Bass trombone. Trombone - a musical instrument of a symphony orchestra

Trombone(Italian trombone, lit. "big pipe", English and French trombone, German Posaune) is a brass musical instrument of the bass-tenor register. The main distinguishing feature of the trombone is its movable knee, the wings. The slide is designed to change the pitch of the instrument. When it extends, the sound, as the air column lengthens, becomes lower.
The instrument's tube is mostly cylindrical, but closer to the bell it vigorously tapers. The mouthpiece is a shallow spherical cup, similar to the mouthpiece of a large trumpet, and differs from the mouthpieces of other brass instruments.

sound

The range of the trombone is from G1 (G of the counteroctave) to f2 (F of the second octave) with a gap between B1 and E (the B flat of the counteroctave is the E of the major octave). This gap (except for the H1 note, that is, the si counteroctave) is filled with a quarter valve.
The trombone is a versatile and technically mobile instrument with a bright, brilliant timbre in the middle and upper registers, and a gloomy one in the lower. On the trombone, it is possible to use a mute, a special effect - glissando - is achieved by sliding the backstage. Three trombones (two tenor and one bass) are commonly used in a symphony orchestra.

The main use of the trombone is in the symphony orchestra, but it is also used as a solo instrument, as well as in brass band, jazz and other musical genres, in particular in Ska-punk, where it occupies a leading position among wind instruments.

The sound of the trombone is powerful, distinct; at the same time, any gradation of a quiet sound is possible on a trombone. The instrument sounds heartfelt in sacred music, but is often associated with the realm of the supernatural (as, for example, in Mozart's Requiem and his opera Don Giovanni). If it is necessary to express feelings of anxiety, danger, doom in the score of a musical work, then the composer will most likely turn to the sound of a trombone. In jazz music, the trombone, on the other hand, often sounds rather carefree. Vocal imitation of the sound of a trombone, its expressive glissando and blues notes is almost the quintessence of the unique performing style of the legendary jazz musician (singer, trumpeter, trombonist) Louis Armstrong (1901-1971).

Story

The appearance of the trombone dates back to the 15th century. It is generally accepted that the direct predecessors of this instrument were rocker pipes, when playing on which the musician had the opportunity to move the pipe of the instrument, thus obtaining a chromatic scale.
During its existence, the trombone has practically not undergone radical changes in its design.
The first instruments, which were essentially trombones, were called sacbuts (from the French saquer - to pull towards oneself, bouter - to push away from oneself). They were smaller than modern instruments in size and had several varieties of registers: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Sakbuts, thanks to the chromatic scale, immediately became permanent members of orchestras. Small improvements in sacbuts led to the appearance in the 17th century of almost modern instruments, to which the Italian word trombone was already applied at that time.
In the 19th century, attempts were made to adapt a valve system to the trombone like a trumpet and horn mechanism, but this innovation was not widespread due to the fact that such instruments, although they gained in technical mobility, lost significantly in sound. In 1839, the Leipzig music master Christan Zatler invented the quarter valve, which made it possible to lower the sounds of the trombone by a fourth, which made it possible to extract sounds from the so-called "dead zone" (a segment of the scale that is inaccessible due to the design features of the trombone).
There is a development and strengthening of the positions of the instrument in the orchestra, solo and ensemble music making, virtuoso high-class solo performers appear. Composers create a number of compositions for trombone, which later become classics of the repertoire - Weber's Romance, discovered many years after the composer's death, Rimsky-Korsakov's Trombone Concerto, David's Concertino and others. In the second half of the century, powerful, compared to the past, manufactories for the production of tools were formed - Holton, Conn, King - in the USA, Heckel, Zimmerman, Besson, Courtois - in Europe. Some varieties of trombone, for example, alto and contrabass, are going out of practice.
In the 20th century, thanks to the development of the performing school and the improvement of instrument production technologies, the trombone became a very popular instrument. Composers create numerous concert literature for it, trombone occupies a significant place in jazz, as well as ska, funk and other genres. Since the late 1980s, there has been a revival of interest in antique trombones (sacbuts) and obsolete varieties of trombone.

