How to hold a trombone

Last week I bought a brand new trombone. Following my teacher’s recommendation, I made an appointment at Musik Bertram in Freiburg and spent a good few hours in their practice room trying out different instruments. I fully expected to get a light, small-bore, jazz or pop music tenor trombone. Instead, I somehow chose a medium-bore, classical Bach 36, with rose brass bell and everything.

What made the difference compared to the other instruments I tried is the incredible, full sound this instrument is able to produce. My guitarist Max, who was with me at the store, put it this way:

The other instruments are good, too. But this one sounds like it has a built-in compressor.

Guitarists…

So, amazing sound, yes, but there’s a drawback. This instrument is heavier than anything I have played before. And its geometry is weird, too. I’m still figuring how to hold it comfortably.

Luckily, there’s YouTube. And there’s one of my favorite YouTubers: Trent Hamilton. Trent is a New Zealander that collects brass instruments like others collect stamps. He also plays them very well, and he plays all of them. Naturally he knows how to properly hold - even a heavy - a trombone: