Jazz Trombone Teaching Tips

Archive for the ‘Doodle Tonguing’ Category

Looking for a trombone player that is very soulful, and can also tastefully “shred” the chord changes?  Can this same player also be a great composer and arranger?  Slide Hampton is that trombone player.

Slide Hampton is a tremendous innovator on the trombone in technique and musicality with varied influences ranging from J.J. Johnson to John Coltrane.

Feel free to click on the videos below to watch and listen to Slide’s masterful playing and arranging:

Slide Hampton’s blues solo from Dizzy Gillespie’s 70th Birthday Celebration at Wolf Trap

*** If you watch this on YouTube, There is a “TinyURL.com link in the top of the description that was not there when I 1st recommended this video. The music is excellent, but I would not recommend clicking on the link within the YouTube description, since I don’t know what it is. ***

LA Jazz Institute, Stratospheric Slide Hampton, “Got the Spirit”

Appalachian State University Jazz Ensemble
Trombone Choir
Winter Concert 1989
Farthing Auditorium
Tune: Lament by JJ Johnson
Featuring Slide Hampton

Carl Fontana with the Metropole Orchestra
Recorded May 23rd, 1988: AVRO TV Holland – Music Hall By Pim Jacobs

Carl Fontana playing, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”

Carl Fontana playing the beautiful ballad, “Emily”

Carl Fontana playing, “Surrey With The Fringe On Top”

Carl Fontana playing, “I Thought About You”

Carl Fontana playing the blues!

Does your stress level increase when you’re on the band stand, and the band leader counts the tune off fast enough that it sounds like the drums may just take flight like a jet engine? How on the trombone can we keep up?

Carl Fontana, the great jazz trombonist provides us a path to follow. His playing is so incredibly efficient and relaxed. On top of that, he swings like there is no tomorrow at all tempos. Please see the video example below.

Listen for his resonant tone, facilitated by his relaxed approach. Watch his embouchure, how little it moves. Also, notice how relaxed his right hand is.

Two other innovations that he provides us are his use of multiple articulation, called doodle tonguing; and his use of alternate positions. Regarding alternate positions, he is not only connecting slide positions that are close together, but also aware of continual movement in the same direction.

Following this post will be five other videos, and one sound clip as examples of Carl’s amazing playing.

For detailed biography information for Carl Fontana click here

Thank you Carl for your music!

Enjoy!