What Locus of Attention Research Can Teach Trombone Players

(By Dr. Logan Chopyk, San Diego Trombone Lessons)

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in the practice room obsessing over your embouchure, tongue placement, or whether your throat is “open” enough, you’re not alone. Brass players are often handed a laundry list of technical instructions—each one aimed at producing a better sound—but paradoxically, all this internal focus can sometimes make us sound worse.

That’s where the research of Gabrielle Wulf comes in. Wulf has spent years studying something called attentional focus—essentially, where we direct our attention while performing a skill. Her findings, tested across athletes, dancers, and musicians, are striking:

An internal focus—thinking about body mechanics—tends to hinder performance and learning.
An external focus—thinking about the effects of our movements—leads to greater efficiency, improved outcomes, and even flow states.

Internal vs. External: The Brass Player’s Dilemma

On the trombone, internal focus sounds like this:

“Tighten the corners.”
“Move the tongue faster.”
“Keep the throat open.”

But when we zoom in on the body like that, we often interfere with the natural, automatic coordination we already possess. The result? Stiffness, tension, and what many players describe as paralysis by analysis.

Now compare that to an external focus:

“Feel the air moving freely.”
“Feel the reflection of the air energy at the bell and surf it.”
“Watch the air turn into sound in the pipe.”

Notice how these cues shift attention away from the body and onto the result. Suddenly, the sound opens up. The body organizes itself automatically. Playing feels easier, freer—sometimes even effortless.

The Role of Air and Resonance

For brass players, perhaps the most powerful external targets are airflow and resonance.

When I direct my attention to the movement of the air—imagining it spinning, flowing, or filling the room—my sound becomes fuller and more consistent.
When I think about the sensation of the air column vibrating inside the horn, I lock into a resonance that carries me into a state of flow.

It’s not that the lips, tongue, and throat don’t matter. Of course they do. But when we put our attention there directly, we tend to over-control them. When we focus on air and resonance instead, those mechanics often sort themselves out naturally.

Learning in Flow: Lessons from Jan Kagarice

Trombone pedagogue Jan Kagarice has a teaching approach that beautifully reflects this principle. She often uses augmented feedback—giving instructions while the student is playing, rather than stopping to dissect what went wrong.

This keeps the student in motion, immersed in the act of playing, while gently nudging their attention toward external cues. The teacher and student enter a kind of shared focus, where feedback and sound are happening simultaneously. It’s less about “fixing” and more about redirecting attention.

The effect? Students often find themselves slipping into deep states of concentration and flow, where playing feels easier, more natural, and more rewarding.

Practical Takeaways for Brass Players

Here are some ways you can experiment with locus of attention in your own practice:

Shift your focus outward. Instead of micromanaging lips or tongue, ask yourself: What is the air doing? What is the sound doing?
Use imagery. Picture your sound as a laser beam cutting through the hall, or as a wave carrying you forward.
Embrace resonance. Feel the horn vibrate against your hands or the air column buzzing under your control—these sensations are gold.
Teachers: give feedback in motion. Try guiding students while they play, rather than stopping constantly to analyze.

Closing Thought

At the end of the day, the trombone doesn’t respond to micromanaged embouchures—it responds to air and vibration. Gabrielle Wulf’s research shows us that by shifting attention outward, we can unlock better sound, greater efficiency, and more frequent experiences of flow. And as Jan Kagarice’s teaching demonstrates, this isn’t just theory—it’s a way to make music-making more joyful and sustainable.

So the next time you pick up your horn, instead of asking, Am I moving my lips the right way? try asking:

How is the air moving?
How is the horn resonating?

Chances are, your body already knows what to do.

If you would like to see how this pedagogical approach offers faster learning that's more fun, book a lesson today.

References

Wulf, Gabriele. “Attentional Focus and Motor Learning: A Review of 15 Years.” International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, vol. 6, no. 1, 2013, pp. 77–104.
- This is a key review summarizing much of the empirical research on internal vs. external attentional focus. Gabriele Wulf
- It covers how external focus improves both performance effectiveness (accuracy, consistency, balance) and efficiency (muscular effort, force production, etc.). Gabriele Wulf
Wulf, G., McNevin, N., Shea, C. “The Automaticity of Complex Motor Skill Learning as a Function of Attentional Focus.” Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2001.
- This is one of the foundational empirical studies demonstrating how external focus helps with automaticity. (Mentioned in her Google Scholar profile.) Google Scholar
Wulf, G., Lewthwaite, R., & others. “Triple play: Additive contributions of enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, and external attentional focus to motor learning.” Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2018.
- Useful for showing how external focus interacts with motivation, autonomy, and expectations. Gabriele Wulf
Wulf, G., “Superiority of External Attentional Focus for Motor Performance and Learning.” APA Journal / via full manuscript.
- This piece (and meta‐analysis) is helpful for evidence that external focus doesn’t just help in simple tasks but across a range of tasks, skill levels, etc. Gabriele Wulf+2Gabriele Wulf+2
Marston, Karen Lynn. Finding the Balance: Jan Kagarice, a Case Study of a Master Trombone Teacher.Dissertation, Columbia University, 2011.
- This dissertation documents many of Kagarice’s pedagogical techniques; observations of her teaching, how she gives feedback, etc. ERIC+2Windsong Press+2
“Jan Kagarice Shows ‘Seven Positions’™ – How To Keep It Simple & Stay Well.” That Musician’s Wellness of North America blog post, 2016.
- Gives insights into her healthier, simpler, progressive teaching style and her wellness‐oriented approach. Useful anecdotal support. davidbrubeck.com
Kagarice, Jan. Musician’s Wellness of North America. Website & resources.
- The website describes her work in retraining musicians with injury or dystonia, her methods for physical efficiency, and how she emphasizes healthy, gradual progress. Musicians Wellness+1
“Women’s History Month Profile: Jan Kagarice – Lauren Husting.” Profile, 2015.
- For a more personal/account view of how students perceive her teaching, and what they feel they get from her approach.