What does a trombone musical instrument look like? Brass (Brass). Components of a trombone

(Italian— trombone, French— trombone, German— Posaune, English— trombone)

The trombone's distant predecessor is considered to be the large curved trumpet of the ancient Romans - the buccina, which was used in military life. Its immediate predecessors were European low (bass) trumpets.

As a result of improvement, they gradually took on a curved shape, and in the 15th century. On their basis, the rocker pipe (zugtrompete) was invented. The backdrop for this instrument was a mouthpiece sleeve extended to 25 cm, along which the entire instrument moved. Moving the instrument along the wings created insurmountable difficulties for the performer - the functioning of the labial apparatus was disrupted. Therefore, soon the craftsmen created a double slide instead of a single one, along which the lower knee of the instrument began to move along its barrel.

Thus, at the beginning of the 16th century. The first chromatic brass instrument, the trombone, appeared. M. Pretorius in the “Code of Musical Science” (“Syntagma musicum”, part II, 1618) indicates four types of trombone: alto or treble - for the upper register with a volume from B major to D (mi) of the second octave, simple or straight with volume from mi (d, do) large to a (si) first, quart with a volume from G counter octave to do (D - G) first, octave with volume from E (do - D) counter octave to A small (see small - to the first).

At the beginning of the 18th century. trombones were used in church or tower music and on rare occasions in orchestras. At that time, there were also four types of trombone: small alto or soprano in B-flat tuning, large alto in E-flat and F tuning, tenor in B-flat tuning, bass in F and E-flat tuning. At the beginning of the 19th century. In Germany, a contrabass trombone was designed, tuned an octave lower than the tenor one. R. Wagner used this instrument in the tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung”, but later the contrabass trombone was not used. With the invention of the valve mechanism, valve trombones appeared. They began to be often used in military bands. Currently, valve trombones are very rare.

By the middle of the 19th century. Of all the varieties of the instrument, only the tenor and tenor-bass trombone remained. True, some composers continued to write alto and bass trombone parts in the scores of their works, but in the orchestra the alto trombone parts were performed on the tenor, and the bass trombone parts on the tenor-bass trombone.

Tenor trombone. Its design has remained almost unchanged to this day, only the bell has expanded. The modern trombone is an instrument with a tube twice as long as a trumpet. It consists of three parts: two parallel tubes, which are called rods, a movable tube - a slide, which is inserted into the rods, and a bell. The trombone is a non-transposing instrument; its parts are written in bass and tenor clefs. As a rule, the parts of the third trombone (bass trombone) are written in the bass clef.

The chromatic scale is reproduced by sequentially extending the scenes. The position when the slide fits tightly to the mouthpiece part of the instrument is called the I position. In this position, it is possible to extract sounds of the natural scale from the second to the tenth (from B-flat major to D of the second octave). II, III, IV, V, VI and VII positions successively lower the natural scale chromatically by three tones. The slide is driven by the right hand, the left one supports the instrument. Thus, the principle of lowering a natural scale using a backstage mechanism is similar to the principle of lowering it using a valve mechanism. Complete chromatic trombone scale (see example 93). In positions I, II, III and IV you can get basic tones 17 (see example 94). These sounds are called pedal sounds. They are extracted in the nuances p and pp and used as seasoned ones. The sounds from E-flat major to B counter-octave cannot be played on a tenor trombone; this section of the scale is usually called the “dead zone”. Characteristics of trombone registers (see example 95). The timbre of the trombone differs sharply from other brass instruments. This is facilitated by its tube, which does not have crowns and curls, which are inevitable with a valve mechanism. The technique of playing the trombone is determined by the rocker mechanism. Compared to valve instruments, a quick and clear change of sounds on the trombone is difficult. However, with the help of a rocker mechanism, precise intonation is achieved, which distinguishes the trombone from other instruments. The lack of fluent finger technique on the trombone is compensated by the possibility of using a glissando, which can be performed at any tempo and with any nuance. Various passages based on natural sounds are easy to perform even at a fast pace. Legato on the trombone works best on the sounds of one or adjacent positions. Single and double attacks are possible. On the eighth and ninth overtones of each position, labial trills are possible. Often when playing the trombone, a mute is used; sometimes for the purpose of weakening the sound. In the ff nuance it gives the instrument a characteristic crackling sound.

