How to Play Lead Trombone in a Big Band: Trombone Book & CD

You're sitting in the trombone section at a real big band session, watching how the lead voice anchors and colors the horn section's sound. The recorded examples ground theory in the actual groove and feel of different jazz styles, from the propulsive swing of fast charts to the laid-back pocket of a funk arrangement.

Trombonists who have solid fundamentals and are ready to move into big band sections, whether in high school jazz ensembles, college big bands, or community jazz orchestras. The book also works for experienced section players seeking to sharpen their stylistic accuracy and lead playing technique across multiple jazz idioms.

• Listen to the recorded examples first without playing along to absorb the lead trombone's voice in the section sound before attempting to replicate it yourself.
• Study how each composition's style shapes your approach to articulation and vibrato; the lead voice in medium swing requires different choices than the same role in funk or Afro-Cuban feels.
• Use the play-along recordings to lock your intonation and rhythmic placement against the actual ensemble, paying particular attention to how lead sits relative to the harmony section's balance.
• Work through the annotated passages slowly to understand the specific technical challenges each arranger presents, then gradually match the recorded tempo.

Use this as a focused study resource in the weeks leading up to a big band performance, targeting the specific styles in your concert repertoire. The seven pieces serve as models for understanding ensemble playing across your actual program, so trombonists build transferable skills they apply immediately to rehearsal.

• Distinguishing lead and section trombone roles within a big band texture
• Playing with cohesive intonation and rhythmic feel in a brass section
• Stylistic balance and tone matching across medium swing, funk, bossa, fast swing, and Afro-Cuban feels
• Reading and interpreting big band scores with attention to dynamics, articulation, and phrase shaping
• Integrating recorded accompaniment as a listening and performance reference tool