Trombone

The trombone is a low-pitched brass instrument. brass instrument which is classified as a trumpet instrument due to its largely cylindrical tube (narrow bore). It consists of a long, curved tube with a wide mouthpiece at one end and a bell at the other.

The musician can change the pitch by pressing the valves or pulling the slide. The sound is produced by the player’s lips vibrating (see padded whistle) on a cup mouthpiece by stimulating the natural resonances of the air column in the instrument.

Trombones are used in many different musical genres, such as classical music and jazz, rock and pop . They are often used in wind orchestras, symphony orchestras, big bands and other ensembles and can also be played as a solo instrument.

History

The name of the instrument in Italian, French and English, Trombone, literally means “big trumpet”. The German name comes from the old French term buisine. This goes back to the Latin bucina, which means bugle, hunting horn or trumpet. trumpet trumpet. Spellings with a B at the beginning such as Busaun, Busaune, Bosaune, Busane and Buson were still common in German writing up until the 16th century. Eventually, however, they were replaced by the form Posaune, which Martin Luther used in his translation of the Bible. Luther chose the translation of the ancient Greek word σάλπιγξ (salpinx).

In ancient Greece, the forerunners of the trombone were known as ‘salpinx’. These were straight trumpets with a conical mouthpiece that were mainly used for military purposes.

Renaissance and Baroque

There is very little data on the origins of the trombone. The oldest evidence of the instrument’s existence is an English document from 1495 and a painting by Matteo di Giovanni, who died in 1495. It is one of the oldest orchestral instruments that can be played fully chromatically, alongside the violin .

The natural trumpet (tromba) has an unwieldy length of around 2.80 meters (9 feet) due to its basic note b. For this reason, the instruments were bent into an S-shape, rolled or made in a “pretzel shape”.

As a wind instrument with good intonation, the trombone was often used in ensembles with singers and strings, but also as a solo instrument until around 1700. In Renaissance wind ensembles (“alta capella”, town pipers), trombones were played alongside other instruments commonly used at the time, such as cornets, shawms and slide trumpets. The ensembles usually performed at social and sometimes church events, but less so at courtly occasions. As there were no special compositions for wind ensembles, they often resorted to vocal music, including for dance accompaniment.

Traditionally, the European aristocracy preferred stringed and bowed instruments for light music. This preference was increasingly imitated by the middle classes as they became more affluent. The 17th century saw a decline in wind music as the trombone fell out of fashion in large parts of Europe. Although at this time the trombone part was created as a trio of alto trombone, tenor trombone and bass trombone.

It was rarely used in Italian canzonas and sonatas from 1630 onwards. Today, however, less is known about the music and composers of this period than about other eras. Johann Sebastian Bach only included trombones in 15 of his numerous cantatas and only used them to double the choral parts.

18th and 19th century

The oratorio La Resurrezione by George Frideric Handel from his time in Italy is a notable exception to this tendency. Handel also returned to the trombone in his later oratorios Saul and Israel in Egypt (1739). This may have inspired Christoph Willibald Gluck to use the instrument in his ballets Don Juan (1761) and Orfeo ed Euridice (1762) as well as in his later operas. Gluck, in turn, was an inspiration for Mozart.

Mozart still used the Renaissance trombone (also known as the “sackbut”) in some of his operas, such as The Magic Flute, as well as in his Requiem. One of the most famous soloistic orchestral passages for the tenor trombone is the Tuba mirum. It was only after Mozart’s death that the first “modern” trombones were built, which also enabled a metallic accentuation of the sound. The trombone has only recently been used together with trumpets.

The classical symphony orchestra evolved from the opera orchestra. A few important composers had already included the trombone in the 18th century. Beethoven finally established it in the fourth movement of his 5th Symphony. The usual instrumentation of a symphony orchestra from the Romantic era to the present day includes two to three tenor trombones and a bass trombone. In the modern wind orchestra, four trombone parts are normally used.

The most important solo concertos for trombone were written in the middle of the 19th century by Ferdinand David, Ernst Sachse and Friedrich August Belcke. Most solo pieces for the trombone date from the 20th century. One example of this is the sonata for trombone and piano by Paul Hindemith.

20th and 21st century

The trombone retained its important position in the symphony orchestra of 20th century classical music and was given prominent passages in works by practically all the important composers of this era.

After the Second World War, the instrument was gradually rediscovered by composers as a solo instrument and for chamber music. Pieces such as Edgar Varèse’s Octandre, Paul Hindemith’s Sonata and Luciano Berio’s Sequenza V have helped lesser-known composers to create a broader repertoire. The best-known trombonist of new music in the second half of the 20th century is Vinko Globokar, who is also known as a composer.

