Trombone

Slide Trombone, Valve Trombone, Euphonium, and Baritone Instruction

Tenor Trombone

Tenor Trombone with F Attachment

Double Valve Bass Trombone

Valve Trombone (three finger-operated valves like a trumpet with no slide)

Euphonium

Baritone


Trombone Materials

Trombone

Trombone case or gig bag

Trombone mouthpiece

Slide / valve oil,

Lesson books and materials

CD player (used for playing recorded lessons and accompaniments)

Trombone cleaning kit (do not use paper towels to clean a trombone or any musical instrument)

Playing mute (optional)

Practice mute / silent mute (optional)

Music stand (optional)

Music stool (optional)


Choosing Your First Trombone

Choosing a first trombone can be a challenge. There are a number of options available both new and used.

There are four categories of trombones:
small bore trombone (.508 inch bore or less)
medium bore trombone (.525 inch bore)
large bore trombone (.549 inch bore)
bass trombone (.562+ inch bore)

Small bore instruments are often used for solo jazz and other styles of playing that require fast slide action and fast pitch changes and for playing in smaller groups and in smaller spaces.

Most student instruments are small bore because they are lighter, generally less expensive,
and require less airflow to produce a good tone.

Large bore instruments are preferred for playing with large groups and in large spaces due to
their ability to produce a very large and very full sound.

Medium bore instruments are a compromise between the two and are often used by players
who play in both venues but who want to use the same instrument for both applications.

I recommend a small bore instrument without an F attachment as a first slide trombone.


Tenor Trombones with an F Attachment

These instruments have a finger lever operated valve mechanism which engages an additional length of tubing that allows the instrument to play lower notes than a standard tenor trombone can play. It also allows many of the standard notes to be played with less slide movement than a standard tenor trombone requires which can make playing complicated musical passages a bit easier.
F attachment trombones are available in small, medium, large, and bass bore sizes.


Double Valve Bass Trombones

These instruments are specialty instruments that are designed to generate very full sounds and very low pitches in concert environments. With a very few exceptions, concert music is basically the only music that includes parts that are written specifically for the bass trombone.

These instruments have two finger lever operated valve mechanisms each of which engage its own individual additional length of tubing that allows the instrument to play lower notes than either a standard or F attachment trombone can play. It also allows many of the standard notes to be played with less slide movement than a standard trombone requires.

There are two types of double valve bass trombones – independent valve and dependent valve.

With the independent valve configuration (sometimes called “in-line” valves) either valve can be operated independently of the other or they can both be operated at the same time. This system gives the player four different playing configurations.

With the dependent valve configuration (sometimes called “stacked” valves) one valve can be operated independently of the other but operating the second valve has no effect unless the first valve is already activated. This system gives the player three different playing configurations.


Open Wrap versus Closed Wrap

You will see the terms “open wrap” and “closed wrap” applied to tenor trombones with F attachments and bass trombones.

The extra tubing that is activated by the single valve on an F attachment tenor trombone and the double valves on bass trombones has to be located somewhere. There are two methods for doing this.

That extra tubing can be shaped in such a way that it either fits within the outer dimensions of the standard trombone (closed wrap) or it can be shaped so that it extends beyond the outer dimension of the standard trombone to the rear of the instrument (open wrap).The open wrap design has fewer bends in the extra tubing and has less resistance to the air flowing through
the instrument.

I own and play both open and closed wrap instruments and I see no practical difference between them.
 

What Types of Trombone Valves Are There? (not the 3-valve trumpet-type valves)

There are primarily three types of valves used on both single valve F attachment tenor and double valve bass trombones.

The industry standard and by far the most commonly seen valve type is the rotary valve. These valves have been used since the inception of valve trombones and are still the mainstay of the industry today. These valves rotate 90 degrees (or very close to it) to divert the airflow to engage and disengage the additional tubing. Rotary valves are excellent and are used on many professional level instruments.

The second type of valve is the axial flow valve (often called a Thayer valve after its original designer). These valves do not force the airflow to make a 90 degree turn so they are more efficient than rotary valves. Thayer vales are excellent and are used on professional level instruments.

The third type of valve is the Hagmann valve. These valves do not force the airflow to make a 90 degree turn so they are more efficient than rotary valves. Hagmann vales are excellent and are used on professional level instruments.

Is the rotary valve versus the Thayer or Hagmann valve issue a major real-world consideration? No. There are world-class concert quality instruments available with all three types of valves and the practical real-world difference is negligible.


Do I Have to Play an Expensive Trombone with an F Attachment or a Double Valve Bass
Trombone to be Taken Seriously as a Trombone Player?

Absolutely not!

Let me tell you one of my favorite personal trombone stories. Some years ago I was flying as an international corporate chief pilot, had a small shop doing musical instrument repairs, modifications, and restorations specializing in trombones and guitars, was teaching trombone and guitar, and was playing with a couple of jazz bands. I wasn’t tooooo busy back then – but I loved it!

I decided to have a bit of fun with some of the hotsy-totsy types who always had to have the newest and fanciest instruments they could buy and enjoyed flashing them in front of everyone. I bought a 1960s vintage Olds Ambassador straight tenor student trombone at a yard sale. I removed a few dents, installed a balance weight with no name on it, and did a top quality polish and slide job. I also brush plated sterling silver on the balance weight, all the cross braces, and a strip about 3/8 inches wide all the way around the bell on both sides of the bell rim.

