Why is slide trombone special?

[iranzi]

Why people choose to connect their lives with this instrument?
What is it about the way it sounds, or looks, etc, that earns your love?
And, apart from a blind chance or the need to earn a living, why are you coming back to it over & over again?

[pompatus]

To quote the composer Hector Berlioz:

“In my opinion, the trombone is the true head of the family of wind instruments, which I have named the 'epic' one. It possesses nobility and grandeur to the highest degree; it has all the serious and powerful tones of sublime musical poetry, from religious, calm and imposing accents to savage, orgiastic outburst. Directed by the will of the master, the trombones can chant like a choir of priests, threaten, utter gloomy sighs, a mournful lament, or a bright hymn of glory; they can break forth into awe-inspiring cries and awaken the dead or doom the living with their fearful voices.”

[harrisonreed]

Why is anything special? Some people like typewriters. Some people like pokemon cards. Summat to do, innit?

[Burgerbob]

Out of the brass instruments, I think it's one of the best in that it "filters" much less of what the musician wants to do than most of the valved horns. That also gives it a sky-high skill ceiling similar to the string instruments.

[Doug Elliott]

Simplicity, and closest to vocal range.

[Savio]

It's close to a vocal voice as Doug Elliott say And many with him. Didn't Beethoven say it was the voice of God? Not sure the exact words. What makes it special is the slide. I think it gives opportunities to make a lot more articulations than many other instrument. Of course both good and bad because we trombonists know how long time we use in practice room to get a proper legato. But we have the ability to change legato/articulations style that many other instuments never think about. Maybe except for singers and strings. And it's also special because it looks cool and is hated by many neighbours around.

Leif

[tbdana]

I've been ruminating on this, and I'm of two minds.

First, I am fascinated by the simplicity of the trombone, and how one can take this basic metal tube and somehow make beautiful music with it. That's amazing. So simple, so pure, so beautiful.

OTOH, I have spent my whole life trying to overcome the trombone. It lacks dexterity, versatility and athleticism. The trombone is ground-bound, plodding, and lives close to the earth, while other instruments sprout wings and fly and float among the clouds and perform somersaults on the breeze. The trombone is a tortoise among eagles and hawks. It is a quadriplegic on a basketball team. I often characterize the trombones as the cows of the orchestra.

I did not choose the trombone, it was assigned to me because I was the only kid who could reach 6th position. The only love I have for the trombone is the kind of love you get from having struggled and survived together over a long period of time. It's a foxhole kind of love. I feel like I have spent my life trying to reach the moon riding a fart. There is beauty in the absurdity of it all, but there is much more pain. And failure.

The trombone and I are like an old couple in an arranged marriage who have struggled just to survive. We've never had the passion or romance experienced by violinists, guitarists, and woodwind players, but we've reached a point where we are comfortable with each other and can finish each other's sentences.

I cannot love the trombone for the same reasons that I cannot love a spork or a broom or a chisel. The trombone is a blunt and simple tool that is useful for basic tasks but lacks sophistication, versatility, and general utility.

And yet, after so many years of toiling, I have finally learned to make it fly, in its own way. So there's that.

[chouston3]

Dana, your post is art. I think I am going to print it out and put it in my trombone case. I agree with it.

[Savio]

Dana, your post is art. I think I am going to print it out and put it in my trombone case. I agree with it.

Yes, it's art! She describes it wonderfully. I think we all felt home with her words! Maybe it's players like this that makes the trombone special?

Leif

[Kbiggs]

I've been ruminating on this, and I'm of two minds.

First, I am fascinated by the simplicity of the trombone, and how one can take this basic metal tube and somehow make beautiful music with it. That's amazing. So simple, so pure, so beautiful.

OTOH, I have spent my whole life trying to overcome the trombone. It lacks dexterity, versatility and athleticism. The trombone is ground-bound, plodding, and lives close to the earth, while other instruments sprout wings and fly and float among the clouds and perform somersaults on the breeze. The trombone is a tortoise among eagles and hawks. It is a quadriplegic on a basketball team. I often characterize the trombones as the cows of the orchestra.

I did not choose the trombone, it was assigned to me because I was the only kid who could reach 6th position. The only love I have for the trombone is the kind of love you get from having struggled and survived together over a long period of time. It's a foxhole kind of love. I feel like I have spent my life trying to reach the moon riding a fart. There is beauty in the absurdity of it all, but there is much more pain. And failure.

