The Washington times., 1935-12-07

those who wish to be.
may extend four complete octaveS
from pedal F to high F. above
high B-flat.
In moving the slide outward,
the tone is lowered one-half tone
for each three and one-half inches
Of movement. There are seven
positions, each a half tone apart.
Thus the chromatic tones between
the open or bugle tones are pro-
duced.
AS the positions on the from
bone are not set any more than
the stops on the violin, it is pos
sible for trombone player with
a good ear to humor the tones in
a way not possible with the valve
instruments. The time may come
when other sizes of the slide
trombone shall be used.
A true trumpet tone can be
made better with a slide trum-
pet than with a valve trumpet.
There is no advantage in the
use Of valves on a trumpet that
cannot be duplicated with a
slide. 1t is a mystery that is hard
to explain just why the tenor
slide trombone Is the only size
Of this noble instrument in con-
mon use.
The Trumpet
The trumpet, like the hunting
horn. was first used in the or
chestra without the benefit Of
modulating valves. Diverging
from the slide idea, attempts
were made to give the trumpet
or bugle a chromatic scale by
holes cut in the wall Of the
tubing which closed or opened
by keys in the same manner
as the holes in the woodwind
instruments.
These holes however, destroy.
ed the trumpet tone. Hand
stopping was tried with little
success. With the development
OF fixed slides opened by valves,
the trumpet became a chromatic
instrument, and its use was ex.
tended to passages other than |
mere bugle calls.
The earlier trumpetS we're usu-
ally in a lower key than the
present trumpet in B-flat. Occa-
a trumpet in a higher
key was called for in some
scores Of Bach and Handel. Some
of these passages can be played |
only with the greatest of effort
on the B-flat trumpet, as they are
so high.
Because the trumpet was given
passages that included mostly
bugle tones when the instru-
ment was in a crude form by
such masters as Beethoven. it
has remained in a traditional
manner in the same position in
most scores of modern times.
The trumpet might we'll be used
more as a solo instrument in the
symphony orchestra. Indeed it
has been discovered" and used
in this manner by many Of the
modern composers whose works
as yet lack the standing that age
alone can give.
The range Of the trumpet Is ap'
the same as that Of
the tenor trombone except that 1t
S an octave higher in pitch and
has one-half the length Of tubing.
Often Confused
The cornet and trumpet are
confused as they look
so much alike. The cornet be-
ongs to the taper-bore division
Of the brasses. which include the
Alto, mellophone, French horn,
baritone, and tuba. The bore of
he trumpet is larger than that
If the cornet and remains the
same diameter for two-thirds the
ength Of the instrument and the
third is taper bore cul-
in the bell.
The trumpet bore produces a
pure trumpet tone, which Is a
characteristic of the trumpet and
Ill the slide trombones. The
;aper bore introduces more over
;ones, which some describe as
'Weeter and heavier.
The trumpet is used exclusively
n the symphony orchestra and
S now usually in the majority in
he concert band. Comets may
De used for florid solos, but the
cad parts in the band are gene
ally entrusted to the trumpet
whose tone carries better.
Some day in the future, a full
set of slide trumpets and from
ZONES may come into use along
With the valve conical-bore horns.
This complete double-brass family
would give richness and tone
'oloration never before heard in
modern times.