Types

Today there are several types of trombones:
Tenor, Soprano, Contrabass, Bass and Alto. The most common is the tenor trombone, while the soprano and contrabass trombones are almost never used. Most often, the trombone is part of a symphony or brass band. In the first case, three trombones are used at once, two of which are tenor and one bass. Jazz bands or Ska-punk performers also actively use this musical instrument in their compositions. The trombone became quite widespread in the 19th century, not only as part of the orchestra, but also as a separate instrument for which solo parts were created. Many of these works have become true classics of music.

Musical Instrument: Trombone

Have you ever heard a trombone band play? Demonstrating their power, these tools make a huge impression. Whatever orchestra plays: symphonic, pop, brass, big band - the brilliant and solemn sound of the trombone is always heard.

The name trombone came to us from Italy, where the word "trombone" means "big trumpet". The tool is really similar to pipe , but unlike it, it has a retractable knee - a backstage.

There is no doubt the presence of this instrument in musical works of a dramatic nature. Hector Berlioz in the second part of his “Funeral-Triumphal” symphony, he entrusted the mournful memorial speech to the trombone.Today, three trombones are used in a symphony orchestra: 1 bass and 2 regular tenor trombones.

Read the history and many interesting facts about this musical instrument on our page.

Sound

The Greatest Composer L.V. Beethoven He said that the voice of the trombone is the voice of God.

The sound color of the trombone is very rich, it can be courageous, bright and formidable, but it can be calm and lyrical, so the instrument was originally used in church works.

Trombone range from the salt of the contra-octave, to the f of the second octave. Timbre - bright and light in the upper register; noble and firm - on average; mysterious, gloomy and even sinister - in the lower. The sound of the trombone is very versatile, it can create a festive and dramatic effect.

The trombone has one advantage over the rest of the brass instruments, it is the only one that can slide from one note to another, all made possible by the movement of the wings. The famous beautiful trombone glissando is performed in this way and is a natural touch for the rocker instrument. Earlier in classical music, the use of glissando was not allowed and was considered a sign of bad taste. The first composers to challenge this notion were A. Glazunov and A. Schoenberg, independently and at about the same time.

To expand the expressive means, trombonists often use a mute, a pear-shaped nozzle, the purpose of which is to change the strength of the sound and achieve some sound effects.

Photo:

Interesting Facts

At the excavations of Pompeii, which was attended by the King of England, ancient trombones were found. The Neapolitan king presented them as a gift to the English monarch, as this find was very interested in the English king.
One of the first trombone ensembles was the court ensemble of the city of Naples, which was also allowed to play at weddings, in churches and on battlefields.
The famous masters of the XV-XVI centuries for the manufacture of trombones were the Neuschel dynasty. They were ordered trombones by royal families from all over Europe. The initiator of the generic business was Hans Neuschel, who himself played this instrument perfectly.
The soprano trombone was last used in the 18th century in C major V.A. Mozart .

"For frequent use, the trombone is too sacred" - this quote belongs to the great composer F. Mendelssohn .
The first concert performance of the trombone as a solo instrument took place in 1468 at the wedding of the Duke of Burgundy.
In almost all of Wagner's operas, a group of trombones can be heard at the climax.
Part of the first trombone in the famous opera Glinka « Life for the king ” is unanimously recognized as the most difficult orchestral part to perform on this instrument.
The test of professionalism for any trombonist is the performance of a trombone solo in " Bolero » M. Ravel. The complexity of the task lies in the fact that before this part the instrument does not play, that is, it remains “cold”, and the solo has to be performed in a high register.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the trombone began to be widely used in jazz compositions.
Currently in France, future composers, graduates of the conservatory, are required to submit a certain number of compositions at the exam, and one of them must be for a wind instrument, including a trombone.
The French and German schools of trombone produced the most talented trombonists in Europe.
One of the oldest trombones that has survived to this day was made in 1551 in Nuremberg by master E. Schnitzer.

Before the use of the instrument in jazz, trombonists from Germany and France were considered the best, but then musicians from the USA took the lead.
Two hundred years ago, they tried to adapt a valve system to the trombone, such as a horn or a trumpet. In technical terms, such instruments became much more mobile, but their sound was seriously losing, so this idea had to be abandoned.
The largest trombone-only ensemble included 360 performers who performed at the Washington National Baseball Field in 2012.

Works for trombone

ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov - Concerto for trombone and brass band (listen)

Henri Tomasi - Concerto for trombone and orchestra (listen)

Trombone construction

The trombone is a cylindrical tube bent twice, which moves apart in the middle with a backstage, and at the end abruptly turns into a cone. The length of the tube is 3 meters, the diameter is 1.5 cm. The mouthpiece of the trombone is large, in the shape of a rounded cup.

