AUTHOR NOTE: Since the initial release of The Balanced Trombonist – A Method Supplement, I’ve encountered new studies, resources, and additions as well as receiving materials from fellow musicians and trombonists. This additional material is included in the bibliography below, with more to follow as it becomes available.
CHAPTER 1 - Breathing
10% of their actual lung capacity = Hough, A. Physiotherapy in Respiratory Care; An evidence-based approach to respiratory and cardiac management. 3rd eds. United Kingdom: Nelson Thomes Ltd, 2001 p.69
50% of lung capacity = Luce JM, Pierson DJ, Tyler MT. Intensive Respiratory Care, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA.p.21
in his book on breathing = Stough, Carl. Dr. Breath – The Story of Breathing Coordination, New York, William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1970 p.15
processing or “treating” the air = Rama, Swami, Rudolph Ballentine, Alan Hymes. Science of Breath – A Practical Guide. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy. 1979 p.57-87, “The Nasal Function and Energy,“ “…30 distinct functions of the nose”
an elastic container of air = Gray, Henry. Gray’s Anatomy. New York, Crown Publishers. 1977 p. 973-979
between the neck and lower abdomen = Rama, Swami, Rudolph Ballentine, Alan Hymes. Science of Breath – A Practical Guide. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy. 1979 p.23-55, “Respiration and the Chest”
major inspiratory muscle = Newman, William A. Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary. Philadelphia, Saunders-Elsevier. 2007 p. 516
the sternum breast plate and the spinal column = Gray, Henry. Gray’s Anatomy. New York, Crown Publishers. 1977 p. 352-356
one direction as they contract = ibid, p. 1107
breath slender, silent, and deep = Wilson, Stanley. Qi Gong for Beginners – Eight Easy Movements for Vibrant Health. Portland, OR, Rudra Press. 1997 p. 12, 25
Physiological Sigh = Balban, Melis, Eric Neri, Manuela Kogon, Jamie Zeitzer, David Spiegel, Andrew Huberman. Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, Vol 4, Iss 1. January 17, 2023
“Cyclic sighing produced the highest daily improvement in positive affect as well as the highest reduction of respiratory rate… The physiological and psychological effects of cyclic sighing appear to last over time.”
CHAPTER 2 - Buzzing
the trachea = Gray, Henry. Gray’s Anatomy. New York, Crown Publishers. 1977 p. 965-969
covered by many thin bands of muscles = Williams, P.L., Warwick, R., Dyson, M. and Bannister, L.H. Gray’s Anatomy, 37th Edition. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 1989 p. 570
known as the “modiolus” = Williams, P.L., Warwick, R., Dyson, M. and Bannister, L.H. Gray’s Anatomy, 37th Edition. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 1989 p. 578
“the modiolus, consists of the interlacing arrays of fibre terminals of muscles converging towards or diverging from it. …The name… was adopted because, in surface view, the mass was thought to resemble the hub of a wheel…
trombonist and teacher Emory Remington = March 1992 memories of Emory Remington, by Donald Hunsberger. The Instrumentalist. (2023, April 26). https://theinstrumentalist.com/march-1992-memories-of-emory-remington-by-donald-hunsberger/
CHAPTER 3 - Application
by Dr. Donald Reinhardt = Reinhardt, Donald. Encyclopedia of the Pivot System. New York: Charles Colin Publications. 2006
by master brass instructor Louis Maggio (1878 -1957) = MacBeth, Carlton. Original Louis Maggio System for Brass. Burbank, CA: Carlton MacBeth. 1986
the book Musical Calisthenics for Brass = Caruso, Carmine. Musical Calisthenics for Brass. Hileah, Florida: Almo Publications. 1979
developing and refining the embouchure. = Theele, Phil. Personal Communication, June, 1994
CHAPTER 4 - A Plan of Action
should be free of distractions = Eyal, Nir. Indistractable – How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books. 2019
This book identifies typical reasons for our distracted tendencies and contains specific strategies to help deal with those issues.
time you practice = Newport, Cal. Deep Work – Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. New York: Grand Central Publishing. 2016
This book identifies some of the typical ways we approach work and examines the ways we can embed these approaches in our daily life. The end goal is to work deeply on topics we choose to focus our time on.
