Teach Me Trombone
Types of Trombones
There are many different types of trombone. The most frequently encountered trombones today are the tenor and bass trombone. The trombone has been built in every size from piccolo to contrabass. Scroll down to see and hear what the different trombones look and sound like.
Tenor: The tenor trombone, which most students start on, is a non-transposing instrument pitched in the key of B-flat. That means that B-flat it is the lowest note that one can play with the slide in first position. All the notes in this position are part of the B-flat partial series. What confuses many is that the trombone plays music in "concert pitch" (the key of C) just like a flute or a piano. Concert pitch means that the written note is identical to the sounding note. For example, a "C" on the trombone is written "C" on the music staff. The tenor trombone has seven slide positions with each position increasing the length of the air collum and therfore lowering the pitch. At each position there are several pitches that can be achieved based on the overtone series. Many modern trombones include an extra attachment of tubing which lowers the fundamental pitch from B-flat to F. The F attachment is engaged by using a trigger which operates a valve. The F attachment trombone is a larger bore trombone with a bore size of 5.25 to .547 and is know as a Bb/F trombone.
Alto Trombone: The Alto trombone is pitched in Eb, or F, a perfect fouth or fifth higher than the tenor trombone. It was popular in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries in brass choirs, but declined in popularity when the trumpet acquired valves and trombones became part of the symphony orchestra. It was replaced by the tenor trombone because its range could cover the parts. The bore of an alto trombone is .450 to .500 with a 6.5" to 7" bell. Modern composers have rediscovered this instrument however and professionals are being asked to play them. Some great musical works that call for the Alto trombone include Mozart's Requiem, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Haydn's The Seasons , and Beethoven's fifth, sixth, and ninth symphonies.
Bass Trombone: The bass trombone is pitched in B-Flat. It is identical in length to the Bb Tenor Trombone, but has a wider bore and a larger bell to help produce a fuller tone in the low register. It also has one or two valves which lower the key of the instrument to F, and if the second valve is fitted, to G, G-Flat, E, E-Flat, or D depending on the design. bore sizes of the bass trombone are .562" in the slide and .580" through the valve attachment tubing with a bell size from 9" to 10.5". Older and now obsolete versions of the bass trombone were of smaller bore and pitched in G, F, E, E-flat,D, and C. These instruments had a longer slide and a handle attached to the outer slide.
Contrabass Trombone: The contrabass trombone is usually pitched in F, a perfect fourth lower than the tenor or bass trombone. This instrument was introduced in the Renaissance as a B-Flat horn called the "octav-Posaune." It was built as an over-sized bass trombone with a long slide and extension handle to reach the lower positions. During the nineteeth century the contrabass was constructed according to the double side principle. It was a popular instrument in the opera genera of music, and recently it has started to be called for in film scores. In 1921 a new patent was established by Ernst Dehmel utilising the old German military band bass trombone in f equipped with two independent rotary valves to replace the handle. This Bass-Contrabass was the precursor to the modern contrabass trombone which is constructed according to the same principles. Bore sizes for the contrabass trombone include .567 to .635 range. Common sizes for the F contrabass are between .567 and .580"The bell diameter is typcially 10" to 11".
Soprano: The soprano trombone is usually pitched in Bb an octave above the tenor trombone. The bore size is between .450" and .470" and it has a trumpet size bell. It was created in the late seventeeth century and was used in German speaking countries to play the treble part in chorales. The slides are short and only have six positions instead of seven.
Sopranino and Piccolo: These trombones are even smaller and higher instruments than the soprano and they are very rare. They are pitched in Eb and Bb, one octave above the soprano trombones. They are sometimes used in trombone choirs. Their bore size is between .430" and .400" These instruments use a trumpet mouthpiece.
Valve Trombone: The valve trombone has been built is every size from alto to contrabass, but the valved tenor trombone is the most popular. The are built in long or short form. The valve fingerings are the same as the euphonium. Many players find these trombones useful in highly technical passages but feel their sound is a bit stuffy compared to a slide trombone.
