shapein general, thinner lips for horn and trumpet/thicker lips for low
brassno pronounced cupids bow or teardrop for horn and trumpet. Look for an
even line formed by the top and bottom lips
Teethrelatively even for horn and trumpet, not as important for low brass
Jawan under bite may cause problems on most brass instruments but especially
horn and trumpet
Body Sizewill they be able to handle the instrument

If you are able to conduct individual interviews, give students a quick lesson on embouchure
and making sound on the mouthpiece. Its easier to convince students to pick the correct
instrument if you can demonstrate how much easier they can produce a good sound on one
mouthpiece over another.
If you start beginners in the 4th or 5th grades and/or you dont see them everyday, you might
consider starting only trumpets and baritones then switching kids to the other instruments as
they mature physically or become more independent learners. This will allow you to focus
more time on more of the students at the beginning. You might also consider a beginner
summer program with like-instrument instruction.
CLASS STRUCTURE
The ideal beginner class schedule is like-instrument classes. The next best thing is trumpets
and horns together, baritones and tubas together and trombones by themselves. A mixed
brass class is preferable to a heterogeneous class.
Most beginner books come with a special book for horn with the option of playing at pitch
with the rest of the instruments or in fourths (same note name as trumpet). Its really not
hard to get the horns to hear notes played in fourths (if they have the necessary aural skills)
and it puts them in a range perfect for beginners. If your beginner book does not have a

special horn book then have them use trumpet books with a horn fingering chart stapled
over the trumpet chart.
My preferred classroom set-up is a single arc with plenty of room side to side for students to
put their instrument (still in the case) to the side of their chair. I also like to teach from a
rolling chair that does not have arms to allow me to be on their level and to quickly move
from student to student. No matter what set up you have to use, make sure there is plenty of
room side to side and front to back for proper student posture and for you to maneuver
easily to each student.
I like to teach on a need to know basis and try to talk in terms of desired results rather than
lengthy explanations. I demonstrate what I want them to do first then have them try. If some
students need more explanation then I may either provide it myself or ask the class guided
questions resulting in another explanation of the technique.
POSTURE AND BREATHING
Basic posture is very simple yet vital to proper breathing and playing position. Students
should sit toward the front edge of the chair (back off the chair backexcept tubas), spine
straight, shoulders relaxed and head erect. With their feet on the floor they should be able to
easily stand up without any extra effort.
Proper breathing is simply moving lots of air in and out of the body as efficiently as possible.
Demonstrate to the class then have them copy. Look for the following things:








Breathing through the mouthnot the nose

Stomach area expands first then the chestlike filling up a glass with water
Shoulders may rise slightly but not abnormally
Air should move in and outNO HOLDING IN AIR!!!!! Think of a swing
Silent air in and outextra noise means something is getting in the way of the air
stream
Tension caused by taking in too much air
Squeezing the abdominal muscles while exhaling and closing off the throat

Breathing Exercises:






In ____; Out ____ Blow to a target (focus with eyes)

Blow up balloons in one breath
Blow against a single sheet of paper held about 6 inches from your nose
Ripping Exercise: Place fingers vertically in front of your mouth. Breathe with
energy trying to create the ripping sound
OH-UPbreathe in low thing OH and continue with UP to fill the upper chest

Read Arnold Jacobs: The Legacy of a Master, Edited and Collected by M. Dee Stewart for a
complete understanding of proper breathing for wind players.
EMBOUCHURE
It is very important for each student to have a mirror handy so they can see if they are
forming their embouchure correctly.





