"Brass Tubes” - The Trombone

The trombone is fashioned from a tube of around three metres in length bent into an S-shape with bridges connecting the parallel sections. At one end is the funnel-shaped mouthpiece, while the other opens into a strongly flared bell. The bent, U-shaped section can be extended to modify the length of the tube and thereby continuously change the pitch of the instrument. The trombone developed from slide trumpets, which worked according to the same principle, almost 500 years ago. It has appeared in many different genres through the centuries, from church music, opera and symphonic works to jazz, where its smooth, often regal and celebratory sound and versatile nature make it a staple.