Online bass trombone lessons, anywhere in the UK

Who online lessons suit

• Tenor players moving to bass. The air, the valves and the low register all need rebuilding, and it goes faster with a bass trombonist guiding you.
• Band, orchestra and big band bass trombonists who want to play their parts with more weight, accuracy and confidence.
• Students preparing for auditions, from county ensembles and brass bands to conservatoire entry.
• Players with no bass trombone teacher nearby. Online lessons work wherever you live.

What we work on

• Air and sound. The bass drinks air. Breathing comes first, then a full, centred sound from the pedal register up.
• Valves. Single and double valve technique, alternate positions, and getting round the low register cleanly.
• Low register and pedal tones, built steadily so they speak on demand.
• Reading. Bass clef fluency, and brass band parts, where the bass trombone is the one part written in bass clef at concert pitch.
• The section role. How to anchor a trombone section, big band or brass band from the bottom seat.
• Repertoire and auditions. Orchestral excerpts, jazz lead sheets and audition preparation, taught from professional experience of the job.
• Choosing an instrument. Single or double valve, bore and mouthpiece: advice before you buy, not after.

How online lessons work

Lessons are one-to-one by video call, weekly or fortnightly. To start, use the booking form, choose Bass trombone and Online, and I will reply within one working day. The first lesson is free: we talk through what you play and what you want to work on, and then we play.

You need your instrument, a laptop, tablet or phone with a camera, and a room where you can play at full volume. Set the camera so I can see your face, your slide arm and your valve hand.

Prices

Lesson	Length	Price
First lesson	30 minutes	Free
Standard	30 minutes	£20
Full hour	60 minutes	£35
Block of ten	Any lesson length	Pay for nine, tenth free

Online lessons are the same price as lessons at Quad Studios. Pay as you go, with no contracts, and 24 hours' notice to rearrange at no charge. Full details are on the prices page.

Your teacher

I hold a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from UCLA and spent four years as Professor of Low Brass at the Nanhai Conservatory of Music. Bass trombone is my professional chair: the La Jolla Symphony and the Gaslamp Quarter Jazz Orchestra, substitute work with the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera, and theatre pits at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I studied trombone with James Miller of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Michael Priddy of the San Diego Symphony and Bill Booth of Los Angeles Opera. The full record is on my about page.

New to the instrument? Read the bass trombone guide first, or see all my guides.