Average trombone weight- 2 kg, with case - 4 kg.

The difference between the instrument and the other members of the copper-wind group is the presence of a special detail, a retractable backstage. Thanks to its movement, it is possible to reproduce the sounds of the chromatic scale. Valves perform this function on pipes, tubas, and horns.

Trombones are sometimes fitted with a fifth or quarter to lower sounds within a fifth or fourth. Among all the instruments of the "brass" group, the trombone can claim the title of "the most permanent", since this instrument has changed little in its centuries-old history. The following parts are distinguished:

The crown of the general system.
Trumpet.
Backstage.
Mouthpiece.
Liquid drain valve.
First and second racks.
Sealing ring.

The instrument has 7 positions with a difference from the previous one in half a tone. Positioning is related to the position of the wings. If in the 1st position it is not advanced at all, then in the last 7th position it is maximally advanced.

Varieties of trombone

Trombone belongs to the group of aerophones (wind instruments), which are characterized by the content of air inside, and the sounds are formed as a result of its vibrations.

Today, trombones are produced in different sizes and registers, the classification of trombones looks like this:

Ordinary trombone (tenor).
Alto.
Bass.
Soprano.
Contrabass (one octave difference from tenor).

The last two types are almost never used in practice today. The most popular of them is the tenor, it is commonly called simply the word "trombone".

Application and repertoire

The development of the performing school served as a great popularization of the trombone. Its scope is very extensive: symphonic, pop, brass, big band orchestras, jazz, funk, ska-punk, swing, salsa, meringue and other musical genres. In terms of sound, the trombone plays a significant and sometimes paramount role in a symphony orchestra. He is good at conveying a heroic or tragic character, the instrument can sound like an orator with a speech filled with enthusiasm. Composers initially used its gloomy timbre colors, for example, W. A. Mozart in the opera "Don Juan" And "Requiem" instructed the instrument to depict the depths of hell. An example of the well-known use of the trombone in symphonic music is found in L.V. Beethoven, in the 4th concluding movement of Symphony No. 5 .

It is worth noting that composers understood and began to use the ability of the trombone to accurately convey the mood of the soul only in the era of romanticism. G. Berlioz, G. Mahler, R. Wagner, I. Brahms, admiring the noble and majestic sound, trusted trombones in their symphonies not only pathetic, but also expressive lyrical moments.

Occupying an important place in orchestral and ensemble practice, the trombone performs with great success as a solo concert instrument. Composers: I.S. Bach , G. Purcell, L.V. Beethoven, V.A. mozart, R. Glier, A. Vivaldi, K.M. Weber, I. Haydn, E. Grieg , F. Schubert, D. Dvarionis, F. Couperin, J. B. Lully, B. Marcello, M. Glinka, P.I. Chaikovsky , S.Rakhmaninov, ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov , D. Kabalevsky, V. Blazhevich, N. Rota and many others created masterpieces of the classical concert repertoire for him.

Outstanding trombonists

Having taken a firm place as an actively performing orchestral and ensemble musical instrument, the trombone energetically enters the concert stage as a solo instrument.

Among the outstanding virtuoso trombonists, one should undoubtedly note F. Belke, V. Blazhevich, K. Meyer, K. Queisser, A.G. Dieppo, J. Stump, A. Faulkner, Z. Pulets, K. Bakardzhiev, K. Lindberg, A. Skobelev, V. Nazarov, V. Sumerkin, A. Likhonosov, A. Shipilov.

Famous jazz trombonists: J. Johnson, T. Dorsey, B. Bruckmeyer, F. Lacey, K. Ory, Glenn Miller (creator of the famous jazz orchestra), D. Morsalis, K. Herwig, S. Touré, T. Dorsey, L Armstrong, C. Winding, B. Harry, V. Batashev, A. Kozlov, N.S. Korshunov, E.A. Reikhe, V.A. Shcherbinin.

Story

Today it is no longer possible to name the exact date of the birth of the first trombone. Historians have found the earliest mention of it in the works of the Roman writers Virgil and Isidore (the first years of the new era or according to the Roman calendar 570-730). During the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. this tool was present in the lists of registries.

