Trombone Doubling Issues
Hey all! I'm in quite a pickle here, but I'll try to best explain my situation without this turning into too large of a wall of text.
Some background.
I'm a fairly young euphonium player, certainly not pro by any standards. I've been playing for about 12 years, and up until very recently did not have a private teacher. Finding my current teacher has helped me set what I feel are reasonable goals.
The issue:
Several months ago I switched from a mouthpiece I was using for about 2 years. I'm not a gear guy by any stretch of the imagination; I think it's fascinating, but I generally just use what works. Well, I THOUGHT the mouthpiece I was using was great. Every every show though, and after about an hour of playing, my lips always...burned? I know now that it wasn't a normal burn from exhaustion; it actually stung. My lips went through a cycle of bruising, swelling and fire and I assumed it was because I needed to build endurance. That all changed a year ago when my teacher let me borrow one of his. I'll never forget when I used it for the first time; it felt like heaven! Apparently my face didn't really like the rim. Who knew!
The point to all of that is now I'm experiencing the same symptom, but for a different reason. I've recently tried to integrate trombone playing into my practice routine. I felt I couldn't call it a double instrument at the level I play it at. I found a horn I really liked and...
My sound is not at all characteristic of the trombone. If I get lucky on somedays, I get 5 minutes of the brilliant, bold, brassy trombone sound that I want and then it becomes airy, unfocused, and quite woofy. This is especially exaggerated at quieter dynamics. I feel as if I can't even begin to work on articulation or slide technique because I am constantly at war with the sound coming out of the bell. And now after a week of playing it, my upper lip is bruised, swollen, and quite sensitive. When I go back to euphonium it feels so easy, but even long tones are a struggle to work through on the trombone. And although I'd like to blame the instrument, it's in perfectly good repair.
My main question is; does anyone have any tips on how to integrate trombone playing into my practice routine? (which is on average, 2-3 hours a day.) I really do enjoy playing the trombone, but I feel as if my sound is the epitome of "Euphonium player playing trombone" right now. Not pleasant at all.
1981 B&H Round Stamp Sovereign / Wick 4AL
Early 70's King 3B w/ F Attachment
Conn 88HCL