Varieties of trombone.

Tenor-bass-trombone differs from the tenor in the presence of an additional crown with a quarter valve, which lowers the entire trombone scale by a perfect fourth.

As a result of the inclusion of an additional crown, the trombone significantly increases in length, due to this, instead of seven positions of the tenor trombone, when the quarter valve is turned on, only six can be obtained. Using these six positions the following scale can be played (see example 96). But basically the quartile is used to extract the lowest sounds of the second overtone: E-flat, D, D-flat and up to the major octave. In this way, the “dead zone” is filled, except for the B sound of the counteroctave, which is not produced at all on the trombone. The quart valve is also used for glissando. In addition, it is often used in technically complex formations, when sounds are produced using positions distant from each other.

Trumpet and trombone

The most paradoxical thing is that brass players understand nothing about strings, woodwind players understand nothing about brass instruments, all of them understand nothing about drums, and the conductor believes only in his own illusions.

A randomly heard phrase

The darkest company for me are trumpeters and trombonists. Although, it would seem, here they are, sitting next to each other. And you can hear them well. But when you find out, for example, that a trumpeter cannot play after eating herring, it becomes clear how much you do not understand them. Of course, the trumpeter will patiently explain to you that salty and - more individually - spicy, astringent like persimmon and something else, that small vibration of the lips that creates sound disappears. I can certainly imagine, even from my own experience, the whole complex of sensations after anesthesia at the dentist and its consequences for the performer... But these features... And from the facial expression it is clear that they are not flirting. Not at all.

It's a pity to look at these unfortunate people. Their faces are distorted as if by a spasm in terrible tension, and blood is about to pour out of their lips. And many of these unfortunate people end up with severe consumption.

Francois Joseph Garnier (1759-1825).

This, by the way, is what the oboist writes about trumpet players

The modern ones seem to look better. But you still look at them with some apprehension and sympathy. Because in any work they are always at the forefront. This is how it happened historically. Since biblical times. Of course, near Jericho the trumpet was structurally different, but in the images of the Archangel Gabriel with the trumpet that will blow on the Day of Judgment, it is quite recognizable even without the valve mechanism, which appeared much later than most images in Gothic temples.

It is impossible for a trumpeter to hide in the orchestral mass, although one is often amazed when one hears the quiet, warm and soft sound of a trumpet, and even in the middle of a chord.

And yet you can’t argue against nature: the trumpet has a reputation as a solo and festive instrument, perhaps since the time of Monteverdi (in fact, from earlier times, but if we talk about the orchestra, then it’s probably fair to assume that it comes from somewhere there) ).

The trumpet is perhaps one of those few orchestral instruments that have a fairly clear and unambiguous set of symbolism associated with it. Suffice it to recall the March from “Aida” by G. Verdi or “Posma of Ecstasy” by Scriabin.

And every time the trumpeter plays a solo, be it “An American in Paris” by Gershwin or “Neapolitan Dance” from “Swan” (so what, what is written for the cornet - the same people play), you look at him with admiration. And when two trumpets play solo octaves, which is often the case with them - from Verdi to Tchaikovsky - you get a feeling of something absolutely unattainable.

Actually, the trumpet, like “iron,” fits into the general range of brass instruments: the same acoustic features and the same struggle of musical masters so that the entire chromatic scale can be performed on the trumpet. But all the fanfares and signals that we associate with the image of a trumpet have their origin there, in the natural trumpets that were played by signalmen in the army, at knightly tournaments and city towers.

Brief hysterical retreat

And let them know! All of these players play trumpets, horns, trombones and tubas. Let them know that it is impossible to enter into all this from the outside. And understand too. And they are unable to explain. Although they tried more than once. I take all the blame on myself.