At the excavations of Pompeii, archaeologists discovered two perfectly preserved instruments, not much different from modern trombones. They were made of copper and decorated with gold mouthpieces. Some researchers, for example, G. Riemann, believe that this instrument existed as early as the 4th century BC.

The main version, according to most scientists, is the assertion that the date of the appearance of the trombone in the form in which we know it is the 15th century AD. It was from that time that it was customary to count the history of the trombone, since it began to be widely used in Europe, separate works and solo parts began to be composed for it.

It is believed that the predecessor of the trombone was the rocker pipe, which has a retractable tube, with which the musician could not only perform a chromatic scale, but also create a vibrating sound. This increased the resemblance to the human voice, as such pipes were used to enhance the sound of the church choir.

The earliest trombones, compared to modern instruments, were smaller and were called sacbuts. They had several types: soprano, alto, tenor and bass in accordance with the height of the singing voice, which was amplified. In the 17th century, the sakbuts underwent some structural changes, as a result of which they received the appearance of modern instruments. The name also changed, sakbuts became known as trombones.

In the 19th century, a German music master K. Zatler invented a quarter valve, with the help of which it became possible to lower the sounds of a trombone by a fourth, and thereby sound the "dead zone", since due to the specific design on the instrument it was impossible to extract some sounds. Around the same time, the trombone became part of the symphony and brass bands.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the trombone began to develop dynamically not only as an orchestral instrument, but also as a solo instrument. The process of its manufacture was modernized, large factories for the production of trombones appeared: in the USA - Conn, Holton, King; in Europe - Zimmerman, Heckel, Courtois, Besson. Schools of playing have become more widespread, and concert literature has grown considerably. The trombone became an integral part of various musical genres, such as jazz, and in the 80s of the last century, interest in sacbuts, first generation trombones that had not been used by musicians, increased.

Over the 500 years of its existence, it has gained immense popularity and found wide application. This marvelous instrument, with its rich timbre and special virtuosity, can instantly capture the attention of the listeners and lift their spirits. It perfectly combines with other musical instruments and complements them harmoniously, creating an amazingly beautiful musical palette.

Video: listen to the trombone

The four names that originally represented this large family - horns (or horns), trumpets, trombones and tubas - over time pretty much mixed up and presented to the descendants several characteristic hybrids, which, on the one hand, enriched the sound of the symphony orchestra, and on the other, added brilliance and melody to the sound of a military orchestra. ... Brass are necessary when it comes to conveying impressions of spaces of any, even unthinkable, scale ... The sound generator, as in the old days, is ... the lips of the performer.

Cornet

French name for the instrument cornet-a-piston- a horn with caps (piston valves). Designed in Paris in the 1820s. This is not a pipe, but a direct descendant of the post horn, therefore it can be considered related horn. The modern cornet, despite its compactness, "folded", is becoming more and more like a pipe.

The most famous feature of the instrument is its superiority over other brass instruments in playing music requiring great fluency and virtuosity.

The heroic intonations of the trumpet are absent from the cornet, but, on the other hand, it is capable of warmth and juicy softness of sound, associated only with the French horn. This determined his role and place in the orchestra: the cornet successfully leads the melodic line entrusted to him, moreover, in combination with other instruments, it sounds no worse than the trumpet.

Flugelhorn

The name of the instrument is formed from two German words: Flugel- "wing" and Horn- "horn". Its secret will be unraveled, one has only to take the flugelhorn in hand. The increased cross-section of the conical channel, wider than that of the pipe, the bell makes the second turn of the pipe deviate like the raised wing of a bird ready to take off. Flugelhorn, reminiscent of both a pipe and a cornet-a-piston, is indeed "winged". It is more often improvised than played from notes. Jazz trumpeters love the flugelhorn for its soft horn sound.

The instrument is more popular in Europe than in America. In Italy, for example, four of its rare varieties are still found.

Trombone

Trombone is an Italian word. trombe is a pipe, trombone is a big pipe). The English ancestor of the trombone was called sackbat (sacbat, sackbut) and was quite similar to the modern instrument. It is believed that over the past five hundred years, the trombone has not changed much. This is not entirely true. The dimensions of the instrument, the shape of the mouthpiece and the bell changed. Masters sought from the trombone the same as from other instruments - the perfect sound. The main distinguishing feature of the trombone is its movable knee, the wings. The slide is designed to change the pitch of the instrument. When it extends, the sound, as the air column lengthens, becomes lower.

