TromboneChat

Newby question:

I have a crazy small bore (.458) and a YL354(.500)
Its hard to put into words (and I hate using terms like constricted/open etc) but the .458 is harder to blow
The .500 plays more 'open' and less 'constricted'

So would a .525 be even more so, or is it more complicated than just the bore size ?

lauriet wrote: ↑Sun Feb 24, 2019 5:48 pm So would a .525 be even more so, or is it more complicated than just the bore size ?

In general, yes.

As bore size increases, so does the volume of air the tube can receive. Different design elements can have an effect on the blow, as well as mouthpiece. Consider the bore of the tubing in comparison to that of a hose; much more water can be pushed through a fire hose than a garden hose.

My main horn for 30 years was a .547 horn with a Bach 5G. I bought then sold off a Yam YSL-354 and a few other small bores, finding it them too constrictive just like you do. I later got put on lead tbone in a big band and tried small bores again. I tried a Bach 5-sized small shank mouthpiece on suggestion of Doug Elliott and found it really opened them up. I use it on both a 481/.491 dual bore and a .508 single bore. It works for me. Doug would be a good person to give you tips on mouthpiece selection.

Yup, it also really depends on the mouthpiece. Playing a tiny horn with a 6.5AL will feel stuffy because the mouthpiece is too open.

The bore size is important, but by no means the entirety of the picture. If the rest of the bell is small, which it is likely to be, it is probably going to play small even if you had a larger slide on it. I use 'small' as a proxy for whatever it is that you are trying to describe that you have discovered are difficult to put into words. To give you an extreme example. My 525/547 alto trombone plays 'tighter' than any tenor trombone I've ever played --- which makes sense, the horn is what like 20% shorter! Obviously your 458 horn is still in Bb but I would be the bell itself has a smaller diameter, a tighter flare, smaller throat, etc. etc. All of that leads to a horn that is 'harder' to get air through or perhaps easier depending on your point of view and wha tyou are used to.

Matt K wrote: ↑Sun Feb 24, 2019 7:13 pm
All of that leads to a horn that is 'harder' to get air through or perhaps easier depending on your point of view and what you are used to.

This nails it IMO.

It is possible to use a larger m/p on a smaller horn, maybe not with an "orchestral" profile, but one chosen for the specific purpose.
In my case a JK 7E which is a wider version of the 8E. The cup and throat remains the same, having the wider rim plays louder but I'm keeping most of the sound that I like from the 8E.

http://josefklier.de/mouthpieces/trombone/?lang=en

The break articulations snap like anything as well..