Because in addition to the basic instruments listed above, there is a whole company of saxhorns that live in brass bands: alto, tenor, baritone and a very similar euphonium, on which, by the way, without as much pain as usual, they perform tuba solos from “Pictures at an Exhibition” Mussorgsky - Ravel. There is also a sousaphone - a bass instrument that resembles a pipe from a giant gramophone worn by a musician. It was invented by the same John Philip Sousa, who is also famous for his “Stars and Stripes Forever” march. And in nature there are such instruments as the flugelhorn, similar to a trumpet, but sounding somewhat softer; the fanfare is a natural instrument used exactly as the name suggests (by the way, one version of the fanfare was modernized specifically for the premiere of Aida in 1871 ), helicon, which hangs on the musician’s shoulder. In addition, we have to take into account such extinct products as the ophicleide - a terrible device that in Berlioz's time was supplanted by the tuba, but the parts written for it naturally still exist in the immortal works of the classics. (Including, by the way, in Verdi’s Requiem, and this is almost our day: 1874.) And there are also a number of Richard Wagner’s fantasies embodied in the score and metal, such as, for example, the family of Wagner’s tubes (that’s exactly how they called) or the double bass trombone from the Ring of the Nibelung. I haven’t yet mentioned that each of the instruments has a bunch of modifications in different tunings (or did I mention it?.. but it won’t take long to go crazy here). And when they told me about the soprano trombone, I was completely sad, because I was finished off by the fact that trumpeters play it, because, you see, the mouthpiece is closer in size to them. Completely crazy, I asked: “What about the backstage? They’re used to the valves!” To which he received a phlegmatic answer: “Well, they must have hearing...”

Now, I believe you have already guessed that trombonists play the bass trumpet. An absolutely logical decision, isn't it?

D'Artagnan felt himself growing dull; It seemed to him that he was in a mental hospital, and that now he, too, would go crazy, just as those who were in front of him had already gone crazy. But he was forced to remain silent, since he did not understand at all what was being said.

A. Dumas. Three Musketeers

P.S. Can I not talk about mutes?..

author Gagarin Valentin Alekseevich

Pipe matter! Yura brought this trumpet from school. It was old and unsightly: there was a dent on one side, a patch on the other, the mouthpiece was peeling to the point of impossibility. While my brother was taking off his coat and changing clothes, he exchanged black, neatly ironed trousers for old, short ones

From the book Raisins from a Bread author Shenderovich Viktor Anatolievich

Trumpet A separate page in the future saga of the “zooletiya” of St. Petersburg is the history of the restoration of the aforementioned Konstantinovsky Palace with its transformation, of course, into the residence of the president: We will not talk about the estimate, so as not to upset state employees. It's about something else.

From the book The Privilege of the Landing author Osipenko Vladimir Vasilievich

Drainpipe If drainpipes disappear in a city in the middle of winter, it means that the military is preparing for a field exit. Folk sign The winters of the late seventies in Lithuania were characterized by Siberian frosts and heavy snowfalls. For the fourth hour we compete with the wind to see who is faster:

From the book Winter in the Land of Tender May author Razin Andrey

Pipe in Nadym My most vivid childhood memory is the congress of the entire Svetlograd orphanage to write a letter to Alla Borisovna Pugacheva. Usually in the orphanage they were not interested in such trifles, and all the fun revolved around playing war. True, from ordinary

From the book Tank Destroyers author Zyuskin Vladimir Konstantinovich

There is a pipe in sight. The enemy, knocked out of Kharkov, retreated to the west reluctantly. If it rolls back a few kilometers, it will gain a foothold. And he will fence himself off with a wall of fire. At the next such stage, battalion commander Khalturin left in the ranks of the advancing infantry (he often did this to adjust the fire

From the book Hohmo sapiens. Notes of a drinking provincial author Glazer Vladimir

BUSINESS - PIPE The cold summer of 1968 came inexorably after the sunny “Prague Spring”. Our family rented an abandoned dacha cheaply, or rather, for free, from our neighbors in the communal apartment of Gali-Valera Osokin-Lomovtsev. This is not one surname, but two, inextricably linked

From the book Prison and Freedom author Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Pipe to China In February 1999, Khodorkovsky and his team arrived at the Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located in Novosibirsk. He is believed to have been the first of the Russian oil majors to start