The instrument's tube is mostly cylindrical, but closer to the bell it vigorously tapers. The mouthpiece is a shallow spherical cup, similar to the mouthpiece of a large trumpet, and differs from the mouthpieces of other brass instruments.

The sound of the trombone is powerful, distinct; at the same time, any gradation of a quiet sound is possible on a trombone. The instrument sounds heartfelt in sacred music, but is often associated with the realm of the supernatural (as, for example, in Mozart's Requiem and his opera Don Giovanni). If it is necessary to express sensations in the score of a musical work
anxiety, danger, doom, then the composer will most likely turn to the sound of a trombone. In jazz music, the trombone, on the other hand, often sounds rather carefree. Vocal imitation of the sound of a trombone, its expressive glissando and blues notes is almost the quintessence of the unique performing style of the legendary jazz musician (singer, trumpeter, trombonist) Louis
Armstrong (1901–1971).

Glissando seems to be a fairly natural touch for such a peculiar instrument as the trombone, but in academic music its use was not allowed for a long time and was considered a sign of bad taste. Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936) and Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951) were the first authors to overcome this tradition completely independently of each other.

When playing, the instrument is held with the left hand by the stand of the mouthpiece of the pipe so that the mouthpiece rests on the lips. The right hand at the same time controls the wings with a separate spacer. There are seven positions for the backstage position during the game. At the first (highest) position, the rocker is fully retracted; at the seventh (lowest) position, it is fully extended; with each successive position, the sound decreases by a semitone.

On the U-shaped bend of the fixed (mouthpiece) part of the instrument there is a movable tuning crown. A counterweight is installed on the transverse strut, because the total length of all the tubes of the instrument is about three meters, and with the wings fully extended, the trombone begins, as they say, to “outweigh” the trombonist. The condensate outlet valve is located on the moving part of the tube - the wings.

In a modern orchestra, the trombone group usually consists of three instruments; these are two tenor and one bass trombones.

The range of the trombone is about 2.5 octaves, the tenor tuning is in B, the bass tuning is in F (one fourth lower).

Tenor bass trombone- the most important of the generic instruments of the trombone group - is a tenor trombone in B with the so-called quarter valve - a device consisting of an additional tube loop built into the U-shaped knee to ensure the extraction of the fundamental tone F when connected. The connection is made by a rotary valve controlled by the left
thumb and acting like a horn valve.

The tenor bass trombone, intended mainly for playing low parts of the bass trombone, has an enlarged channel and a tube equipped with a small rocker. The quarter valve actually turns one instrument into two or even three, if we consider the additional crown E present in the design of the instrument. In terms of significance, this is comparable to the invention of the double horn, because with the help of the quarter valve, unlimited access is provided to both the tenor and bass registers.

Horn (French horn)

If the sound of the trumpet sets off heroic motives, the sound of the trombone - the spiritual and otherworldly beginnings, then the sphere of the French horn is magic. Almost all over the world, the horn (which literally means “forest horn” in German) is for some reason called the “French horn”. France is considered an exception, where it is fundamentally not called that. It is authentically known that the horn was created and developed mainly in Germany, so it would be more reasonable to call it the "German horn".

The forerunners of the modern horn are the hunting horn, and after it the so-called natural horn.

The valve, or chromatic, horn was invented by the Silesian masters Stölzel and Blumel in 1818 and patented at the same time. Two years later, the news of the new "German horn", and the horn itself, reached Paris, where the French musician Pierre-Joseph-Emile Meyfred (1791-1867) improved the instrument somewhat. And only in 1835, that is, 15 years later, the valve horn appeared in the orchestra. In early scores by Wagner, natural and valve horns are used together. One of the first major works intended specifically for the valve horn with piano - Schumann's Adagio and Allegro (Op. 70) dates from

1849, but twenty years later, composers still turned to the natural prototype of the instrument. Especially when the sound of the orchestra had to recreate the atmosphere of the original "forest romance".

The warm and velvety tone of the French horn is difficult to confuse with the sound of other brass instruments, but the color possibilities of the instrument can also be expanded through a special technique - inserting the hand into the bell during playing. As a result, closed, or stalled, sounds are obtained - even more unusual, mysterious, creating a curious spatial effect of an instantaneous distance of the instrument.

