Legato - teaching

[Savio]

Legato is difficult to explain and teach to children and young people. Air flow is probably the biggest problem. I use many methods but it is still difficult to teach. And everyone is different so cant use same method on all.

When we speak we always breathe out continuously. Or when we sing.
And I use a spring of water as an image. Interrupted by my finger as an illustration of the tongue. But there is one thing that we as teachers cannot explain completely or I cannot. How to use the tongue? Soft Ta? da, la, ga, ka, tha... I was about to say Lady Gaga.

I don't think there is any easy way to teach legato but a little humor can help the young people. But one way I have used is that they sing first and then play. On strings you can see what is happening, but with us we can't see what is happening. inside the mouth. The bow is both air and articulation.

I now have two students aged 12 who play bass and tenor. They are not quite ready for bordogni. So i use f-f-f-f-Eb legato. Sing first. Then I use melodies like «twinkle twinkle little star»

For some it takes years to learn legato, me included.(Still strugling) But Im happy for advice how to teach!

Leif

[Kdanielsen]

The cimera book is a good precursor to rochut. They publish it for tuba too.

[BGuttman]

Cimera is available on IMSLP (55 studies in legato). There was also a similar book by Fink. All nice and easy pieces as a prelude to Rochut/Bordogni.

I like using "Lady Gaga" as a model for a legato tongue.

[Kbiggs]

I’ve thought about legato so much over the years, and more recently, have read more about it to help my students.

I’ve started explaining how legato works by first getting my students to play an etude with all glissandos. At first slowly so the glissando takes the full length of the note, and then very quickly, at the very last second before the next note. Then I asked them to use something “in between those two” types of slide motion. When they start sounding like they are playing melody with lots of scoops, falls, and breaks between partials, I instruct them to use a very light tongue to almost but not quite “cover up the glissandos” but still allow air/wind to keep the lips vibrating.

And of course, lots of demonstration. So far it seems to be working, but we’ll have to see/hear how they progress.

[WilliamLang]

I like asking students to try to use musical air, without the trombone. If the sound of the air is reminiscent of the song they're trying to play, then try it again on the horn, with the same air flow. Works ok most of the time.

[Burgerbob]

Also good to have them gliss through something, no articulations.

[crinaman]

Brad Edwards book The Intermediate Trombonist has a great introduction to legato and using natural slurs.