Start with natural facelips lightly together, jaw slightly dropped. Have students
look at themselves in the mirror, noting where their corners are
Form the embouchurepronounce a sophisticated m or poo or think about
spitting something off the tip of their tonguecorners firm slightly but stay in the
same place as natural face
Take a breath and blow air through the embouchure

Look for the following things:









Equal amounts of red showing from top and bottom lips on the sidesthis varies due
to different lip/jaw formationsmost will have to move jaw forward
No shiny parts of the lipskeep the wet part of the lips against the gums (bottom lip
stands up against the bottom teeth)
Oval aperturetaller aperture for low brass players
Chin flattens to make the brass players faceget them to look like the pictures in
your brass pedagogy book from college
Teeth apartabout the width of their pinky or end of their mouthpiece shank
Tongue out of the way of the airwispy sounds or hiss means the tongue is too
high
Center of the lips are soft

Practice the breathing exercise In for ____; Out for ____ blowing air through the formed
embouchure. Have students blow to the center of their palms a few inches in front of their
lips. The air stream should be focused. Then blow air with the same focus across the room
to a target.
MOUTHPIECE PLACEMENT AND FIRST SOUNDS
When most of the class can demonstrate proper posture, breathing, embouchure formation
and any music reading skills taught, it is time to move on to making sound on the
mouthpieces. Work with one student at a time to make sure the mouthpiece is placed
properly and the student learns the correct feel from the beginning. Throughout this
process ask the class to describe sounds being produced and to prescribe possible fixes for
ones they dont like. The goal is to get them to learn to recognize good sounds and how to
diagnose and fix poor sounds so they can then teach themselves at homealso known as
practicing. My procedure is as follows:
1. Sit with correct posture
2. Lick lips so they are very moist
3. Blow air through embouchureif a shallow breath is taken have them start all
over
4. Place the mouthpiece on the embouchureTHEY CHANGE NOTHING and no
matter what comes out (if anything) they must keep air moving
 Place the mouthpiece centered horizontallythis may vary depending on
where their natural aperture forms
 Vertical placement varies by instrument
a. Trumpetstart with 50/50 (there is much controversy over trumpet mp
placement)
b. HornMUST be 2/3s upper, 1/3 lower
c. Low Brass50/50 to 2/3s upper, 1/3 lower (you may need to close half
of the tuba shank to provide resistance)

Almost all students will have run out of breath so this is the time to teach them to breathe
through the corners of their mouth. Make sure the embouchure reforms correctly after
breathing and that they dont hold air inside their body. Start all over if necessary.
Possible Outcomes:






No Buzzthis is okif air speed is slow have them blow the air farther, if lips are too
far apart bring them slightly more together, if lips are to hard tell them to soften
Tight and pinched buzzstart all over and ask them to soften the lips and try to just
blow air through the mouthpiece. Gradually bring the lips closer together until a buzz
is achieved
Tubby wet sounding buzzthey are buzzing on the inside shiny red portion of the
lipsthink more pronounced poo and keep the inside flesh touching the teeth and
gums
Puffy cheeksgo back to embouchure only while blowing a focused stream of air.
Place the mouthpiece on the embouchurekeep air blowing to the center of the
mouthpiece and gradually bring the lips closer together until they vibrate
Solid buzzgreathave them do it again several times and hold for a long time
(without squeezing or forcing their air out)

Note: Many times the trumpets, horns and tubas will have difficulty getting a first sound.
You can try jump starting them by trying a trombone mouthpiece to help them learn
the feel of either more relaxation (for trumpet and horn) or for slightly more firmness
in the corners (tuba). Then go back to their mouthpiece and have them recreate the
feel of the trombone mouthpiece.
When all of the students achieve a decent sound with your guidance, have them repeat the
procedure themselves by holding the mouthpiece toward the end of the shank. Trumpets
and horns should use index finger and thumb while low brass may use two fingers and
thumb. Tubas may close the end of the mouthpiece up to 50% with their ring finger or pinky
to provide more resistance to the air stream. Have them hold their mirrors with their free
hand.
At this point have them play whole notes/whole rests to relate playing to reading music and
to introduce two count and one count breathing before playing. Always have the rhythms
visible either on the board, overhead or rhythm sheet. The pitch produced does not matter
as long as they are forming their embouchures correctly and producing a quality sound.
Introduce echo playing (I play-you play) so they hear a good sound before they play, learn
to count rests, and remember to breathe on their own while others are playing during their
rests. You can also divide the class into different sections depending on your class
configuration and chain notes around the room (Trumpets then horns then trombone, by
individuals or woodwinds on mouthpiece/head joints then brass, etc).
Note: Dont spend too much time on mouthpiece alone at the beginning. The goal is to
establish the correct mouthpiece placement and feel without the complications of the
full instrument. As soon as this is achieved it is time to move to the full instrument.

INSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY
Most damage to instruments occurs during assembly, disassembly and moving from one
place to another. Teach a specific routine for each of the instruments and practice several
times as a class with you demonstrating each step along the way.
Universal Rules
 Establish what they are supposed to do when they come into the band hall. I have
my classes bring their cases to their chair and place them on the right (trumpets and
trombones) or left (horns) side. Tubas and baritones place their instruments in an
open area of the room.
 Always open cases on the floor with the bottom side down. NEVER UPRIGHT OR
UPSIDE DOWN! Have students kneel on the ground in front of the case.
 Never set the instrument in a chair and establish when its appropriate to place
instruments on the ground and exactly how to do so.
Trumpet/Cornet
 With the left hand, grasp the instrument in the valve cluster and take out of case
 Place mouthpiece in leadpipe with the right hand and give it a slight twist
 Close the case with the right hand, close one latch then place the case back on the
right side of the chair
Horn
 Grasp the valve slide cluster with the right hand and the bell with the left hand. Guide
the instrument out of the case then swing the bell upward so it ends up over the right
shoulder next to the head
 Place the mouthpiece in leadpipe with the left hand and give it a slight twist
 Close case with the left hand, close one latch then place the case back to the left
side of the chair
Trombone
 Guide the slide section out with both hands. Place the end nub on the ground and
hold by the braces with the right hand so that the longer side to the persons left.
Make sure the slide lock is on.
 Grasp the bell section in the middle and bring out of the case.
 Angle the bell away from the slide while bringing the two parts together to avoid
denting the left slide with the edge of the bell. The two parts should be at 180
degrees.
 Push the bell forward until it is 90 degrees to the slide section creating friction
tension between the parts to keep them snuggly together.
 Screw down the connecting ring finger tight.
 Transfer the instrument to the left hand. Place the mouthpiece in the receiver with the
right hand.
 Close the case with the right hand, close one latch then place the case back to the
right side of the chair
Baritone and Tuba
 Grasp instrument in the middle section with one hand and the bell with the other
 Pull free of the case and set down flat on the floor (not on the bell)
 Remove mouthpiece, close the case and return it to its storage area
 Insert mouthpiece and take instrument to your chair

