The Art of Trombone Playing: Trombone Book

Kleinhammer wrote from decades of orchestral experience, which means the pedagogical priorities are the ones that actually matter in professional playing. This isn't a trendy method; it's a systematic foundation that builds legitimate facility and musicianship, grounded in the playing that audiences hear in concert halls.

Straightforward and deliberate. Kleinhammer cuts through confusion to explain what works, without apology or unnecessary theory. The book feels like talking with someone who has heard and played thousands of hours of music and knows exactly which fundamentals unlock progress.

Trombonists without access to private instruction will find a complete pedagogical framework here. Teachers looking to deepen their own command of the instrument's mechanics and artistry will discover organized, reliable guidance.

• Return to specific sections of the book when particular technical challenges arise in repertoire; Kleinhammer's approach rewards revisiting material at different stages of development.
• Pair this method with your ensemble repertoire rather than treating it as separate study; the principles transfer directly to orchestral excerpts and solo passages.
• Use the exercises to diagnose problems with tone production or position work before assuming a student needs new equipment.

Assign sections of this method as systematic study alongside your band or orchestra curriculum, especially during the early part of the year when you can establish solid technique before tackling demanding repertoire. High school trombonists preparing for solo competitions or auditions benefit from working through focused passages.

• tone production and resonance control
• position accuracy and valve-slide coordination
• dynamic range and sustained breath support
• intonation in ensemble contexts
• embouchure flexibility across the range
• reading and rhythm precision in varying time signatures