The modern valve horn has an impressive range (3.5 octaves), and this is due to the fact that it is, as it were, two instruments “fitted” one into the other. The instrument that has now established itself in the orchestra is the result of the combination of its closest predecessors: the horn in B and the horn in F. The total length of the tube due to this combination is 518 centimeters. The instrument has three main valves, which, with the help of rotary levers, control twice the number of valve tubes. The fourth valve, additional, is actuated by the thumb, providing switching from F to B and vice versa. Switching can occur at any time and in any register of the range. Mouthpiece - conical,
funnel-shaped, different from the mouthpieces of other brass instruments.

In symphonic scores of the 19th and 20th centuries, four horns most often appear, two of which are assigned high, and the other two low parts. In large orchestras, the number of horns can increase to six or eight.

Baritone

The name "baritone" is most often applied to this brass instrument, but it happens to be called both "tenor" and "tenor tuba". In the 30s and 40s of the 19th century, when the design of the baritone was just taking shape, another name was coined for it - euphonium(from the Greek "euphonos", which means " harmonious”, “sweet-voiced”).

The vocation of the baritone is not only military music. The instrument is widely used in brass bands, where its characteristic tone can also be heard in solo episodes. Just like in the name, there are various variations in the design of the instrument. There are 3, 4 and even 5-valve baritones. Each of the additional valves opens a sidebar, due to which the tone of the instrument is slightly lowered. With a total length of all tubes within three meters, the baritone is quite compact - about 60-70 centimeters in length.

The mouthpiece of the baritone and related variations is bowl-shaped and rather deep compared even to the mouthpiece of a trombone, which helps to give the instrument's characteristic soft and spicy tone.

Tuba

Latin word for tuba tuba) translates as " pipe". Well, let's assume that out of respect for the lowest voice among all brass, this instrument is called by its Latin name.

Due to the wide conical channel, wide bell and deep bowl-shaped mouthpiece, the tuba has not only the lowest, but also an unusually soft, deep tone, similar to the timbre of a horn rather than a trombone or trumpet. The tube is distinguished by its size. It is the largest instrument in its group and one of the largest wind instruments in the orchestra.

In ancient Rome, a tuba was a bronze cylindrical and straight wind instrument up to one and a half meters long, used in military and ceremonial use. The modern tuba is one of the youngest members of the family. It was born already with a full-fledged valve system (the number of valves is 3 - 4, less often 5 or 6).

The tuba was introduced into the symphony orchestra by Richard Wagner. Tuba solos are found in orchestral scores by Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Maurice Ravel and other authors. In the 20th century, the tuba sonata was written for the first time. Its author is the German composer Paul Hindemith (1895-1963).

Wagner tuba (Wagner tuba)

An instrument with this name really owes its birth to maestro Richard Wagner. The composer needed a kind of sound "connecting
link" between horns and trombones for the performance of his impressive opera cycle "Ring of the Nibelungen" (1876). As conceived by Wagner, horn players were supposed to play such tubas. The gloomy and majestic sound of the instrument repeatedly attracted the attention of composers of the 19th and 20th centuries - Bruckner, R. Strauss, Stravinsky and others. The conical channel of the Wagner tube expands gradually and passes into a beveled long bell; while playing, the instrument is held on the lap. The range of the Wagner tuba is about three octaves, the system varies: there are tenor instruments in B and bass instruments in F. The scores of the operas of the Wagnerian "Ring" ("Gold of the Rhine", "Valkyrie", "Siegfried", "Sunset of the Gods") feature a quartet of Wagner tubas : two tenor and two bass instruments.

Sousaphone

Sousaphone (souzaphone) - a brass instrument, a kind of bass tuba in Es or B tuning with three or four valves - is named after its inventor, American conductor John Sousa. The sousaphone is used in military brass bands and looks and sounds great even on the march. Its bell shines like the sun, towering over the performer's head. And a long four-five and a half meter tube encircles it like a mythical snake. The sousaphone has been produced since 1898, and recently the instrument's main tube has been made from fiberglass.

Lev Zalessky.

Bass tenor register.

The trombone has been known since the 15th century. It differs from other brass instruments by the presence of a backstage - a special movable U-shaped tube, with the help of which the musician changes the volume of air contained in the instrument, thus achieving the ability to play the sounds of a chromatic scale (on, and valves serve this purpose). The trombone is a non-transposing instrument, so its notes are always written according to the actual sound. Some trombones have an additional crown that allows you to lower the sounds by a quart and is connected using a quarter valve.

