![]() I use equivalent positions into my warm-ups and scale routines. I believe this is like Joseph Alessi’s “tone cloning”: making every note you play sound exactly like the note you just played. But actively using them to make them sound the same is the only way to develop facility with equivalent positions. Yes, the tone quality to the player will be slightly different, and the horn’s feedback is different. I approach equivalent positions by listening for tone quality and intonation. I don’t have Buddy Baker’s book or Tom Malone’s book. I was fortunate that one of my teachers stressed learning and using them, but also not to think of them as “alternates,” but as equivalent positions. I believe one of the difficulties with “alternate” positions is that they are taught as alternates, almost like second class citizens. I really would have like to have seen Willie Dennis in action, for instance, as I can't think of a way to do his stuff without all the positions. Some parts of the horn have a remarkable performance envelope, others not much. It is interesting how much can be done without many alt positions. Things sometimes don't work well down 5 or up 4 so finding new things of the same sense (inversions with other modifications) can make it happen in the same neighborhood. It may be that a little chromatic thing can make the move in an interesting way. Things to try include working a pattern in one tonality, like dominant, and then end on some part of tonic somehow. And then stuff like 53 42 is subject to endless variation. Others, like 1357 2468 kind of things not so much. Some things work almost everywhere, like turns. So I try to capture the "sense" of it with position/note/rhythm modifications. Some stuff just does not work in some places. In addition, as I work patterns, usually scalewise, I will be flexible with their interpretation at different places on the horn. It's a great way to get your ear in tune with them. Really low bar alt practice is to use them in bands on the easy parts. ![]() I’d say practice and learn using alternate positions as part of your regular practice routine to improve your ability to use them “on demand” Over time, you can default to alternate position more naturally as using them becomes “second nature”. If I am sight reading I seem to default to whatever I have been able to ingrain for scales etc. I will be more analytical / strategic as to which positions facilitate music expression if I am working on a piece of music I am learning and have the luxury of time to practice it. Purchase Flow Studies for Tenor Trombone.I typically practice improvised patterns using alternate positions such as some arpeggios and broken scales that lend themselves to “fretting” using muscle memory and a different starting point for the pattern. This steady air flow is central to good phrasing so, in this small measure, alternate positions can actually enhance your musicianship. The smoother slide action reinforces the idea of a constant, steady stream of air through the entire phrase. In the first example above, moving the slide out to fourth requires steady, generous air as the slide lengthens. I also believe that using alternate positions can encourage healthy air flow. Minimizing changes in slide direction should be one of your criteria for choosing an alternate position. The positions I have suggested in this example create smoother slide action with fewer direction changes. This one comes from the Arban book and is in the key of D-flat: ![]() Here is another example of how the key signature can affect slide position choice. It would not make sense to travel from the C-sharp out to fourth position for the D when you can just come to first position in the key of A. The above example would apply to the keys of E-flat and B-flat but not the key of A because it involves a C-sharp instead of a C-natural. Putting the D out in flat fourth removes direction changes and makes your slide technique smoother.Īlternate positions are often associated with keys. ![]() Slide direction changes require extra arm effort so if we can remove them, our job becomes easier and our slide movements can be more fluid and effortless. One of the most important attributes to consider when deciding whether or not to use an alternate position is slide direction changes. Generally speaking, alternate positions are used to make slide technique smoother and more efficient. In addition, I don’t recommend leaping over an interval wider than a minor third to an alternate position unless both notes are in the same position. If a note is loud, long and exposed, for example, do not use an alternate position because the tone will not be as pure as a primary position. Alternate positions should be used judiciously because the tone and intonation of these notes can be somewhat inconsistent.
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