Tenor Trombone Exercises for Undergraduates and the Use of Thai Vowels

Abstract

In course of researching the teaching of European musical instruments used in the Asian context, we need to remember basic issues. Trombone is an instrument that requires precise command of breath control and oral movement. Various methods of improving these key skills for trombonists have been carefully crafted, such as etudes, method books, and exercises, which greatly benefit trombone students. However, these methods are either difficult to acquire or unavailable in Thailand. Most method books are mainly written in English or for-eign languages, creating a language barrier for Thai trombone students who are not well-versed in these foreign languages. Thus, the practice of teaching oral movement to trombone students is still lacking in Thailand. This results in obstacles for Thai trombonists to play certain classic pieces with a wide range, which requires a high level of both breath control and oral movement. This study aims to (a) create exercises to connect all ranges from low to high register in one breath by incorporating the use of Thai vowels to teach breath control and oral movement to music students who major in trombone in their bachelor degree and (b) determine the efficacy of the exercises. The exercises use the selected section of T-Bone Concerto by Johan de Meij as a case study for pre- and post-tests. The exercises prove to be efficient in increasing the students’ performance. Therefore, the exercises would benefit trombonists of all levels. Furthermore, the Thai vowels concept can also be adapted to be used as exercises for trombone students of all levels of experience and for other brass instruments.