It was absolutely beautiful! I put it in a padded gig bag so no one would know what it was, showed up at an area jazz festival, and proceeded to give a knockout performance (other people’s opinions). After the performance the interest in that trombone was incredible.

All the hotsy-totsy types wanted one – until they discovered what it really was. I still have that horn and I drag it out once in a while when I need to ward off a hotsy-totsy attack. Point: It’s never the instrument that matters – it’s always the person playing it!


Reality

If your goal is to play with an orchestra and / or to teach at a college / university school of music, you will probably have to play a tenor trombone with an F attachment and/or or a double valve bass trombone to be taken seriously. That’s just life in those segments of the music world.


Conclusion

If you have the desire and the dedication to become an excellent trombone player the brand and/or type of instrument you have available won’t ever hold you back. There are plenty of musical genres and musical activities available for straight tenor trombone players.


Recommendation

Stop obsessing over whatever instrument you have – or don’t have – and just concentrate on playing it!


Valve Trombones (3-valve trumpet type valves)

These instruments do not use a slide to change the pitch. Instead they have three valves like a trumpet that are operated by the middle three fingers of the non-supporting hand. Valve trombones generally do not come in different bore sizes like slide trombones do. All current production valve trombones that I am aware of are small bore instruments. Note: I strongly
recommend buying a valve trombone in the key of B-flat (some valve trombones are available in the key of C).


Trombone Manufacturers

Be aware that there are an increasing number of musical instruments being imported from China. Many of these instruments look and function acceptably when they are new but do not perform well over time and can be very difficult or impossible to repair if they are damaged. They are often found on Ebay and other online auction sites. You are far better off buying a quality used instrument than buying one of these cheap imports.

There are some imports that are well made and are good values for the money. Please feel free to call us if you have questions about the quality of any instrument that you are considering purchasing.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of trombone manufacturers. It represents a number of the commonly encountered reputable brand names. Some are still in production and some are quality instruments that are no longer in production.

Slide trombones: Allora, Bach, Blessing, Conn, Courtois, Eastman, Edwards, Etude, Getzen,
Holton, Jupiter, Kanstul, King, Olds, Prelude, Rath, Schilke, Shires, XO, Yamaha.

Valve trombones: Conn, Bach, Blessing, Getzen, Holton, Jupiter, Kanstul, King, Olds, Yamaha.

Bass trombones: A number of the above manufacturers also make bass trombones.


Record Yourself: A Very Positive Learning Experience and the Opportunity to See How You Are Doing and to Hear What Other People Hear.

Seeing and/or hearing yourself play is a very enlightening and worthwhile experience. It gives you the opportunity to see and/or hear what other people see and/or hear rather than what you think and/or hope they are hearing.

Audio Only: I use a portable battery-powered Zoom H2N Handy Recorder. Sony, Yamaha,
and Tascam also make excellent battery-powered portable recorders.

Audio and Video: I use a GoPro unit to make music videos of myself and my students. These units are very high quality, are very easy to use, and produce excellent quality videos with
excellent quality audio.


Care to Recommend a Brand of Slide / Valve Lub

No! I am always fascinated by people who don’t have anything better to do with their time than endlessly debate the pros and cons of various brands of slide / valve lub.

Don’t waste your time. Buy whatever brand of slide / valve lub your local music store sells and invest your time playing. You get better by USING slide / valve lub – not by DEBATING about slide / valve lub!


What If You Want to Play Without Affecting Other People Around You

There are a number of brands and types of practice mutes available that do an excellent job of reducing the sound output of a trombone. Yamaha has a really great solution for this situation. It is called Silent Brass. The unit includes a plastic mute with internal electronics that fits snugly into the bell of the trombone and a battery powered control box. The mute and a set of stereo headphones are plugged into the control box and the player hears a very realistic trombone sound through the headphones while the actual sound heard by anyone else is very significantly muted. A CD player or other music source can be plugged into the control box and the player can hear that through the headphones as well (such as the CDs that come with the lesson books, CD play-along accompaniments, etc.).

By using a “Y” connector in the headphones port a recorder can also be connected and everything can be recorded.

The Yamaha Silent Brass unit for trombone is number SB5X.

Note: There are a variety of non-electronic practice mutes available that do an excellent job of reducing the sound output of a trombone.

Note: If you have a double valve bass trombone the bore size is larger so be sure that the mute you are interested in will fit that particular instrument.


I am Often Asked About My Favorite Trombones

I love vintage brass instruments (generally made prior to WW II). I love the old jazz, blues, and big band music, and the trombones made during that era do sound different from those made today.

Most (maybe all) brass instruments made today are made from recycled brass. The brass used in vintage instruments (made prior to WW II) is different from the brass used today and is often slightly thicker as well. This gives the vintage instruments a deeper, smoother, less “bright / brassy” sound.

The modern “bright / brassy” sound is not by accident. It is preferred for much of today’s genres of music – especially if you play with a large band or orchestra.

I especially like the vintage instruments by Olds and King, but most of the pre – WW II instruments that I have played have had that wonderful vintage sound.