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Superbone Trombone: This instrument has valves and a slide! James Morrison, Australian multiinstrumentalist, was looking for an instrument with an increasing tonal rage, but easy playing. The Superbone was born.
Here is a website for a printable fingering chart for the valve trombone: http://ellismusic.com/pdfs/euphonium-chart.pdf
Click on the ABC cube to take you to the fingering chart.
Soprano Trombone
Bass Trombone
Valve Trombone
E-Flat Alto Trombone
Bass Trombone in F
B-Flat Tenor Trombone
Contrabass Trombone
Piccolo Trombone
Trombone Family Video
Choosing a Mouthpiece
What is a good mouthpiece for a trombone student? First of all, no mouthpiece will ever do everything equally well. Everyone is always looking for the magic mouthpiece that allows them to play loud, high, legato, fast, bright, dark, etc. There isn't one mouthpiece that will get you everything you want. When you hear a player sounding the way you want to sound, you should not assume it's all in the equipment that they use. Most likely they have done their due diligenece in learning how to work around the limitations of the mouthpiece they are using, and so can you. Before we look at what is best, let's explore the anatomy of a trombone mouthpiece.
Rim
Cup
Shank
Throat
The Shank is the part that fits into the leadpipe (receiver) of your instrument. It should not stick out too far and should be quite snug. Any kind of gap between the shank and the leadpipe can affect your intonation.
The Cup depth will have an affect on the brightness of your sound. A deep cup will darken your tone and open the trombone up in the lower register. A deep cup will also make it more difficult to play in the higher register. Thus, a shallow cup will help with range.
The shape of the cup will also affect the sound. The more funneled the cup, the darker the sound. A well defiend shoulder in a cup will brighten the sound by favoring more of the higher overtones.
The Throat: This is the point of the most resistance because it is the narrowest aperture through which the air passes. The bigger the throat, the more volume you can create, but at the same time, you will need more air to do it. If you get too large an opening in the throat, than you run the risk of intonation problems because it will be difficult to center the pitch. A smaller throat will make your sound more focused and centered, but you will have trouble with volume. Therefore, if your sound breaks up when you play loudly you probably need a mouthpiece with a bigger throat.
The Backbore: This is the interior of the shank. It begins where the throat ends and guides the air into your instrument. An open backbore that tapers very quickly to its largest diameter will let you put a lot of air into your trombone and create larger volume with a darker sound. A backbore that is too open will lead to control problems and intonation trouble. A backbore that is too narrow will leave you deficient in volume and may sound too bright. You will need to experiement to find the right balance.
The Rim Width: Many players like the feel of a wide cushioned rim. Narrow rims tend to feel uncomfortable and can tire you out too quickly. Rims that are too wide may limit your flexibility. You will need to experiement to see what works best for you.
The Rim Contour: If you look at the mouthpiece from a side angle, you'll notice the rim is not flat, there is a slight roundness. This helps with comfort and effectiveness.
The Bite: The bite is the steepness of angle as the rim meets the cup on your mouthpiece. A sharp bite makes it easier to center your notes. Staccato attacks are also easier, but producing legato style will be more difficult with an extremely sharp bite. A round, gentle bite will help make legato easier, but will make it more difficult to center your notes and play harder articulations with any amount of clarity. Because music will demand both centered staccattos and legato passages, a happy medium should be sought. If you notice great difficulty in playing legato, you may want to examine the bite of your mouthpiece.
Suggested mouthpieces for students
The Bach 6 1/2 AL is one of the best mouthpiece sizes for students. It is a good, medium-deep size mouthpiece that will be the right size for many years. When you reach high school, you might want to try the Bach 5G
The Bach 12C is also a popular student mouthpiece size. It is on the smaller side however, and after playing it for a little while you will probably want to move up to a larger mouthpiece like the 6 1/2 AL. Some students will do better on this 12C and might not need to switch.
The Bach 7C is a good in between size. If the 12C seems too small and the 6 1/2 AL too large, this would be the next option.