From the book Trumpeters Sound the Alarm author Dubinsky Ilya Vladimirovich

The Miracle Trumpet of Afinus Skavridi Ahead, the huge Stetkovtsy stood as a heavy barrier - the sixth line of defense of Palia. Our forces were running out, but the situation was even worse for the bandits. Expecting well-deserved retribution, they fought back with particular tenacity, using

From the book Steel Coffins of the Reich author Kurushin Mikhail Yurievich

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From the book The Wright Brothers author Charnley Mitchell

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From the book Guide to the Orchestra and Its Backyard author Zisman Vladimir Alexandrovich

Trombone The trombone is the only orchestral wind instrument that was mechanically perfect before the advent of organized orchestras. A. Kars. History of Orchestration So, where should we start: with trombones or with trombonists? Because both are enough

From the book Tsiolkovsky author Vorobiev Boris Nikitovich

CHAPTER IX THE FIRST WIND TUNNEL IN RUSSIA The study of air resistance now began to occupy all of Tsiolkovsky's attention. He was deeply convinced that an accurate, scientific explanation of this issue would finally prove the rights of citizenship of airships as aircraft

From the book Stubborn Classic. Collected Poems (1889–1934) author Shestakov Dmitry Petrovich

From the author's book

XXVI. Trumpet In your poems there is not only singing: There is a call in them, there is a struggle in them, And the irresistible trumpet calls out the will to battle. For everything that the heart is sorry to part with, With which all the sacred things have merged for us, - You fight, you don’t want to give up, Like we, weak-willed, gave up. January 30

It differs from other brass instruments by the presence of a backstage - a special movable U-shaped tube, with the help of which the musician changes the volume of air enclosed in the instrument, thus achieving the ability to perform sounds of a chromatic scale (on the trumpet, horn and tuba, valves serve this purpose). As with other brass instruments, the basic principle of playing the trombone is to obtain harmonic consonances by changing the position of the lips and changing the length of the air column in the instrument, achieved with the help of a slide. When playing, the slide is pulled out with the right hand, while the left hand supports the instrument. There are seven positions on the trombone (scene positions), each of which lowers the tuning of the instrument by a semitone.

Trombone range - from G 1 before f² skipping sounds between B 1 And E(B-flat counter octave - E major octave). This interval (except for the note H 1, that is, B counter octave) is filled in if there is a quarter valve. The trombone is a non-transposing instrument, so its parts are always recorded in accordance with the actual sound.

The trombone has a bright, brilliant timbre in the middle and upper registers, and a gloomy one in the lower register.

The trombone is a varied and technically flexible instrument. On the trombone it is possible to use a mute, a special effect - glissando - is achieved by sliding the slide.

One of the best trombonists of our time, Christian Lindberg, performs two pieces from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev: "Dance of the Knights" and " Juliet is a girl"

The appearance of the trombone dates back to the 15th century. During its existence, the trombone has undergone virtually no radical changes in its design. It is generally accepted that the immediate predecessors of this instrument were rocker trumpets, when playing which the musician had the opportunity to move the instrument tube, thus obtaining a chromatic scale. Such trumpets were made to double the voices of a church choir, given the similarity of the timbre of the trumpet to the human voice. It was only necessary to make the intonation similar, for which they made a wing that gave chromaticism and vibrato.

The first instruments, which were essentially trombones, were called sakbuts (from the French saquer - to pull towards oneself, bouter - to push away from oneself). They were smaller than modern instruments in size and had several varieties according to the registers of singing voices, which were doubled and whose timbre was imitated: soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

Sakbuts, thanks to their chromatic scale, immediately became permanent members of orchestras.

Small improvements in sakbuts led to the appearance in the 17th century of practically modern instruments, to which the Italian word trombone had already begun to be applied at that time.

By the middle of the 18th century, the main area of ​​use of trombones was church music: most often these instruments were entrusted with doubling singing voices. The trombone became a permanent member of the orchestra only at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries. As a rule, the orchestra consisted of three trombones: alto, tenor and bass (since the soprano trombone with its small wing was difficult to play cleanly). At the same time, the trombone suddenly changed its role. From playing in the high registers, where his solemn timbre merged with the brilliant timbre of church singers, he moved into a gloomy low register, leaving the upper tessitura to the trumpets and horns. During the Romantic era, composers paid attention to the expressive capabilities of the trombone. Berlioz wrote that this instrument has a noble and majestic sound, and entrusted him with a large solo in the second movement of the Funeral and Triumphal Symphony.

