Trombones
Trombones are instruments of the brass family. The trombone family is the only current instrument family that still uses the slide as the main way to play notes on the instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating your lips to cause the air inside the instrument to vibrate and make sound. Almost all trombones (the exception is the valve trombone) have a telescoping slide that moves across an inner slide to change the note and pitch. Trombones are a mostly cylindrical bore instrument.
There are many types of trombones, the most common of the trombones are Bb tenor trombones (shown on the left), while the Bb bass trombone is also very common. The Eb Alto trombone used to be very common but slowly became less popular, though it is currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Other trombones are the contrabass trombone (the lowest pitched instrument), bass trombones in different pitches such as G, F, E, E♭, D and C, soprano trombone, and the sopranino/piccolo trombone. Recently, many tenor trombones have extra tubing called an F attachment that lowers the fundamental pitch of the trombone from Bb to F. There have also been valve trombones don't use a slide and instead use valves like a trumpet. Superbones are a combination between a slide and a valve trombone, they allow you to use both valves and a slide to play notes. Here are some links to videos of different types of trombones.
piccolo trombone,soprano trombone,alto trombone,bass trombone,contrabass trombone.
Trombones can be built in many different materials. Some of those materials are yellow brass, rose brass, sterling silver, copper, and gold brass. Yellow brass tends to be brighter while sterling silver gives the darkest sound. Trombones also come with different finishes; the most common is lacquer but they can also be silver plated and gold plated which tends to brighten the sound.
Trombones come in different bore sizes (the diameter of the inner slide) which can also change the sound. Bore sizes are expressed in thousandths of an inch and modern tenor trombones typically have a bore size between .490" to .547". Small bore horns tend to have a brighter and more focused sound while large bore horns tend to have a darker, warmer sound. A smaller bore also typically has more resistance than a larger bore trombone. Due to the varying bore sizes, mouthpieces are organized into two types, a small shank and a large shank mouthpiece. Large shank mouthpieces are designed to fit into larger bore trombones like a .547" tenor trombone or bass trombones while small shank mouthpieces are for smaller bores. Recently, trombones have also been designed with dual bores which means that the side of the slide you blow into is smaller than the other side of the slide. This makes it easier to blow into the trombone but still have a big sound.
There are many types of trombones, the most common of the trombones are Bb tenor trombones (shown on the left), while the Bb bass trombone is also very common. The Eb Alto trombone used to be very common but slowly became less popular, though it is currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Other trombones are the contrabass trombone (the lowest pitched instrument), bass trombones in different pitches such as G, F, E, E♭, D and C, soprano trombone, and the sopranino/piccolo trombone. Recently, many tenor trombones have extra tubing called an F attachment that lowers the fundamental pitch of the trombone from Bb to F. There have also been valve trombones don't use a slide and instead use valves like a trumpet. Superbones are a combination between a slide and a valve trombone, they allow you to use both valves and a slide to play notes. Here are some links to videos of different types of trombones.
piccolo trombone,soprano trombone,alto trombone,bass trombone,contrabass trombone.
Trombones can be built in many different materials. Some of those materials are yellow brass, rose brass, sterling silver, copper, and gold brass. Yellow brass tends to be brighter while sterling silver gives the darkest sound. Trombones also come with different finishes; the most common is lacquer but they can also be silver plated and gold plated which tends to brighten the sound.
Trombones come in different bore sizes (the diameter of the inner slide) which can also change the sound. Bore sizes are expressed in thousandths of an inch and modern tenor trombones typically have a bore size between .490" to .547". Small bore horns tend to have a brighter and more focused sound while large bore horns tend to have a darker, warmer sound. A smaller bore also typically has more resistance than a larger bore trombone. Due to the varying bore sizes, mouthpieces are organized into two types, a small shank and a large shank mouthpiece. Large shank mouthpieces are designed to fit into larger bore trombones like a .547" tenor trombone or bass trombones while small shank mouthpieces are for smaller bores. Recently, trombones have also been designed with dual bores which means that the side of the slide you blow into is smaller than the other side of the slide. This makes it easier to blow into the trombone but still have a big sound.
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