The Washington times., 1935-12-07

This is mentioned to emphasize
the fact that the slide trombone
was the first instrument, of the
symphony orchestra that was de-
Veloped in practically the same
form in which it appears today.
BY the end of the fourteenth
century the trombone with a
doubled slide was in use with suf-
ficient length to give a complete
chromatic scale. BY the middle
of the sixteenth century, the slide
trombone in several different
sizes, was the backbone Of the
famous German town bands. 1t
also was used freely in church
music.
Henry VIII of England had 10
slide trombone players in his
court orchestra. However, toward
the end of the eighteenth century,
interest in the slide trombone fell
low, probably as the result Of the
Improvements m ade on the
French horn.
Gluck and Mozart scored for
the slide trombone in some Of
their operas and Beethoven intro
duced the slide trombone in his
Fifth Symphony"
Various Sizes
The slide trombone was made
In a number of sizes, including a
soprano, alto, tenor, bass and con-
ira bass. The contra bass from
bone required such a length Of
tubing and movement of the slide
that it was built with a slide of
four moving tubes with four bear
ing surfaces.
The bass trombone in G or F
necessitated such long move
ment that a handle was placed
on the slide to reach the lower
positions.
While the beginnings Of the
brass family are to be found in
the natural horns of animals
which are invariably of a conical
bore, the need for rapid change
of pitch gave rise to the idea OF
o freely moving slide.
In order to make a moving slide
alright it is necessary that the
tubing of the slide be made with
q straight bore. Thus it was that
the slide trombone, because OF its
extreme simplicity, was the first
instrument to be developed in its
present form.
The straight bore of the tubing
gives a different tonal quality
than the conical tubing of the
horns. The tubing of all trombone
and trumpet type instruments is
approximately straight bore for
two-thirdS of the length and taper
bore for the remaining one-third
which eliminates III the bell.
The slide trombone has the
accuracy and modulative power
of the string instruments and the
human voice. 1t is often men
toned as one of the three perfect
instruments-the violin, the hui
man voice, and the slide trom-
bone.
The tone is produced in the
same manner as is required for
the other cup-mouthpiece brass in
StrumentS. The lips act in eX
actIy the same manner as the
vocal chords in singing. 1t takes
the same air pressure and volume
of air to play given tone with
a given intensity as it would to
sing the same tone with the same
force.
In staging a comeback in the
last hundred years, the slide
trombone has not been handed
down in the different sizes prev
viously used. The B-flat tenor
slide trombone is the only instru-
ment in common use today. For
bass trombone, slide and valve
are added to lower the pitch to
the key Of F or G as shown in
the Illustration of the trombone
on the right end Of the picture.
An Imitation
Some manufacturers make what
they call a slide "cornet" in B.
flat, which is the same pitch as
the valve trumpet, but the use of
this instrument is limited to
vaudeville novelty performances.
This small instrument, by the
way, is not a "cornet," but should
be called a slide trumpet.
There is an imitation of the
trombone sometimes added to the
conical bore baritone of the band. |
This extra small bell often at
tracts attention; aside from this,
it has about as much use on a
baritone horn as mudguard on
o roller skate.
The tone does not pass through |
this small bell on the euphonium
unless a valve is depressed with
the left hand. When this valve is
released, the tone circulates
through the regular bell. Such an
appendage to the baritone or
euphonium is neither a trombone
nor a baritone; it is a hybrid |
which is added by manufacturers
that they may profit a little more
from the unwary.
The trombone is used in the
brass choir to play tenor or light |
bass parts; it sometimes doubles
with the string and woodwind |
basseS to give a brightness of |
tonal color, and is sometimes used |
In trumpeting phrases. 1t is a
beautiful solo instrument, ap-
preaching the human baritone
voice.