The trombone and I are like an old couple in an arranged marriage who have struggled just to survive. We've never had the passion or romance experienced by violinists, guitarists, and woodwind players, but we've reached a point where we are comfortable with each other and can finish each other's sentences.

I cannot love the trombone for the same reasons that I cannot love a spork or a broom or a chisel. The trombone is a blunt and simple tool that is useful for basic tasks but lacks sophistication, versatility, and general utility.

And yet, after so many years of toiling, I have finally learned to make it fly, in its own way. So there's that.

This reminds me of Vonnegut… and Bukowski. The line, “I feel like I have spent my life trying to reach the moon riding a fart,” followed by, “There is beauty in the absurdity of it all…” is the most accurate and opaque metaphor I’ve ever heard for playing this instrument.

[iranzi]

deleted

[andym]

I’ll extend Doug’s comment to be simplicity, closeness to the vocal range, and spans a wide range of musical genres.

[WilliamLang]

No matter what you do, it can be art

[LeTromboniste]

I think part of it is the fact that the slide is a simple but elegant and unique solution, making the instrument stand out. As an instrument of Western art music, the trombone is among the oldest still in use, by a solid margin over most others. It's also one that has changed very little, and always kept its voice. There's how close it is to the most natural and innate of instruments, the human voice, both in sound and in its technical limitation. What it does best is to sing.

And then of course there's its great abilityfor drama. It's the last trumpet, the instrument of the underworld, the herald of big important things. In orchestral music it doesn't play a whole lot, but when it does, you know it's an important moment.

[Posaunus]

There's how close it is to the most natural and innate of instruments, the human voice, both in sound and in its technical limitation. What it does best is to sing.

It's the last trumpet, the instrument of the underworld, the herald of big important things.

In orchestral music it doesn't play a whole lot, but when it does, you know it's an important moment.

Well ... sometimes.

[stewbones43]

It is an instrument which is never out of tune, but the players often are!

Cheers

Stewbones43

[LetItSlide]

Because glissando.

[BrassSection]

I’m still trying to figure that out! If I had to choose only one horn, it would be my euphonium. Necessity has me include trumpet, French horn, and trombone. Trumpet is a necessary evil for our music. Euph and French horn fill out mellow as needed. Trombone…just drawn to it for unknown reasons, it fills many spots that don’t need bright and brassy or smooth and mellow, although it can fill those rolls as needed, and just I enjoy playing it. Love what I can do on trumpet, but also can do things on trombone no other horn can do. Why do I play it??? Feedback there is no horn reviewed worse or better than any other. Get positive reviews on all, and people like the variety.

Attended an excellent concert this afternoon of a local brass ensemble. Man tubas sound great, no wait, can’t beat the euph section, oh man are those French horns sounding good today, wowzer those trombone players are nailing it today, wow, trumpets sounded great on Fanfare For The Common Man. Guess I’m just a brass lover in general!

[chouston3]

Playing trombone is very sensory for me. The way it feels when I play it is something else. The way low notes feel, pedals feel, slurring feels, are all unique sensations. No other instrument feels as visceral to me. The sounds one can create are also wonderful.

The way playing an in tune chord in a section or joining in a trombone choir is also a very visceral feeling.

Singing does not do this for me. Playing euphonium or valve trombone does not do it either.

I know there are those who play trombone very intellectually but the feel of it might be my favorite part.

[tbdana]

Playing trombone is very sensory for me. The way it feels when I play it is something else. The way low notes feel, pedals feel, slurring feels, are all unique sensations. No other instrument feels as visceral to me. The sounds one can create are also wonderful.

The way playing an in tune chord in a section or joining in a trombone choir is also a very visceral feeling.

Singing does not do this for me. Playing euphonium or valve trombone does not do it either.

I know there are those who play trombone very intellectually but the feel of it might be my favorite part.

This post really speaks to me.

[iranzi]

still my ideal trombone universe

[Posaunus]

These past six months undergoing a conversion from a soprano saxophone player into a trombonist. Just letting it happen; definitely feels like a new beginning.
For now, the "Why is it special?" question gets answered for me by a couple of Smithsonian Folkways recordings

Quite a difference in style and "sophistication" between these two groups -

• Laneville-Johnson Union Brass, apparently recorded ~1955

• Clouds of Heaven (United House of Prayer), apparently recorded ~1999
  Note that there are 3 trombones, one with an F-attachment!
  (Never would have seen such a trombone in the "Union Brass" days - reflecting back to late 1800s/early 1900s.)

Fascinating.

[bwilliams]

It's not.

[Kbiggs]

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