HOLDING AND HAND POSITION

Trumpet
 Left Handholds the entire weight of the instrument. Shape like youre holding a
large cup. Keeping wrist basically straight and naturally wrap the fingers around the
valve casing with the ring finger in the third valve slide ring (dont go past the 2nd
knuckle). Thumb rests in 1st valve saddle (if present) or against the 1st valve casing
 Right Handmake a C and place the thumb between the 1st and 2nd valve casing
and up against the leadpipe. Keep the thumb relatively straight. Fingers curve
naturally and rest on top of the valve caps. Keep the pinky out of the so-called pinky
hook. Too many bad habits such as unnecessary tension, mouthpiece pressure and
poor hand position can develop. Palms do not touch the instrument.
 Bring the trumpet up to playing position with the angle created by the forearms at 90
degrees. The trumpet should be slightly below parallel to the ground.
 At Rest Postiontrumpet across the lap still held by the left hand
Horn
 Left HandPlace pinky in the pinky ring and thumb in the thumb ring or on the
trigger. Keep fingers shaped like a C and on the ends of the valve keys. Many
students move the tips of the fingers too far down the keys creating sloppy technique
later on.
 Right HandHave students reach their right hand out like they are going to shake
hands. Bring the thumb alongside the index finger. The hand will naturally cup
slightly. Keeping the wrist straight, place each students hand in the bell so the line
formed by the thumb and index finger is at the 12:00 position. The rest of the fingers
must be against the side of the bell farthest from the body. Adjust how far the hand
goes in the bell based on the students hand size and tone produced. Check right
hand position several times every day!
 For bell off the legsimply bring the horn up to playing position making sure the
angle of the leadpipe is slightly downward from the embouchure and the bell is free
of the body
 For bell on the legposition the right leg in such a way that the bell can be placed on
the thigh in a way that creates the correct angle of leadpipe to embouchure.
 At Rest Positionbell tail of horn resting in lap with the body of the instrument upright
against the players body. Both hands on the instrument.
Trombone
 Left Handmake a gun and place the index finger (muzzle) on the mouthpiece
receiver and wrap the rest of the fingers around the outside brace box of the slide.
Wrap the thumb around the bell brace and rest on the F trigger if present.
 Right Handmake the money sign and place the first two fingertips underneath the
bottom slide brace and on the left side. Thumb rests opposite the fingertips on the
other side of the brace. Palm faces toward the player. Pinky and Ring finger may curl
naturally or split the outside slide with the first two fingers. Keep the wrist relatively
straight. Dont let it bend toward the body.
 Bring trombone up to playing position. The shape created by the left forearm and
slide along with the right forearm and bell section should be an X. Trombone should
be slightly below parallel to the ground.
 At Rest Positionmake sure slide lock is on. Hook the pinky of the left hand around
the bottom slide brace. Balance bell on left thigh and tuning slide against left
shoulder.

Baritone and Tuba

 Left Handplacement depends on where the valves are on the instrument. In
general, the left hand and arm should support and stabilize the instrument by
wrapping around the front of valves up instruments or holding the main tubing on
front valve instruments.
 Right Handfor both valve configurations, make a C and place the tips of the
fingers on the valves. Try to keep the thumb and wrist straight.
 Holding the Baritoneangle bell of the instrument across the body opposite of the
mouthpiece (Bell fronts angle to the players left; uprights angle to the players right).
 Holding the Tubabalance the tuba between the thighs and let it lean slightly
forward to help create the correct angle of mouthpiece to embouchure. Use tuba
stands if available.
 At Rest Positionlay instrument across the lap.
Practice going from at rest position to playing position, insisting on correct posture and hand
position from the start.
Teach the order of descending valve/slide combinations and why the pitch goes down as
valves are added. If you are teaching a mixed brass class you may want to correlate the
valve combinations with the trombone slide positions: 4th position means 1 and 2 to the
valve students.
 Open
1st Position
 2
2nd Position
 1
3rd Position
 12
4th Position
Note: Teach the trumpets to kick out the 3rd valve slide on 1 3
 23
5th Position
and 1 2 3 valve combinations from the very beginning!
Call the fingerings 1 and 3 Slide or 1 2 3 Kick
 13
6th Position
 123
7th Position
Call out various valve combinations/slide positions while in playing posture and have them
depress the valves or move the slide.
 Valve instrumentsmove from the large knuckle, keeping the fingers curved. Dont
allow the middle knuckle to collapse.
 Trombonemove from the elbow. Keep the fingers of the right hand naturally
rounded. If the middle knuckles are collapsed then they are using too much pressure
to hold the slide, creating unnecessary tension in the right arm. Describe where the
positions are and tell them to try to remember what each one feels like in their elbow.
Below are general descriptions of each position. The exact placement will eventually
be determined by ear.
o 1stslide is all the way in
o 2ndabout 1 inch of the inner slide shows
o 3rdSlide brace is just short of the bell edge. Do not let them touch the bell
with the index finger
th
o 4 End of slide is just beyond the edge of the bell
o 5thBetween 4th and 6th! (slightly closer to 4th than 6th)
o 6thSlide brace is at the top of the slide stocking
o 7thAbout 2 inches of the slide stocking shows

