BRASS CLINIC
THE 'NOW TROMBONE
Tenor Trombone
The trombone has seven slide
positions. First position (slide
closed) produces a B\> funda-
mental and the B\) overtone series.
Second position produces A (fun-
damental and overtones); third
position, A\), etc. Combinations of
slide positions and overtones make
the chromatic scale of the trom-
bone.
Whereas
There have always been two
major disadvantages in playing the
tenor trombone:
1. Some position combinations
are very awkward to maneu-
ver.
2. The lowest register on the
trombone has a five-note gap
in the chromatic scale.
Therefore
The F Attachment trombone has
evolved. With an F Attachment
addition to the tenor trombone, the
player can press a lever (trigger)
with his left thumb and instantly
change the 1st position B\) funda-
mental into an F fundamental, one
fourth lower. The F Attachment
adds additional and immediate
length to the instrument.
With the thumb valve, 7th po-
sition E can be played in a slightly
flattened 2nd position, and by ex-
tending the slide further, the player
can now produce Eb, D. D(j, and C
thereby narrowing the chromatic
gap in the trombone's low register.
Note: there are only six positions
with the F attachment due to a
greater span between each posi-
tion. Most F Attachments have a
very long tuning slide which
(when extended) will tune in the
missing B in a flattened 7th posi-
tion. This now gives the trombone
Alan Raph plays trombone in the
studios of New York City. He is ac-
tive as a clinician, and has written a
method for the double valve bass
trombone which is published by Carl
Fischer Inc.
a complete chromatic scale in its
lowest register.
The F Attachment has elimi-
nated the two major disadvantages
of the tenor trombone. Position
combinations which were awkward
are now easily playable.
The low register chromatic scale
is complete.
Should the trombonist have a low
B to play, he retunes his F Attach-
ment by extending the long tuning
slide . . . plays the passage with
the low B, and at the first oppor-
tunity . . . returns the tuning slide
to its normal place in order to
gain back the use of 1st and 2nd
position (F and E) which have
been altered in the tuning slide
pull for low B. Since low B's occur
so infrequently in tenor trombone
parts, this special tuning process
becomes more academic than
every-day-practical.
Now
F Attachments have become
standard on tenor trombones. They
increase the instrument's capabili-
ties. Attachment-Jess trombones are
on the decline as the trigger be-
comes more and more common.
Bass Trombone
Most bass trombones today are
large bore trombones with F At-
tachments. Bass trombone music
generally focuses on the low trom-
bone register.
Whereas
Bass trombones must play many
low B's. Bass trombone players
usually must work extra hard and
are constantly tuning and retuning
their F attachments to meet the
demands of the music. Bass trom-
bone parts are continuing to be-
come more complex.
Therefore
Some 15 years ago, there ap-
peared a bass trombone with two
valves! The second valve to be
used in combination with the first
Rap|
(F) valve whenever a low B
needed. The second valve
up an additional length of tubin
and did away with the necessitv
of retuning the whole F Attach-'
ment to accommodate one note
low B. The double valve bass trom'*
bone makes life easier for the bass!
trombonist and offers him immedi-1
ate extentions of bass trombone"
technique through slide, valve, and
double valve position combina--
tions.
The early double-valves merely
lowered the pitch of the F Attach-S
ment enough to produce a lov«
B (slightly more than one half-
step). The set up of the double
valve can add any additional^
length to the F Attachment.
It has been found (through '
much trial and error) that the most *
workable tuning of the double :
valve is to produce a D in first,
position. This makes the present
bass trombone capable of product
ing three separate overtone series '
in 1st position (B\j F. and D)||
The combination possibilities arejj
enormous and have advanced bass •'
trombone technique considerably.^
The double valve bass trombone^
(with the D tuning of the seconjM
valve) is an instrument capable of:J
1. an extended low register (tol
the lowest B[> on the piano).
2. involved technical passages!
with no awkward position reaches, a
3. slide and valve combinations!
for completely new techniques.
Now
Bass trombones are large bore
double-valve trombones with great
potential.
a Guide to
ARRANGING
and SCORING
for the
MARCHING or PEP BAND
$5.00
"gftlfck D.
Order Direct
JOHNSON-WEST MUSIC SERVICE. INC.
5OO Danny Way, Seattle, Washington 9P