In the 20th century, thanks to the development of the performing school and the improvement of instrument production technologies, the trombone became a very popular instrument. Composers create numerous concert literature for it; the trombone occupies a significant place in jazz and related genres. Since the late 1980s, there has been a revival of interest in antique trombones (sacbuts) and obsolete trombone varieties.

The instrument exists in several varieties, forming a family. Nowadays, the main representative of the family, the tenor trombone, is mainly used. As a rule, the word “trombone” means this particular variety, so the word “tenor” is often omitted. Alto and bass trombones are used less frequently, while soprano and double bass trombones are almost never used. Typical for the orchestra is a trio of trombones with tuba (2 tenors + 1 tenorbass) and a quartet of trombones with double bass trombone (the tuba is freed up for bass playing for horns and Wagnerian tubas).

In performance Christian Lindberg and Hakan Hardenberger (trumpet)listen to "Aria with a Flower" from Bizet's opera "Carmen"

(Italian - Trombone, French - Trombone,
German - Posaune, English - Trombone,)

Trombone is a wind instrument made of copper, capable of reproducing the sounds of the bass-tenor register.
The trombone was invented in the 15th century. The prototype of this musical instrument is considered to be rocker pipes, when played on which, like the trombone, the sound varies by moving the pipe.

Trombone Range and Registers

Orchestral range – from mi major octave C la first octave.

The name "trombone" literally translates from Italian as "big trumpet". The technique of playing the trombone is not fundamentally different from the technique of extracting sounds from other wind instruments. This process is based on changing the position of the performer’s lips and the length of the air column in the trombone, due to the movement of the backstage.

Natural scale with a retracted slide (I POSITION):

Seven different slide positions, coupled with a specific valve combination for each of them, allow you to lower or raise the pitch of the trombone by a semitone. It should be noted that the structure of the trombone remains virtually unchanged, starting from the very first instruments of this type - sakbuts, and ending with modern trombones. The main difference between them is that sakbuts were smaller instruments. There are several other differences between the trombone and the sakbut, but they are so insignificant that they are not worth mentioning, since already in the 17th century they were eliminated and the trombone began to look almost the same as it does today.

Pictured is Sakbut As you can see, it is not very different from a trombone.
Some attempts have been made to improve the structure of the trombone. In the 19th century, it was proposed to install additional valves on the trombone, but this innovation did not take root, as it significantly worsened the sound of the instrument. Only the invention of Christan Zatler - the quatervalve - became part of the trombone. Thanks to the quatervent, it became possible to reproduce sounds a fourth lower, which was not possible before due to some design features of the instrument. Trombones equipped with a quatervent combine the qualities of a bass and tenor instrument. They are called “tenor-bass-trombone”.

Today there are several types of trombones:
Tenor, Soprano, Double Bass, Bass and Alto. The most common is the tenor trombone, while the soprano and double bass are almost never used. Most often, the trombone is part of a symphony or brass band. In the first case, three trombones are used at once, two of which are tenor and one bass. Jazz bands or Ska-punk performers also actively use this musical instrument in their compositions. The trombone became quite widespread in the 19th century, not only as part of an orchestra, but also as a separate instrument for which solo parts were created. Many of these works have become true music classics. Trombone on Wikimedia Commons

In 2009, the Leipzig music master Christan Zatler invented the quarter valve, which made it possible to lower the sounds of the trombone by a fourth, which made it possible to extract sounds from the so-called “dead zone” (a section of the scale that is inaccessible due to the design features of the trombone). Attempts were made to adapt a system of valves to the trombone similar to the mechanism of the trumpet and horn, but this innovation did not become widespread due to the fact that such instruments, although they gained in technical flexibility, significantly lost in sound (their timbre approached the hard and gloomy timbre of the bass trumpet ).