The trombone comes in several varieties. that form a family. Nowadays, the main representative of the family, the tenor trombone, is mainly used. As a rule, the word "trombone" refers to this variety, so the word "tenor" is often omitted. Alto and bass trombones are used less frequently, soprano and contrabass trombones are almost never used.

Trombone range- from G1 (contra-octave salt) to f? (F of the second octave) with a skip of sounds between B1 and E (B-flat contra-octave - mi of a large octave). This gap (except for the H1 note, that is, the si counteroctave) is filled with a quarter valve.

Diverse in strokes and technically mobile instrument, it has a bright, brilliant timbre in the middle and upper registers, gloomy - in the lower. On the trombone, it is possible to use a mute, a special effect - glissando - is achieved by sliding the backstage. Three trombones (two tenor and one bass) are commonly used in a symphony orchestra.

The main scope of the trombone- a symphony orchestra, but it is also used as a solo instrument, as well as in a brass band, jazz and other musical genres, in particular, in Ska-punk, where it occupies a leading position among wind instruments.

History and origin of the trombone

During its existence, the trombone has practically not undergone radical changes in its design.

The first instruments, which were essentially trombones, were called sacbuts (from the French saquer - to pull towards oneself, bouter - to push away from oneself). They were smaller than modern instruments in size and had several varieties of registers: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Sakbuts, thanks to the chromatic scale, immediately became permanent members of orchestras. Small improvements in sacbuts led to the appearance in the 17th century of almost modern instruments, to which the Italian word trombone was already applied at that time.

In the 19th century, attempts were made to adapt a system of valves to the trombone like a pipe mechanism and, however, this innovation was not widespread due to the fact that such instruments, although they gained in technical mobility, significantly lost in sound. In 1839, the Leipzig music master Christan Zatler invented the quarter valve, which made it possible to lower the sounds of the trombone by a fourth, which made it possible to extract sounds from the so-called "dead zone" (a segment of the scale that is inaccessible due to the design features of the trombone).

There is a development and strengthening of the positions of the instrument in the orchestra, solo and ensemble music making, virtuoso high-class solo performers appear. Composers create a number of compositions for trombone, which later become classics of the repertoire - Weber's Romance, discovered many years after the composer's death, Rimsky-Korsakov's Trombone Concerto, David's Concertino and others. In the second half of the century, powerful, compared to the past, manufactories for the production of tools were formed - Holton, Conn, King - in the USA, Heckel, Zimmerman, Besson, Courtois - in Europe. Some varieties of trombone, for example, alto and contrabass, are going out of practice.

In the 20th century, thanks to the development of the performing school and the improvement of instrument production technologies, the trombone became a very popular instrument. Composers create numerous concert literature for it, trombone occupies a significant place in jazz, as well as ska, funk and other genres. Since the late 1980s, there has been a revival of interest in antique trombones (sacbuts) and obsolete varieties of trombone.

Trombone device

Trombone parts:

crown of the general system (tuning slide);
mouthpiece (mouthpiece);
bell (bell);
liquid drain valve (water key);
backstage (main slide);
second stand backstage (second slide brace);
first backstage (first slide brace);
O-ring backstage (slide lock ring).

Trombone technique

The principle of sound extraction

As with other brass instruments, the main principle of playing the trombone is to obtain harmonic consonances by changing the position of the lips and changing the length of the air column in the instrument, achieved using the wings.

When playing, the rocker slides out with the right hand, while the left hand supports the instrument.

The trombone has seven positions (slide positions), each of which lowers the instrument's pitch by half a step. Each position corresponds to a certain combination of valves on valved instruments (including valve trombone). In the first position, the link is not extended, in the seventh position it is extended to the maximum possible distance. The table shows the correspondence between trombone positions and the use of valves on other brass instruments. The fundamental tone is the sound resulting from the vibration of a full column of air in the instrument. On a trombone, the fundamental tone can only be obtained in the first three or four positions. It's called pedal sound and it's not loud.

Use of a quarter valve

Some trombones have an additional crown that lowers the entire scale of the trombone down a fourth. This crown is activated by a special lever, the so-called quarter valve, which is pressed by pulling a special chain attached to the thumb of the left hand. A quarter-valve trombone is essentially a combination of a tenor and bass instrument and is sometimes called a tenor bass trombone.