STARTING THE FULL INSTRUMENT

As soon as students can demonstrate a steady relaxed sound on the mouthpiece and
proper playing position, it is time to move to playing the full instrument. Have each student
demonstrate proper posture at rest, bring the instrument to his or her embouchure, breathe
properly and attempt to make his or her first sound. Insist on everything being correct! Many
(or most) will have changed something. Many totally forget to form their embouchure or take
a deep breath. Stop them and have them demonstrate the correct way before allowing them
to continue. If a student continues to have difficulty keeping everything the same, hold the
instrument for them and bring the mouthpiece to their embouchure for them (just like when
producing the first sounds on mouthpiece) then go back and let them hold the instrument.
The goal is to produce a sound that lasts a long time and is fairly full and steady. The pitch
of the first note does not really matter, however, tell them what they played or ask other
students what note was produced. This will get them thinking about what is actually coming
out of the bell. Continue hearing individuals several times, always identifying pitches being
played to help develop their pitch discriminatory and recognition abilities.
As the students become more and more comfortable holding steady sounds in 1st position
(open) by themselves, start asking them to try playing lower and/or higher notes to see if
they can figure it out themselves before giving them too much information. Ask them to
describe what they are doing and come up with a list of simple descriptions.
To Play Lower
 Use calmer air
 Let the aperture become wider and taller
 Direct the air more forward or straight out
 Drop jaw
 Shape a darker vowel inside the mouth (ooh, aw, oo)
 Let the lips vibrate more in the center of the red (not the shiny part)
To Play Higher
 Use energized airmake it travel farther
 Slightly firmer corners
 Aperture becomes smaller
 Let the lips vibrate more toward the edge of the red (lips curls in) Think about
grasping the tip of a pencil with the edges of the lips
 Direct the air stream more downward
 Shape a brighter vowel sound inside the mouth (ee)
Identify the following notes and pitches for each instrument and have them practice playing
each on demand:

Note: The tubas will probably have difficulty getting down to the low Bb for quiet some time.
This is ok. They will gradually work their way down as they learn notes down from F.

PLAYING TOGETHER AS A CLASS

When most of the students are able to play the above notes at will, its time to start playing
together as a class. As with the mouthpiece alone, I like to Echo Play whole notes/whole
rests with me leading so they hear the correct pitch and tone before they play. I usually start
with F or Bb concert with trumpets, F concert with low brass and A concert (written E) with
the horns. If teaching a mixed class, start on F concert with trumpets and low brass and C
concert (written G) with the horns. Proceed as follows in whole notes/whole rests:
Teacher plays F concert; trumpets and low brass echo F concert; Teacher plays C concert;
horns echo C concert (their G); all whole rest; all play (horns at the 4th).
Next, proceed to 2nd position/2nd valve, 3rd position/1st valve, 4th position/1st and 2nd valves
(horns on open E), etc, until you reach the low Bb (concert F for horns). Make sure to
identify the name of each note and what it looks like on the staff so students will relate
fingerings/slide positions with note names and placement on the staff. Most beginner books
start with whole note/whole rest exercises that are perfect for Echo Playing with
woodwinds.
Note: Have the trombones rest during the longer position notes (6th and 7th) if they cannot
reach them without distorting their postures.
Note: Now is a good time to introduce Flash Cards for note name and fingering
memorization.
TONGUING
When students can consistently play a note or two with a solid steady sound, it is time to
introduce tonguing. Have the students first blow air through embouchure. Emphasize the
continuous forward motion of the air stream. Demonstrate tonguing four quarter notes on air
using a too syllable for the high brass and toe for low brass. Have the students echo
back. Check each student individually and look/listen for the following things:






