LESSON PLAN

Morgan Higgins
MUSIC 239 – Low Brass Tech
Teaching Video LP

Overall Objective: Student will learn basics of playing trombone and begin to work on the Bb
scale.

Materials:
 Trombone
 Chair

Activity 1: Instrument Assembly (approx. 3 minutes) (0:00-4:45)

1. Teacher and students will be seated. Teacher will show students which way to place their
case on the floor and how to open it each time.
2. Teacher will ask students to watch first.
a. T will demonstrate picking up the first piece of the horn (with the bell) and the
direction it should face (parallel to the floor, with the bell on the left side).
b. T will then pick up the slide and demonstrate how to attach it to the piece with the
bell (creating a 90 degree angle, keeping the bell on the outside/far left).
c. T will remind student to make sure that the slide lock is on so that it doesn’t fall
and become damaged.
d. T will then show student how it should be held when playing, but not put the
mouthpiece in yet.
3. T will take apart their trombone and put it together with the student, guiding them
through the process.
Activity 2: Embouchure Placement (approx. 2 minutes) (4:45-6:30)
1. Explain embouchure placement to student.
a. Mouthpiece should be centered on the middle of your lips. It should have even
amounts of each of your lips.
Activity 3: Buzzing (approx. 8 minutes) (6:30-17:05)
1. T will demonstrate buzz without the mouthpiece.
2. Student will try to buzz, and teacher will give corrections as we go.
3. T will give a physical explanation of the function of buzzing.
a. Put the mouthpiece on your lips.
b. Tighten the corners of your mouth but leave your lips looser to allow them to
vibrate.
c. Push air through your lips and your mouthpiece.
4. T demonstrate mouthpiece buzzing.
5. T ask student to try mouthpiece buzzing.
a. Repeat with encouragement until student gets the hang of it.
6. Experiment with pitch. (MODEL THIS WHOLE SECTION)
a. Do a higher pitch (if possible. I started really high with my initial buzz
accidentally).
b. Do a lower pitch.
c. Remind students about anything they need to correct.
 d. Buzz from bottom to top.
e. Buzz from top to bottom.
7. Matching pitch time.
a. Pick a pitch for students to match.
b. Help them get there.
c. Correct problems, listen to student ability.
d. Assess student progress.
Activity 4: Playing on the instrument (approx. 10 minues) (17:05-26:40)
1. T will remind student about how to hold the trombone when you have it all put together.
2. T will remind student about putting the mouthpiece in gently.
3. Try to play the low Bb.
a. T will model.
b. Have student try.
c. Correct anything necessary.
d. Practice until student has gotten a good feel for the Bb.
4. Try to play the F.
a. Repeat above process for F.
5. Try to play high Bb.
a. Repeat above process for high Bb.
6. Play with the slide!
a. Have student experiment with the slide and see how it impacts the pitch.
Activity 5: Play Bb Major Scale (approx.10-15 minutes) (26:40- end)
1. Ask student if they know what notes are in a Bb major scale.
a. Clarify if they do not.
b. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
2. Go over slide positions with student.
a. Bb (1) C (6) D (4) Eb (2) F (1) G (4) A (2) Bb (1)
3. Model for student how to play scale.
4. Play scale with student note by note.
a. Repeat pitches as necessary.
5. Add metronome and try to play in time.
a. Repeat as necessary.

Assessment:
Based on observation: Was student able to play the scale? Was student able to get a good buzz,
using a correct embouchure? Did student assemble instrument correctly?