When the quarter valve is turned on, the trombone gives only six positions, since the extension of the wings to each subsequent position requires more space due to the increase in the length of the trombone tube.

Glissando

Glissando - a technique in which the wings move smoothly from one position to another, while the musician does not interrupt the sound. Used for special sound effects.

Outstanding trombonists

Friedrich August Boelcke
Vladislav Mikhailovich Blazhevich
Glenn Miller

Video: Trombone on video + sound

Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the instrument, watch the real game on it, listen to its sound, feel the specifics of the technique:

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trombone (Italian, French, English), Posaune (German)

It differs from other brass instruments by the presence of a backstage - a special movable U-shaped tube, with the help of which the musician changes the volume of air contained in the instrument, thus achieving the ability to play the sounds of a chromatic scale (valves serve this purpose on the trumpet, horn and tuba). As with other brass instruments, the basic principle of playing the trombone is to obtain harmonic consonances by changing the position of the lips and changing the length of the air column in the instrument, achieved using the wings. When playing, the rocker slides out with the right hand, while the left hand supports the instrument. The trombone has seven positions (slide positions), each of which lowers the instrument's pitch by half a step.

Trombone range - from G1 before f² skipping sounds between B1 And E(b-flat contra-octave - mi large octave). This interval (except for the note H1, that is, si counteroctaves) is filled in with a quarter valve. The trombone is a non-transposing instrument, so its part is always recorded in accordance with the actual sound.

The trombone has a bright, brilliant timbre in the middle and upper registers, gloomy in the lower.

The trombone is a versatile and technically flexible instrument. On the trombone, it is possible to use a mute, a special effect - glissando - is achieved by sliding the backstage.

One of the best trombonists of our time, Christian Lindberg, performs two pieces from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet: "Dance of the Knights" and " Juliet is a girl

The appearance of the trombone dates back to the 15th century. During its existence, the trombone has practically not undergone radical changes in its design. It is generally accepted that the direct predecessors of this instrument were rocker pipes, when playing on which the musician had the opportunity to move the pipe of the instrument, thus obtaining a chromatic scale. Such pipes were made to double the voices of the church choir, given the similarity of the timbre of the pipe with the human voice. It was only necessary to make the similarity of intonation, for which they made a stage, giving chromatism and vibrato.

The first instruments, which were essentially trombones, were called sacbuts (from the French saquer - to pull towards oneself, bouter - to push away from oneself). They were smaller than modern instruments in size and had several varieties of singing voice registers that doubled and imitated the timbre: soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

Sakbuts, thanks to the chromatic scale, immediately became permanent members of orchestras.

Small improvements in sacbuts led to the appearance in the 17th century of almost modern instruments, to which the Italian word trombone was already applied at that time.

By the middle of the 18th century, church music was the main area of use of trombones: most often these instruments were entrusted with duplicating singing voices. The trombone became a permanent member of the orchestra only at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. As a rule, the orchestra consisted of three trombones: alto, tenor and bass (since it was difficult to play cleanly on a soprano trombone with its small backstage). At the same time, the trombone abruptly changed its role. From playing in high registers, where his solemn timbre merged with the brilliant timbre of church singers, he moved to a gloomy low register, leaving the upper tessitura to trumpets and horns. In the era of romanticism, composers drew attention to the expressive possibilities of the trombone. Berlioz wrote that this instrument had a noble and majestic sound, and entrusted it with a large solo in the second movement of the Funeral and Triumphal Symphony.

In the 20th century, thanks to the development of the performing school and the improvement of instrument production technologies, the trombone became a very popular instrument. Composers create numerous concert literature for it, trombone occupies a significant place in jazz and related genres. Since the late 1980s, there has been a revival of interest in antique trombones (sacbuts) and obsolete varieties of trombone.

The tool exists in several varieties that form a family. Nowadays, the main representative of the family, the tenor trombone, is mainly used. As a rule, the word "trombone" refers to this variety, so the word "tenor" is often omitted. Alto and bass trombones are used less frequently, soprano and contrabass trombones are almost never used. Typical for the orchestra is a trio of trombones with a tuba (2 tenors + 1 tenorbass) and a trombone quartet with a contrabass trombone (the tuba is released for playing bass for horns and Wagner tubas).