Do they keep the air moving? Some students will try coughing the notes with the
throat or huff spurts of airgo back to blowing air on whole notes
Does the jaw say motionless?
Is there extra motion below the chin? If so, they are moving too much of the tongue
only the tip moves up and downthe back of the tongue stays inactive.
Do you hear wispy sounds? If so, their tongue is too high in the mouth or the teeth
are too close together. Shape the tongue like a spoon and remind them to keep the
oo or oh syllable when tonguing.
Do you hear a thud at the end of each note? Either the tongue is moving too slowly,
they are stopping the air with the tongue or they are tonguing between the teeth.

Next, move to the mouthpiece then the full instrument. Watch and listen to each student
individually every day for the next few weeks. Bad habits can quickly develop and are very
hard to correct later on. (You can quickly hear every player by chaining four quarter notes
down the row by individual.)

SIRENS OR ROLLER COASTERS

Mouthpiece sirens are helpful to brass players for several reasons. They help to gradually
expand ranges both high and low as well as establish the fundamental process of changing
notes smoothlyair remains constant as the aperture changes shape. I call sirens roller
coasters so I can refer to different levels in a way they easily understand.
Start with the kiddy coaster, beginning on a comfortable note and moving down and up
slightly. At first, any pitch change is good as long as the air remains smooth and the
embouchure remains correct. The goal is to move from low to high without any weird
changes in the embouchure or tone. Over the course of the year students will graduate to
more advance roller coasters until they reach the Texas Giant level (or whatever the tallest
roller coaster theyre familiar with). Look for the following things and address as needed:






Do they keep the air moving steadily?

Head and face stay stillno bobbing up and down or raising/lowering eyebrows!
Bottom lipshould not disappear under the top lip when going higher or pooch out
when going lower
Sound pinches when going upcaused by pressing the center of the lips together
make the aperture rounder or taller, keep center of lips soft
Chin bunches when going uppressing bottom lip up into upper lipwatch in a
mirror

THE NEXT STEPS

Students are ready to start scales and lip slurs when they can produce steady sounds from
Low Bb to F (horn written C to G), tongue properly and have successfully performed the first
few real tunes in the beginner book.
SCALES
Introduce the chromatic scale within the range they can play then add notes lower and
higher when they can play them successfully on mouthpiece roller coasters. When an
octave is achieved, introduce the first major scaleusually Bb concertand continue
adding as their range develops. Continue adding flash cards as new notes are learned.
Make sure the students can do the following things as they learn scales:
1. Name the key signature and say the flats or sharps in proper order
2. Spell the scale while looking at the notes. Use sharp names going up and flat names
going down the chromatic scale and understand the proper use of #s, bs and natural
signs as well as enharmonic spellings.
3. Finger the scale using correct fingerings. Trombones must use appropriate slide
positions (4th position for upper D in Eb scale).
4. Play the scale.
NEVER ALLOW THEM TO WRITE IN NOTE NAMES OR FINGERINGS IN THEIR MUSIC!

LIP SLURS
Simple lip slurs are vital to the development of all brass players. Look and listen for the
same things on lips slurs as on the roller coasters. Start off with two note downward slurs
and when they are able to change smoothly return to the upper note. Remind students to
change the vowel sound as quickly as they change the aperture for each note and to keep
the air moving smoothly at all times.