INTRODUCTION to Building Technique
intervals above the fundamental = Campbell, M., Gilbert, J., Myers, A. The Science of Brass Instruments. London: Springer Nature. 2021
p 14 …a harmonic series of frequencies, each member of which is an integer multiple of the first member (sometimes called the ‘fundamental’). For example, the first few members of a harmonic series with a fundamental of 110Hz are 110, 220, 330, 440Hz, etc.
note of C2 = Scientific Pitch Notation. Wikipedia. (accessed 2025, August 21). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation
Scientific pitch notation (SPN), also known as American standard pitch notation (ASPN) and international pitch notation (IPN), is a method of specifying musical pitch by combining a musical note name (with accidental if needed) and a number identifying the pitch’s octave.
into motion = Campbell, M., Gilbert, J., Myers, A. The Science of Brass Instruments. London: Springer Nature. 2021
A very detailed discussion on the production of tones in brass instruments can be found throughout this text. The first section of the book is dedicated to the “Musician’s Experience of Brass Instruments” while the subsequent sections are “The Scientist’s Perspective,” “Acoustical Modelling of Brasswinds,” and “Historical Evolution and Taxonomy of Brass Instruments.”
CHAPTER 5 - Alternates
one that substitutes for or alternates with another = Definition of the noun version of “alternate” from Merriam-Webster.com dictionary, retrieved August 26, 2025
CHAPTER 6 - The Role of the Tongue
an advanced valve concept = Reinhardt, Donald. Pivot System – A Complete Manual with Studies. Malvern, PA: Theodore Presser Company. 2018
This is the current version of Reinhardt’s method that was published prior to the “Encyclopedia of the Pivot System.” In this book Reinhardt discusses “Correct Tongue Placement and Manipulation” on pages 6 and 7. Different syllables are used but the concepts are similar.
to ee (as in ‘steep’) = The “vowels” used here come from a variety of sources but the most influential for the lower register vowel “oh” comes from work with Dr. Donald J. Hildebrandt, bass trombonist. He conveyed the concepts of blowing “warm air” and “cool air” for “low” and “high” notes via the following examples:
-How would you blow air onto glasses or a cold window to create a “fog?” That is the concept of air for the low register.
-How would you blow air onto a hot spot or cut to cool it off? That is the concept of air for the upper register.
Doodle Studies and Etudes = McChesney, Bob. Doodle Studies and Etudes – A complete course of study using doodle tonguing for the slide trombone. North Hollywood, CA: Chesapeake Music. 1992
CHAPTER 7 - Flexibility
One Hour A Day = Green, Urbie. One Hour A Day – A Technique and Embouchure Maintenance Method. Bowie, MD: Creative Jazz Composers, Inc. 1977
This may or may not be available through reprints but it is worth trying to obtain a copy. The book follows an expanding range of exercises from warm up long tones, to tonguing, chromatic scale work, lip slurs (both adjacent and compound work), 7th chords, and scales. It was meant to approximate how Urbie Green would maintain his facility on the instrument with the least amount of time.
Basic Routines = Marstellar, Robert. Basic Routines for Trombone. San Antonio, TX: Southern Music Company. 1974
to produce a tone = IBID p35
CHAPTER 9 - Improvisation
Music Learning Theory = Gordon, Edwin E. Learning Sequences in Music – Skill, Content, and Patterns. Chicago: GIA Publications. 2012, 1980
p. 121 The five vocabularies of music
Dr. Gordon outlines the five vocabularies slightly different than is done here. His categories are listening, performing, audiation, reading, and writing. Audiation is a process of hearing the musical context
bassist Victor Wooten = Music as a Language – Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland. YouTube. (accessed 2025, Oct 14). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0
in one key center = Gordon, Edwin, Grunow, Richard, Azzara, Christopher. Jump Right In – the instrumental series. Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc.
This “band method” utilizes very simple melodies with recorded accompaniment that outlines the chord changes (predominantly I-V, but also includes i-V and I-IV in the first book)
completely new material while improvising = Here is a quote from one of the few improvisers that tried to always create new material while improvising: “I found that there’s a small audience, if they know that if you’re really improvising, and not just going through what you know, they’re willing to hear you think on the stand, so to speak.”
Jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz quote from “The Constantly Creative Lee Konitz” by RJ DeLuke, All About Jazz (accessed 2025, Oct 17). https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-constantly-creative-lee-konitz-lee-konitz-by-rj-deluke
melodic fragments (“licks”) = A melodic fragment or lick used by jazz trombonist Carl Fontana is written into Chapter 7 – Flexibility as a Vertical/Linear Combination exercise on page 89 (the last exercise using triplets and the notes Bb, Db, Eb, F). There are any number of players and performances where you can here this melodic fragment, but on the recording of “Rock Bottom” by Bobby Knight’s Great American Trombone Company, Fontana uses this “lick” in 1/16th note triplets at 3:41 https://youtu.be/0qL0WgmrVeE?t=221 (accessed 2025, Oct 17)
CHAPTER 10 - Advanced Techniques
Urbie Green = Urbie Green performed on over 250 recordings and released more than twenty albums as a solo artist. There are many examples of his ballad style playing available. Here is a version of “Bein’ Green” which was featured song on the children’s TV show Sesame Street. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Si0YeiWAA (accessed 2025, Oct 22)
Bill Watrous = Bill Watrous performed on recordings for multiple artists, films, and TV shows. He released over thirty albums as a solo artist. His ballad playing is legendary among trombonists and here is a version of the classic ballad “Body and Soul.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH0qDLovfBE&list=RDYH0qDLovfBE&start_radio=1 (accessed 2025, Oct 22)
used on moving lines = Bruce Fowler is a trombonist that has performed with Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, the Fowler Brothers Band and on numerous other recordings for multiple artists and films. His work as a solo artist include different instances where he uses circular breathing on moving lines. The song, “One Man One Bone” from the album Ants Can Count, has a section that starts at 0:52 that features lines that are repeated and circular breathing is used to continue the lines until 2:40 https://youtu.be/Aq4gFF5j0sA?si=toqtmNsK43lBgbcR (accessed 2025, Oct 30)
to extend a phrase = Wayne Henderson was a trombonist, music producer, and teacher who co-founded the group, The Jazz Crusaders (shortened later to The Crusaders). On a live recording from 1974, the group chooses to sustain the last note of the melody before going to solos. This “note” lasts from 2:00 to 3:11 and is supported through circular breathing by both Wayne Henderson and the tenor sax player, Wilton Felder https://youtu.be/CQWSFdckVsc?si=07UMsIgHLbRLm73O (accessed 2025, Oct 30)
Albert Manglesdorff = Albert Manglesdorff was a German trombonist who performed in a jazz style that was often interpreted as “free” but retained a knowledge of traditional musical styles. His composition “Do Your Own Thing” from the Trombonliness album is a great entry point for the exploration of multiphonics by a master of this technique https://youtu.be/PyHs7xB_xPY?si=J30txErppxA_t5J- (accessed 2025, Oct 30)
Vinko Globokar = Vinko Globokar is a French-Slovenian trombonist and composer that focuses on extended techniques such as multiphonics. His library of compositions includes work a variety of instruments, including trombone. His piece, “Oblak Semen pour Trombone” (1996) begins with a disassembled trombone that is performed on through the assembly process and goes through a number of sound manipulation processes before experimenting with multiphonics. There is an album from 2001 with this composition https://www.discogs.com/release/4755525-Vinko-Globokar-Oblak-Semen-Discours-IX-Zlom (accessed 2025, Oct 30)
CHAPTER 11 - The State of Balance
elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose = Meadows, Donella. Thinking in Systems – A Primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, Sustainability Institute. 2008
dollops of feedback = Hattie, John. Measuring the effects of schooling. Australian Journal of Education. P 9
“The simplest prescription for improving education must be “dollops of feedback” – providing information how and why the child understands and misunderstands, and what directions the student must take to improve.”
the inner slide “stockings” = This term most likely references the original practice of placing a sleeve of metal over the inner slide tubes to slightly increase the diameter and reduce the area of slide friction. Some plastic instruments use this same device for their slides.
tuning slide = Some instruments may have a tuning slide built into the slide section
remain in the “now” and not drift into other thoughts = Master musician Sonny Rollins describes his practice process as getting away from thinking, a type of meditation process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co7Gw12gTew
exchange of “energy” or “feeling” between the audience and the musician(s) = Musician, composer, arranger, and educator Denis DiBlasio talks about the flow of energy that Maynard Ferguson would focus on, including preparation for a performance and how standing ovations work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cz5342ldWY