The Trombone

Andrew McGuire
and Rachel Ollestad

Its called a what WHAT?!

from Old French
saqueboute: pullpush
1450
Burgundy
Biblical references
translating license

Tenor Sackbut

...so thats where it came from

Wait. it isnt a trumpet?
NO!
What we have now is
developed from the
Renaissance trumpet.

Isnt it just a slide trumpet?

NO!
It has a double slide!
Courtois Family
Allows performer to
use a variety of
chromatic tones.

Size does matter!

Sackbut vs. trombone
bore
0.39 in
0.55 in
bell
4.1 in
8.5 in
water key (spit valve)
slide lock

King Trombonium

experimentation on instrument
was not uncommon (it still

Isnt he that one guy?

isnt)
parents instrument makes as well
six valve trombone

perfecting valve bugles

saxhorns (multiple horns)
flugelhorn (yah?)
Huh? U phone who?

Oh, so thats how we know him!

Adolphe Sax

So its like a brass viola?

both are pitched in C
both are like are (can be) tenors
alto trombones in 19th century
standard became tenor and bass

Why not use the BEST clef?!

Alto trombone would read
Stravinsky

Hail to the chief...

SING!
HE MODELED!
SING SOME MORE!
Music
Trombone Choir
J.S. Bach
Technique
relaxed playing
LIKE SINGING!
security in high register

Emory Remington

Lets spice things up a bit

He was how old?
Grandfather - original manager?
Ah the twenties, but the
depression?
Technique
upper-register chops
pice de rsistance

He got to play with who?!

Look How Liberal I Am
J.C. Higginbotham

those kind of friends

Types of Trombones
Flat Tenor Trombone
a. Most common

Tenor Trombone
with F
attachment
b. Similar to Tenor
trombone but
with extra tubing
c. Able to play
lower

Types of Trombones Continued

E-Flat Alto Trombone
a. Smallest and highest
pitched trombone

Bass Trombone and

Contrabass Trombone
b. Largest and Lowest
pitched trombones

Uncommon Trombones
Piccolo Trombone
a. Often played by trumpeters

Soprano Trombone
b. Slide Cornet

Trombones for Beginners

B-Flat Trombone
a. Relatively
inexpensive
b. Light weight

Yamaha
Conn
Bundy
Getsen

Alto Trombone
c. Smaller

Bach

Brands

Trombone Fundamentals
Hand Positions
a. All weight on left hand
b. Right hand relaxed and free to
move

Posture
c. Sitting or standing straight but
relaxed
d. Feet flat on the floor

Trombone Fundamentals Continued

Embouchure
a. Centered left to right
b. Approximately upper lip and lower lip
c. Chin flat

Articulation
d. Tongue placed slightly behind teeth
e. How the trombone slide afects articulation

Ensembles In which Trombones are used

1. Wind Ensembles/Concert Bands
2. Symphony Orchestras
3. Military Bands
4. Brass bands/ Brass choirs
5. Brass Chamber Ensembles (trios, quintets,
choirs, etc)
6. Jazz, swing, salsa, merengue bands

1.

tunin
g
slide

2.

count
erwei
ght

3.

mout
hpiec
e

4.

slide
lock
ring

5.

bell

6.

knob/