In the second half of the 19th century, powerful manufactories for the production of instruments were formed in comparison with the past - Bach, Holton, Conn, King - in the USA, Heckel, Zimmerman, Besson, Courtois - in Europe. Some types of trombone are going out of practice, for example, alto and double bass.

In the 20th century, thanks to the development of the performing school and the improvement of instrument production technologies, the trombone became a very popular instrument. Composers create numerous concert literature for it; the trombone occupies a significant place in jazz and related genres. Since the late 1980s, there has been a revival of interest in antique trombones (sacbuts) and obsolete trombone varieties. However, in symphony orchestras only three new varieties are used: Tenor trombone (the first can be written in the alto key, then the trombonist uses a smaller mouthpiece for high notes, such a pseudo-alto trombone is typical for the first part of jazz orchestras). TenorBass trombone with quarter-valve (replaces the obsolete bass trombone, but does not have the B counter-octave sound). And Tenor Contrabass trombone with a double-action quartile, replacing the contrabass trombone introduced by Wagner, but out of use, and having its entire scale from E-F counter-octave. The timbres of bass and especially double bass trombones are more severe than those of tenor trombones, but trios and quartets (especially quintets) of trombones sound together (unlike trumpets, each type of which is sharply individual, especially alto and bass trumpets). Typical for the orchestra is a trio of trombones with tuba (2 tenors + 1 tenorbass) and a quartet of trombones with double bass trombone (the tuba is freed up for bass playing for horns and Wagnerian tubas).

Trombone structure

1. crown of the general order tuning slide)
2. mouthpiece (English) mouthpiece)
3. bell (English) bell)
4. liquid drain valve water key)
5. backstage (English) main slide)
6. second backstage stand second slide brace)
7. first backstage stand first slide brace)
8. O-ring of the rocker slide lock ring)

Trombone playing technique

The principle of sound production

As with other brass instruments, the basic principle of playing the trombone is to obtain harmonic consonances by changing the position of the lips and changing the length of the air column in the instrument, achieved with the help of a slide.

When playing, the slide is pulled out with the right hand, while the left hand supports the instrument.

On the trombone there are seven positions(scene positions), each of which lowers the pitch of the instrument by a semitone. Each position corresponds to a specific combination of valves on valve instruments (including valve trombone). In the first position the slide is not extended, in the seventh it is extended to the maximum possible distance. The table shows correspondences between trombone positions and the use of valves on other brass instruments. Base tone- the sound resulting from the vibration of a full column of air in the instrument. On the trombone, the fundamental tone can only be achieved in the first three or four positions. It is called pedal sound and it doesn't sound loud.

Using a quarter valve

Some trombones have an additional crown that lowers the entire trombone scale down a fourth. This crown is activated by a special lever, the so-called quarter valve, which is pressed by tensioning a special chain attached to the thumb of the left hand. The quarter trombone is essentially a combination of tenor and bass instruments and is sometimes called tenor-bass-trombone.

When the quarter valve is turned on, the trombone only provides six positions, since extending the slide to each subsequent position requires more space due to the increase in the length of the trombone tube.

Glissando

Glissando is a technique in which the backstage moves smoothly from one position to another, without the musician interrupting the sound. Used for special sound effects.

Outstanding trombonists

Notes

Bibliography

• Sumerkin V.V. Trombone. - M.: Music, 1975

Links

• Brassmusic. Ru - Site for musicians and about musicians, brass players.

Symphony orchestra instruments
Main cast
Woodwinds	Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon
Brass	Horn Trumpet Trombone Tuba
Drums	Timpani Triangle Snare drum Cymbals Bass drum
Plucked strings	Harp
Bowed strings	Violin Viola Cello Double bass
Expanded roster
Woodwinds	Piccolo flute Alto flute Cor anglais Small clarinet Bass clarinet Contrabassoon Saxophone
Brass	Trumpet piccolo Cornet Flugelhorn Euphonium
Drums	Tambourine Castanets Tam-tam Bells Handbells Xylophone Vibraphone Marimba Flexaton Clapperboard Ratchet Wooden box Temple block
Keyboards	Piano Organ Harpsichord Celesta

Wind musical instruments
Wooden
Copper
Keyboards
Details

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