During the 15th-Century
During the 20th Century
During the 18th-Century
- The first reliable visual depiction of the sackbutt appears in a 1490's Italian Church painting.
- Soldier-courtier-poet Olivier de la Marche's "Mèmoires" from 1488 contained an earlier written reference to an instrument referred to as the 'trompette-saicqueboute' which was used by one of the haut-menestrels in a motet played at the wedding of the Duke of Burgundy with Margaret of York at Bruges in 1468.
- Bells on the earliest trombones featured a rimless funnel about 5" (13 cm) in diameter.
- Comparable to the modern (tenor) trombone; variations in the type of trombone would appear by the early 17th-Century.
- Trombones were added to the orchestra during the 18th-Century, though their main performances still served as vocal support for sacred music, a tradition that continues until the mid 19th-Century.
- Examples of this can be found in Fanny Mendelsson-Hensel’s 'Oratorio'.
- Circa 1780: The trombone began to appear as a part in operas in order to achieve dramatic effects for certain scenes. At this time the instrument had strong associations of the ecclesiastical of the supernatural.
- Examples of this can be found in Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' and 'Die Zauberflöte'.
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History of the Trombone
- In 1959, Hans Kunitz designed and Alexander of Mainz made a new contrabass. It is called the 'Cimbasso' (after the parts named in Verdi's operas).
- It is pitched in F and has two attachments: a valve operated by the thumb that lowers the instrument to C, and a valve that is operated by the tight middle finger that lowers it to D. Both valves together lower the pitch to Bb.
- The end of the 19th-Century and the start of the 20th-Century brought the creation of jazz music for trombones, in New Orleans, USA.
- The various types of jazz were:
- New Orleans jazz (1870's - 1920's).
- Ragtime (1890's - 1930's).
- The "Jazz Era" (1910's-1930's).
- Big Band/Swing Era (1930's - 1940's).
- Be Bop Era (1940's - 1950's).
- Avant Guard Era (late 1950's).
- Free Jazz (late 1950's).
- Fusion Music (1960's - 1970's).
FIN
- Often came with a variety of crooks to lower pitch a tone or more, or drop the range of the sackbutt into its next register
- By 1420, the sackbutt becomes recognized as a universal instrument.
- 1540 brought the first version of the alto trombone in Eb. It has a bigger bell to get a louder and better sound.
Foundational Brass (MUSC 4951-A)
Presentation by: Laura Iannantuono
During the 19th-Century
A Trombone Timeline!
More Fun Facts!
In the beginning...
Before the 15th-Century
- The Bb Contrabass trombone was invented. This trombone featured a double tubed slide, making it different from other trombones. It became internationally famous and musicians in America, France and England started to use the contrabass in operas and orchestras.
- Much before any brass instruments were created, horns were used.
- They were very popular, and each horn had a variety of uses.
- Such horns were made out of an animal's antlers such as oxen, and deer; however, some horns were made out of wood - and, eventually, metal.
During the 18th-Century
During the 15th-Century
- Left-handed trombone players must learn to play with their right hand being dominant because of its design. Some of the most famous trombone players were left-handed!
- Eric McGavin invented a one-handed trombone that featured a double slide.
- In 2012, 360 trombone players played 76 trombones around Washington's national baseball field, making it the largest trombone ensemble.
- The cartoon characters Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) and Peter Griffin (Family Guy) play the trombone.
- Jean Chretien, Canada's former Prime Minister, plays the trombone.
- Sigmund Freud said that the trombone made him uncomfortable and Mark Twain was not a fan of the instrument either, referring to it as 'unholy trombone', and referring to the music it produces as 'wretched music' with 'discordant sounds'.
- By now (Eb) alto, (Bb) tenor, and (F) bass trombones were all fully in use.
- Many 17th- and 18th-century Nuremberg bass trombones incorporate a small slide in the bell joint. These have barely been used during play, but it enabled the performer to play lower, quickly with less instability that insertion of a crook brings to a large instrument.
- Sackbuts are now more frequently known as the Trombone.
- By the mid-19th Century, the trombone's bell grew wider, as a larger & louder sound was desired for band performances, and to help increase volume in orchestras that were also increasing in size.
- Berlioz and Wagner relied heavily on trombones for bigger volume, and a far greater range of emotion to express might, heroism, barbarism, and religious fervor.
- Influenced Richard Strauss: “Never look at the trombones. It only encourages them".
- Originally given the name "Sackbutt"/"Sacbut" (which means 'a pump' in Spanish), the first trombone was made circa 1450.
- While the original inventor of the instrument is unknown, it is speculated that those who created the trombone were Flemish. Some think that the trombone was made first in Germany, Northern Italy, or even Southern France.
- Earliest examples of the instrument date a century later (in 1550), specific references to musicians & instruments, and surviving artwork prove the sackbutt's existence circa 1450.
During the 16th-17th Centuries
During the 19th-20th Centuries
During the 20th Century
General Information
- The role of the trombone in band and classical settings had settled by the end of the 19th-Century. It became regular practice in German orchestras for the 2nd/3rd players to use Bb/F trombones, while the first used the Bb instrument .
- Newly introduced rotary keys and pistons in the early 19th-Century brought trombones that could trill, change register, and transpose.
- In the 1870's, Adolphe Sax and other instrument builders created a six-valve trombone. The six valves were manipulated by both hands, and corresponded to the six slide positions.
- The example below is a Van Englen 6-valve trombone, from 1893.
- In the 1950's, the 'trombonium' was created by King (H.N. White, Co.). This is not exactly a trombone, but it similar enough in profile to sound like a valve trombone.
- The F bass trombone formerly used in German and central European bands barely survived into the 20th century.
- The G bass trombone (in Britain), pitched a minor 3rd below the Bb instrument, and was used in every orchestra and band from about 1815 up to the 1950s and still appears in some brass bands today.
& Fun Facts!
- A 'smaller' trombone was introduced, which produced a higher octave than the original sackbutt due to its size.
- It was fairly unpopular due to its high level of playing difficulty, and never made it past early stages because of this difficulty.
- The trombone became a regular member of town and court bands.
- Used with cornets, to support voices, and in mixed ensembles consisting of violin, bass viol, flute, cornets, two trombones, lute, and virginal.
- It is rarely possible to find 16th-Century compositions that have specified trombone section, despite them participating constantly.
During the 21st Century
- The word 'trombone' comes from the Italian word 'tromba' mearning 'trumpet', and 'one' which means 'big'. Together they formed the word 'trombone' which means 'big trumpet'.
- There is an assortment of trombone types including bass, tenor, contrabass, soprano, treble-cleff, and alto trombone.
- The first composer to ever create a symphony trombone part was Beethoven, who wrote it in his famous "Fifth Symphony".
- Trombones are adaptable instruments and are commonly found in different ensembles including jazz bands, marching bands, and orchestras. They can also be found in brass choirs, brass bands, military bands, swing music, salsa music, R&B music, and meringue music.
- When the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons speaks, her voice is the sound of a trombone.
- Today, large tenor trombones and many other trombones are used across the world in various bands, operas, and orchestras.
- Smaller trombones are rarely seen in pieces now, as they are both difficult to play, and similar sounds can be achieved with a trumpet.
- The valve trombone is only found in jazz today because it is used as a very important solo instrument.
- Structural changes during the 16th and 17th centuries included enlargement of the bell and alterations to the stays.