Small bore mouthpieces are from .480 to .509
Small Shank mouthpieces: Back 12C, Yamaha 45C2
Standard Shank: Bach 7C
Larger Shank: Bach 6 1/2 AL, Yamaha 48
Even Larger: Bach 5GS, Yamaha 51C4, Bach 5G, Schilke 51, and Yamaha 51
If you are looking to purchase a new trombone, here are a few to consider. I highly recommend getting one with the F attachment if you can afford it. The basic student models are less money, but you probably won't get the F attachment. Be sure to ask your band or private teacher what they recommend and it's a good idea to go and try them out in a music store before you purchase one if you can. You can get more detail on these at websites like WWBW.com and Musiciansfriend.com
The Yamaha Student Trombone YSL-354 is a good instrument for the beginning student. It does not come with the F attachment option and the cost is around $1400.00
The Yamaha YSL-620 professional model has the F attachment. It is a large bore instrument with a medium shank. It cost around $2200.00
The King 21103 3B Legend Trombone can be purchased with or without the F attachment. The bore size is .508 These cost around $2,000.00
The Bach TB200 Series has a Medium-Large Bore of 5.25 which will help create a big sound with less resistance. It has the F attachment and costs about $2400.00
Suggested Trombones
Trombone Mutes
Quite often band literature calls for mutes. Mutes are devices that you put in the bell of your trombone to change the sound of the instrument. There are five standard mutes that professional musicians use and the bubble mute is relatively new.
CUP Mute
Bubble Mute
The
Plunger!
Straight Mute
If you see the words: Con Sord in your music, that
means to use a straight mute. Other mutes will be specified with the intended mute. In other words, if the composer wants a cup mute, they will notate that in the music.
The U.S. Army Field Band
Pro-tips on the use of the Plunger
Bucket Mute
Harmon Mute
(Wah wah)
Sound Examples of Mutes
SLIDE CREAM: Slide cream is used to keep the slide movement smooth. Apply this to the
stockings of the inner slide once a week to keep the slide moving freely.
SLIDE OIL: Slide oil is also used to keep the slide movement smooth. It works just as well as slide cream. Apply this to the stockings of the inner slide once a week or as needed.
Distilled Water Spray Bottle:
Whether you choose cream or oil to lube your inner slide, you will still need to spray the slide with distilled water after you do this.
ROTARY OIL: This type of oil is used to lubricate the rotary valve of your F attachment trombone. Place a few drops down the tube that leads to the valve at least once a week to help keep it functioning properly.
ROTAR SPINDLE OIL: Spindle oil is used to lubricate the bearings of the rotary valve on your F attachment trombone. Put a few drops under the valve cap and a few more on the rotar stem to keep the rotar moving smoothly on its axis. Oil the bearings once a week minimum.
LEVER OIL: Lever oil is used on F attachment trombones that have a metal arm with ball and socket joints that connect the thumb lever to the valve. Put a drop on each ball and socket to keep it working efficiently and quietly. Oil this whenever you oil the valve.
TUNING SLIDE GREASE: This is used on the large tuning side of the trombone and on the smaller slide of the trigger attachments of the F attachment trombone. Apply a small amount to the slide and distribute it with your finger. Use this as necessary.
PIPE SNAKE: You will use this to clean the inside of the trombone. When you blow into your trombone, your saliva gets inside which contains bacteria and sugars and it will
need to be cleaned out of your trombone periodically.
SLIDE CLEANING ROD: You will need this to clean the inside of the inner and outer slides. You will need some "cheese" cloth to run through the eylet at the top.
MOUTHPIECE BRUSH: This is used to clean the inside of the mouthpiece. It is important to keep the throat and backbore of the mouthpiece free of debris. You will stay healthier too if you keep your mouthpiece clean. Soak your mouthpiece in warm soapy water and then use your brush to clean it out. It is recommended to do this each time you play your instrument.
BOW PROTECTOR: This is a great option to help protect the bow of your trombone from dents. It can be left on inside your case too. They are made by DEG and cost under $5.00 (Cheap insurance!)
Cleaning and lubricant supplies
