The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-01
PLAYING A TROMBONE
A Rather Easy Matter, the Musi-
clan Seemed to Think.
SUCH A SIMPLE INSTRUMENT

6ut Someho" or Anotner the GS-
plantation Only Muddied the Man
Who Wanted to Learn and Who De-
eided to Tackle an Accordion.
The band was playing loudly in the
Trinkfestbiergarten and the little bald
headed man had his eyes fastened inter
astedly on the trombone player. When
the players stopped to recuperate he
beckoned the man who works the loose
horn over to his table and ordered two
glasses of schoenesb1aue.
MY name is Biggs." said the man
whose hair was absent. lone of my
lungs is trying to quit work. and the
doctor advises me to break up it's shift
less habits by blowing a brass. The
careless way you yank that pump horn
looks good, and 1 want you to put me
on"
What do you want to known asked
the musician.
Just a hint about how you handle
that wind machine SO nonchalantly."
THE trombone Is very simple" re-
piled the musiker wiping his lips,
which curled in thick, red volutese.
1.-THE slide is divided into seven shifts,
or positions, about three inches apart.
Starting with the lowest note in the
first position-the slide closed-you get
B fat. Push out the tubes and you hit
successfully A, A fiat, G, F sharp, +
and e.
That's only seven notes." objected
Biggs.
Eyes. Getting the rest depends on
how you quicker your lips. In the first
position you can make, figuring up
ward, B fiat. F, B fat, D, F, b fat and
G. In the second you obtain A, E, A.
G sharp, e, G and A. The third gives
you A fiat, E fat, A fat. c, e fiat and
A fiat. 1t works out the same all the
way down.
There are higher notes that didn't
mention, but you won't want to mon
key with them. But a good player has
a compass of more than three octaves."
Biggs looked troubled.
LET me see,'' he said. you start in
the first position with B fat"
EYES," replied the other-"that is,
provided you are playing in the bass
clef. In the treble clef the first posi-
ton is CT
note one time and another another"
SIN the treble cleft" explained the
musician. "the trombone is a B fat
horn. In the bass clef it is a G horn"
Biggs mopped his brow.
"Say that again, will your? he ap-
pealed.
Don't you seer" came the answer.
when the first position is G it's a
/ B fiat horn. When the same shift is
b fat it's @ horn
Biggs unbuttoned his coat.
You may call this thing simple" he
said. "but If it is I'll give myself up at
the nearest asylum. You are talking
antonyms."
The musician grinned.
We'll take one thing at time" he
said. I'm getting at what a B fiat
horn is let's consider a cornet."
Lets, If it's simpler" said Biggs
hopefully
"Its because it's always a B fat
horn" replied the other. Then he add
ed, Except when it's an A horn"
Biggs gave a sickly smile.
1.-THE lowest note on a cornet when
open-when no keys are pressed down
is really 3 fiat" said the bandman.
But it is called c."
THAT doesn't make it c." said Biggs.
For all practical purposes it does"
was the reply. There is reason for
doing this, but it's complicated and at
present I'm keeping to simple facts"
Eyes, indeed" murmured Biggs.
"In an orchestra, for instance, when
the first violins are playing in G nat
ural the cornetist's score is two semi
tones higher and is thus written in D
or two sharps. When the violins are
playing in D the cornet player is toot-
ing in E or four sharps. But if things
kept on this way the cornetist would
soon be lost in a confusion of sharps
and double sharps, so he slips an A
crook on his instrument. That raises
the signature three semitones. When
the fiddles play in A or three sharps
the cornetist is blowing along the easy
path of G natural"
Look here" said Biggs, eff my
wife is playing Under the Pink Lilac
Bush on the piano, couldn't I play
with her from the song scorer"
Not unless you can mentally trans
pose as you go along, sdlu the mu
stefan. The system looks queer a
first but it's logical It's purpose is t.
bring the same music within the nat
ural compass of all the instruments OIL
a band or an orchestra. But if yor
are going to play the trombone yor
, won't have to bother your head abou
any of this, as trombone music is now
. pdays always written in the bass clef.'
Then what have you been talkin!
, about it for and mixing me up|
shouted Biggs. jumping up.
. What are you getting mad about?'
, asked the from bonist.
. I'm not mad" replied Biggs. I'm
, only going to make my will and Blu.
an dion."-Washington Post.