Following are some common problems and their diagnosis. The teacher should NOT tell the student more than is necessary for the student to correct the problem. If a student is thinking about much more than the sound they will not be able to correct the problem. Every problem can be connected to correct sound and ease of playing, keep that in the students' mind
| Problem | Comments to Students | Teacher Thoughts |
| Jaw is moving when tonguing as in a chewing motion | keep jaw stable - watch in mirror for movement | Student is tonguing between the teeth. This causes unstable & labored articulation |
| movement in upper throat area during tonguing | think of tonguing forward | student is using middle of tongue to articulate notes as in "ka" sound |
| horn pivots up when playing high notes | Keep horn steady & work on lip slurs | Student is using reverse pivot and too much pressure on upper lip to play high notes |
| Vibrato is obnoxious | keep air steady - think of blowing a whole note | Student may be using diaphragm vibrato as flutes use |
| Tonguing sounds "explosive" | blow whole notes and "add" tongue. | Student may be using bursts of air instead of constant air |
| When student breathes in - shoulders lift | think of breathing as a "yawn" | student is breathing very shallow |
| Student make a "grunting" sound when playing | combine items above & below | same as above and below
They can hear this after you point it out |
| Student complains of tight or sore throat after playing | have them play as if fogging up a window | Student is creating tension & closing throat when playing |
| Movement between notes is mushy | Slam valves down with ends of fingers | Student may be holding rh with little finger in hook which encourages less aggressive finger action. |
| Each note student plays has a crescendo on it | don't be concerned about the note just play it full out! | Student is too cautious about playing the correct note and is trying to "sneak" into each attack |
| Thin sound | Student must learn what the correct vertical mouthpiece placement feels like | This is caused by trying to play notes too high too soon and may cause student to place mouthpiece too low |
| Tone sounds "blatty" and ugly | practice long tones and listen for the "sizzle" in the sound | Student is not listening for correct tone. Have them first practice w/o tuning slide |