Continue adding more notes of the harmonic series as their range increases on the
chromatic scale. Its a good idea for the lip slur range to lag slightly behind the chromatic
scale range so that students are secure on the higher notes before they have to slur up to
them.
YEAR END GOALS
Every student is different so the following are general goals to shoot for by the end of the
school year:
1. Recognize note names and fingerings as well as play a two octave F concert
chromatic scale (Bb concert for horn)
2. Be able to perform at least 7 major scales (Bb, F, C, G, Db, Ab, Eb)
3. Demonstrate rhythmic independence through dotted-quarter/eighth patterns
a. Able to write counts
b. Able to clap and count out loud
c. Able to play
4. Single tongue quarter notes at 100.
INTERNET RESOURCES
Trombone Care and Maintenance:

www.trombone.org/jfb/pdf/keepitclean.pdf

Osmun Music Reference Page

www.osmun.com/reference/index.html

Texas Bandmasters Association

www.texasbandmasters.org
Educational Resources (handouts from past clinics)

Trombone Daily Drill

Long Tones
Long Tone 1A

? 44 b b b

Long Tone 1B

?4
4 b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b

Long Tone 1C

? 4 b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b
4

Lip Slurs
Lip Slur 1

? 4 b b b b
4 b

? 4 b b b b b
4
b

Lip Slur 2

Lip Slur 3

? 44 b b b b
1

b b b
b

b
b
5

b b b b

LOW BRASS CHROMATIC SCALE

CHROMATIC SCALE--a scale in 1/2 steps
1/2 STEP--the smallest interval in music
# (sharp)--takes a note up 1/2 step--use #'s when going up the scale

b (flat)--takes a note down 1/2 step--use b's when going down the scale
n (natural)--cancels a flat or sharp
ENHARMONIC--a single note with two names
CONCERT Bb TO F

? 44

b n #

CONCERT F TO Bb (A#)

? 44 #

b b

# n b

ONE OCTAVE CONCERT Bb (A#) CHROMATIC SCALE

? 44

b n

? # n b

b b

#
bw

LOW BRASS EXTENDED CHROMATIC SCALE

CHROMATIC SCALE--a scale in 1/2 steps
1/2 STEP--the smallest interval in music
# (sharp)--takes a note up 1/2 step--use #'s when going up the scale
b (flat)--takes a note down 1/2 step--use b's when going down the scale

ENHARMONIC--a single note with two names

LOW F TO LOW A# (Bb)

?4
4

ONE OCTAVE F CHROMATIC SCALE

? 44

# b b b b

b w
# #

UPPER Bb TO UPPER D

? 44 b

# b n

# #

LOW F TO UPPER D EXTENDED CHROMATIC SCALE

? 44

? b b

b b

b b

LOW BRASS FULL RANGE CHROMATIC SCALE

CHROMATIC SCALE--a scale in 1/2 steps
1/2 STEP--the smallest interval in music
# (sharp)--takes a note up 1/2 step--use #'s when going up the scale
b (flat)--takes a note down 1/2 step--use b's when going down the scale
ENHARMONIC--a single note with two names
ONE OCTAVE LOW F CHROMATIC SCALE

? 44

# b b b b

b w
# #

ONE OCTAVE UPPER F CHROMATIC SCALE

b b b

b b w
? 44 # # #

? 44
# #

# # #

TWO OCTAVE F CHROMATIC SCALE

b b
b b b
?
b b b
b b w

TROMBONE ONE OCTAVE MAJOR SCALES

,
CONCERT Bb

? b b 44

,

CONCERT F

? b 44

CONCERT C

? 44

CONCERT G

? # 44

CONCERT Db

? b b b 44
bb

CONCERT Eb

? b b 44
b

CONCERT Ab

? b b b 44
b

, 4
4

Trombone/Euphonium Major Scales

Concert Bb

? bb

?b

Concert F

Concert C

?#

Concert G

Concert D

? ##

Concert A

? ###

ORDER OF SHARPS IN A KEY SIGNATURE

F# C# G# D# A# E# B#

TROMBONE/EUPHONIUM MAJOR SCALES-PAGE 2

Concert E

? ####

Concert B

? ####

? bb b b

b b
w

Concert Gb

Concert Db

? bb b
b b

Concert Ab

? bb b
b

Concert Eb

? bb
b

ORDER OF FLATS IN A KEY SIGNATURE

Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb