I have a few questions on playing the trombone...?

Question: I have a few questions on playing the trombone!.!.!.!?

Okay so I just started playing the trombone (like as in only a few times) and the person teaching me wants me to work on buzzing!.!.!. but I'm having a few problems/questions that I need help with!.!.!.

1!.) How can I get a higher pitch!?
2!.) Is there anything you can do to keep your cheeks from puffing out!?

also any other random bits of advice I would be grateful for!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

When I first started playing the trombone, my teacher told me to picture the mouthpiece split in half horizontally!. If I wanted to play a high note, I'd blow into the upper half!. If I wanted to play a lower note, I'd blow into the lower half!. This really helped me, and to keep your cheeks from puffing out, that should go away after you learn to play more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The higher pitch comes from drawing your lips tighter from the corners of your mouth!.
Puffing out your cheeks is a sure sign of an inexperienced amateur!. It takes practice, but use your cheek muscles to hold the cheek walls in!. It will result in easier tone control and better performance!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Joe U has it right!. Tough instrument but when its played correctly, especially in jazz, its wonderful!. Listen to Kai Winding, J!.J!. Johnson and Eddie Bert, all great players from the bop era!. They all got great tone and could hit high notes!. Eddie is still with us!.

Here's a joke I love:

Q: What do you call a trombone player without a girlfriend!?
A: Homeless!.

OK!. It applies to us guitarists too! Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com