Trombone Info

Trombones are a member of the brass family of musical instruments, and are incredibly important to the overall sound of any band. The name of the instrument is based on the Italian language. Tromba means trumpet, and one means large in Italian, so essentially, the trombone was once called a large trumpet, but this was not the original name of the trombone.

- The History of Trombones -

It is believed that trombones were originally called Sackbuts or Saxbutts. It was first developed as a variation of a trumpet for producing sounds that were similar to a trumpet, but with a different musical connotation. Some believe that the trombone has been mentioned in the Bible, but this is not true.

The first evidence that exists for the trombone is in paintings from the 15th century, where a slide was essentially added to a trumpet to produce different sound pitches. As time progressed, and music became more complex, the trombone's design continued to change. Primarily, these changes were confined to widening of the bell of the instrument, although some changes were also made to the curvature of the instrument as well.

Nobody really knows who invented the trombone, but it is widely believed that it was originally crafted by a group of Flemish musicians. Today, the oldest known trombone in existence is displayed in Nuremberg, Germany. This trombone was created by Erasmus Schnitzer in 1551.

- The Trombones Arrival on the Music Scene -

Although trombones were played prior to the 18th century, it was not until this time period that parts for trombones were added to musical scores. The instrument was primarily played in churches, as opposed to orchestras, and many of these scores were written by Mozart in the 19th century. Beethoven also included parts for trombones, including a trombone part in his famous Fifth Symphony.

By the close of the 19th century, trombones had made their way to the music scene in New Orleans, Louisiana, and had an important role in jazz music. A great jazz musician by the name of Tommy Dorsey was the first to perform a trombone solo, bringing greater recognition to the importance and power of this instrument in all types of music.

- How Trombones are Made -

Trombones are most commonly made from brass, but they can also be constructed of other metals, such as silver and gold. Some are even made out of plastic, glass, or wood.

The instrument is created using thin sheets of the chosen material, such as brass. The thin sheeting is wrapped around steel rods, and then the material is lightly hammered into shape. Notches are made on one open side of the sheet and then hammered down across the other side of the sheet to hold the section together. A torch is then used to essentially melt the seam closed. Hammer marks are cleaned up with rollers while the base of the instrument is on a bell shaped rod. This entire process creates the bell stem.

The bell of the instrument starts with a flat disk of brass, which is then spun and shaped into a flare. Once the flare is complete, it is joined to the bell stem using a torch. The tubing of the instrument is made in much the same way that the bell stem is made. Once they are constructed, however, they are filled with water and frozen.

Using U-shaped blocks, the frozen tubing is bent into shape. The ice inside of the tubing keeps the tubing from losing its shape. After the ice has melted, metal balls are pressed through the tubing to ensure that it is the proper size. Finally, all of the pieces of tubing are put together with a torch, and the bell and bell stem are attached to the tubing pieces to create a trombone.