Nowadays, the most popular performance pieces include Vox Gabrieli by Stjepan Sulek, the sonatinas by Jacques Castérède and Bertold Hummel and the Deux Danses by Jean-Michel Defaye. The best-known trombone concertos from the period after the Second World War include works by Launy Grøndahl, Lars-Erik Larsson, Gordon Jacob and Derek Bourgeois.

In the last 20 years, several composers have written concertos for Christian Lindberg. These include Kalevi Aho (Symphony No. 9 for trombone and orchestra – Sinfonia concertante No. 2 / 1994), Anders Eliasson and Jan Sandström. Lindberg also appears as a composer and has written a number of works for trombone in various instrumentations. On March 2, 2012, a new concerto for trombone and orchestra by Kalevi Aho was premiered in The Hague. Klaus Miehling wrote a concerto in E flat for tenor trombone and string orchestra (op. 234) in 2015.

The 20th century saw numerous design developments, for example in the materials used. The mouthpiece, bore and bell diameters were increased, innovative valve designs and various types of mute were developed.

Today, the trombone is played in all types of brass music, symphony orchestras, marching and military bands, brass bands, trombone choirs and other genres. It is also used in smaller ensembles such as brass quintets, quartets, trios and pure trombone trios (alto trombone, tenor trombone and bass trombone or two tenor trombones and one bass trombone, rarely three tenor trombones).

Structure

The trombone consists of an S-shaped cylindrical tube made of brass. A mouthpiece is inserted at one end and opens at the other to form a bell, also known as a bell. The slide is used to modify the physically determined natural tones and make the instrument chromatically playable.

All trombone designs are played with a cup mouthpiece.

Due to its relatively narrow bore, the trombone sounds harder than the instruments of the bugle family, which have a softer sound volume. The bore also influences the sound energy. The sound is more focused on a trombone than on a tenor horn, for example.

As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by the vibration of the player’s lips on the mouthpiece. This creates standing waves in the air column of the instrument.

The dynamic range is around 37 dB. The sound levels increase with height at all dynamic levels. At a distance of 16 m, the values in pianissimo (pp) reach a value of 40 dB in the low range and 70 dB in the high range. The values in fortissimo (ff) are 85 dB and 100 dB. The instrument reaches peak values of over 115 dB at the player’s ear.

Sound or sound generation

The trombone has a slide mechanism that changes the pitch by extending the air column by pulling it out. The slide consists of two inner slides, which are connected by a crossbar, and the U-shaped outer slide, which normally has a water key. Regular lubrication of the cable is crucial to ensure smooth operation. To do this, trombone grease is applied to the inner cable, forming small water bead-like structures. This reduces the friction between the telescopic tubes. This keeps the slide running smoothly. When playing, it is usual to moisten the slide with condensed water or a pump water bottle; an alternative to the grease/water approach is to use a mixture of different consistencies of silicone oil.

The trombone typically has seven slide positions or registers. Each position has a semitone difference. The slide can be shifted continuously, making the trombone the only brass instrument capable of sliding from one pitch to another. This is known as a true glissando.

As with other brass instruments, the tuning of the trombone can be calibrated using a tuning slide. The bow is normally located behind the bell. However, this arrangement is not without its problems, as it interrupts a conical section of the instrument with cylindrical passages. An alternative option is to integrate the tuning device into the slide.

Historically, the trombone was built in all registers from piccolo to contrabass, comparable to other Renaissance instruments such as the recorder. Although mainly tenor and bass trombones are used today, this variety reflects the rich development history of this unique brass instrument.

Playing technique

The playing technique of the trombone requires precise control and skill, with various aspects contributing to the mastery of this unique brass instrument.

Mouthpiece technique plays a crucial role, as the correct placement and relaxation of the mouthpiece on the lips is essential for clear and stable tone production. An even flow of air through the mouthpiece helps to keep the tone stable.

The slide or valve technique is crucial for varying the pitch. The musician must be able to move the slide or valves precisely and quickly. This is the only way to produce the desired tones.

Intonation control is a fundamental aspect of ensuring that the tone produced is at the correct pitch and sounds harmonious with other instruments and voices, as is the case with all brass instruments.

The dynamic range of the trombone extends from very soft to very loud tones. The musician must learn to control the volume in order to achieve a variety of musical expression.

Articulation, i.e. the beginning and end of notes, can be shaped in a variety of ways. The trombone allows different types of articulation, from concise staccato notes to smooth legato lines, which is another facet of the demanding playing technique.

Instrument of the year 2011

The trombone has been voted Instrument of the Year 2011 by the State Music Councils of the Federal Republic of Germany. The importance and versatility of the trombone and its outstanding role in music are the reason for this special award.