[Trombone-l] Pedal Note Articulation

[Todd Slothower]

Speaking of things hanging off.................has anyone else seen
those "male anatomical cattle parts" that some pick-up truck drivers
hang from their rear bumper? I think it must have something to do with
being a bull rider, but why do they do that? Those things swinging in
the breeze are ridiculous!!!

Perhaps it is just a  mid-west thing.................

It is probably a safe bet that it wouldn't help with trombone pedal
tones, although with a few pints of Guinness I might try it!

>>> "Daniel Pliskin" <daniel_pliskin at hotmail.com> 05/03/06 07:24AM >>>

>A quick question.  I've been spending a lot of time trying to get a
>fuller, quicker responding pedal range on the bass trombone


Doug,

This works for some people and not for others.

Try adding some weight to your mouthpiece.  The quick and easy way to
do 
this is to take your mouthpiece down to a good hardware store.  Find a
large 
nut (as in nuts and bolts), which fits loosely over the shank area of
your 
mouthpiece, the area closer to the rim, which doesnÆt stick into the 
receiver.   Then wrap masking tape on the shank until you can thread
the nut 
onto the shank.

That will give you a mouthpiece, which weighs an extra few ounces.  And
if 
it works for you, it should give you faster articulation.  If it
doesnÆt, 
youÆve spent a bit of time and 50 cents.

On some trombones, you can also thread a nut onto the end of the
receiver, 
using the same trick.

If it does do what you want, where do you go from there?  There are
heavy 
mouthpieces on the market.  There are also lots of mouthpiece weights
on the 
market, which, IÆm sure, look better than having a steel nut screwed to
your 
mouthpiece.  At least youÆll know where to look for that rapid attack
youÆre 
after.

DanP