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A Historical review
(the trombone from then until now)


Then

The trombone is an invention from the bass trumpet.
In the 15th century there was a new feature on the bass trumpet, a tuning slide, that made it possible to lower the pitch. The possibility to play in more than one key was presented. The first "slide" had seen the daylight.
Later the thought of moving the slide while playing made the trombone play chromatic scales.
The trombone was born.
Compared to the modern trombone, the bore was much more narrow. There were also a lot of different sizes on trombones from that early period. Soprano-, alto-, tenor- bass- and contra bass trombones were the different types.
Another name for the trombone was sackbut.(See the picture to the right)
[Picture of a man playing sackbut (tenor trombone)]

[barock trombone (alto-)](This is a baroque alto trombone, tuned in Eb)
[barock trombone (tenor-)](This is a baroque tenor trombone, tuned in Bb)
The extra tubes are for changing the tuning of the instrument. The mouthpiece is lying beside the trombone.
[barock trombone (bass-)](This is a baroque bass trombone , tuned in F).
Observe that there are two slides on the trombone. Besides the usual one, there are also one on the tuning slide. There is also an extra "stay" to reach the lowest positions. The slide on a bass trombone (in F) is to long for a normal arm, therefore you have to use the extra "extension".

The trombone was used in solemnity occasions as choral playing in the churches (14th century).
In the 15th century the trombone was "invited" to the opera orchestras.
Beethoven was the first to use the trombone in a symphony (no. 5 from 1808).
Before that, composers as Mozart and others had used the trombone in masses and requiems.


Nowadays

Nowadays, the tenor and the bass (or the tenor/bass, as some call it) trombone are the most frequently used ones. The tenor/bass trombone is a rather new design on the bass trombone. It has the tuning of a tenor, Bb, but the bore of a bass. Daily it is called bass trombone (See the picture below)

[Torbjörn with his Bach 50 B] The advantage with a shorter trombone is; you don't have to use the extra stay (see above), to reach the lowest positions. The old bass trombones tuned in F had to have such a stay to get all the necessarily tones. See the picture on the baroque bass trombone above.

The modern bass trombone needs instead at least one valve. Most players are playing 'bones with two valves; it's easier to play, shorter distance between notes.
Also, if you don't tune the valve in E, you don't have a B in the contra octave.


Versatility

The trombone has gain in popularity during the 20th century.First through the new music, jazz, there were many good jazz trombonists in New Orleans in the 20's.
Names as Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller are maybe the most known trombonists from the first half of the 20th century. There were many more.
Nowadays names as Carl Fontana, Bill Watrous and Eje Thelin (Swedish jazz trombonist) sounds more familiar.

Of later years Christian Lindberg is one of the most significant trombonists. He has done very much to get new music written for trombone. There are many new concerts written for Christian.
He has also moved the limitations for what's playable on trombone.

What's so great about the trombone is that it fits in at many different musical occasions. In brass band, symphonic band, big band and a symphony orchestra the trombone has its place.
Even as a solo instrument in a church, with organ or piano accompaniment the trombone works perfectly.


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