Practice Tip for Trombonists: Subtract, Don’t Add

by Dr. Logan Chopyk — San Diego Trombone Lessons

In complex movement tasks—whether in golf, athletics, or especially instrumental music—technical problems rarely come from doing too little. More often, we’re simply doing too much. When we remove unnecessary tension and interference, our body’s natural coordination takes over, and movements begin to flow with a kind of miraculous precision.

I was reminded of this yesterday when I went golfing after an eight-month hiatus. My default tendency is to force the swing—to try to hit the ball as hard as possible—and to treat the movement as if it’s driven by the arms instead of through a relaxed rotation of the spine. As I prepared to swing, I noticed a habitual tightening in my lower back right before impact. Unsurprisingly, the ball would flare sharply to the right.

This time, I set a simple goal: stay supple through the spine for the entire swing. I took a calm, easy breath and waited for the spine to quiet. As I swung, I kept my awareness on letting the spine release rather than brace. To my surprise, the ball not only stayed on line—it went much farther with noticeably less effort. I used this same mindset for every shot across nine holes, including putts. It was the best golf I’ve ever played, and for the first time, the ball consistently went where I intended. All I had to do was get out of the way.

Today, I returned to the trombone with the same curiosity: Is spinal tension affecting my breathing and sound? Sure enough, I discovered a subtle tightening that triggered chest tension. After a few minutes of simply monitoring and releasing that pattern, the breath began to move on its own. When that unnecessary control was gone, I felt a direct, resonant connection with the air column. Music emerged almost effortlessly—tones, phrases, and expressive ideas appeared with a clarity that felt both miraculous and completely natural.

This approach is the opposite of the mindset many of us develop as young players. We think we need more muscle, more effort, more “try” to build high chops, stamina, or fast articulation. But in reality, trombone technique improves fastest when we remove excess effort, not when we add more. When you’re truly playing well, it often feels like you’re not doing much at all.

As my former teacher Mick Mulcahy says:
“Don’t be a Tommy Try-Hard” (or a Tammy Try-Hard).

So next time you run into an issue—range, endurance, response, clarity—start by asking:
What can I subtract before I try harder?
Your body, your breath, and your instrument already know what to do once you stop interfering.

Annotated Bibliography & External Resources

Below are authoritative, relevant links with short descriptions. These can be placed at the end of your blog post for SEO value and reader enrichment.

1. Gabrielle Wulf – Attention and Motor Learning

https://doi.org/10.1123/mcj.2007.004
Seminal research showing that reducing internal micromanagement of movement leads to better performance and learning. Supports the idea of “getting out of your own way.”

2. Arnold Jacobs – “Song and Wind”

https://www.windsongpress.com/jacobs/song%20and%20wind/song%20and%20wind.htm
Foundational brass pedagogy emphasizing ease, natural breathing, and freedom from unnecessary tension—highly aligned with your subtractive approach.

3. Body Mapping/Breinbauer Institute for Musician Wellness

https://bodymap.org
Explores how understanding the body’s natural design promotes efficient, effortless movement for musicians.

4. Golf Swing Biomechanics – Titleist Performance Institute (TPI)

https://www.mytpi.com/articles
Evidence-based golf instruction emphasizing spinal mobility, relaxed sequencing, and efficient energy transfer—helps tie in your golf analogy.

5. Andrew Huberman Podcast: Motor Learning & Skill Acquisition

https://hubermanlab.com/
While broader in scope, several episodes detail how reducing over-control enhances motor performance—good external validation for readers.

6. Brass Pedagogy Resource – The BrassGym

https://www.brassgym.com
A respected resource focusing on efficient brass playing and daily fundamentals with emphasis on ease rather than force.

7. The Alexander Technique – Musicians & Tension Reduction

https://www.alexandertechnique.com/musicians/
A widely used method among musicians for releasing habitual tension and promoting natural coordination.

8. American Physical Therapy Association – Breathing Mechanics Overview

https://www.apta.org/patient-care/interventions/breathing
A clean, authoritative source describing natural breath function—helps support your observations about spinal tension affecting breathing.