Posted by David Carter on January 28, 2004 at 09:36:54:
In Reply to: Why no C Trombones? posted by MP on January 28, 2004 at 08:00:16:
The slide for the tenor trombone is the longest slide that an average person can reach all the positions on. The trombone is about half a millenuim old, much older than vavles that have been added later. In a few past time periods the trombone was considered to be in A, but the instruments were about the same length as the B flat ones, only the pitch standard was changed.
The Bass trombone was in F or E flat (e or d when the tenor was in a) and the bass has already been shortend to B flat, with valves to add the pipe when needed.
Small bore tenors in B flat with no valves play quite well, and are very free blowing compared to valve trombones or bass trumpets of similar size. Given that tenor trombones are expected to play to the low E, and that Glissandi and other techinical passages in well known solos are written for a slide in B flat, a player would give up a lot just for the advantage of on note in the high range, compared to a trombone in C. Adding a valve to play the low E or the glissandi in B flat is possible but the horn would play any better than a horn without a valve.
There have been attempts to make slide trombones with reducing valves, so that the instrument is played in B flat, but the engagment of the valve takes out a whole step of tubing, putting the horn in C. Of course one can only take out cylindrical pipe, so this approach reduces the portion of the horn with conical bore, which can be expected to change the sound. Thein currently makes such an instrument, and Yamaha markets one as a children's trombone. Valve trombones have sometimes been made in C.
The real reason that there are so few different pitches commonly used by trombone players is that each different key that a slide trombone is pitched in means totaly different slide postions. It's challenge enough for most players to learn slide postions for E flat alto, B flat tenor, and the F valve. Trumpets are available in B flat, C, D, E flat, E, F, G, Piccolo A, B flat and Picclo C. If a trombone player had 10 trombones in 10 different keys with 10 different set of slide positions to learn the situation would be impossible! With alto trombones available, few trombonists really need a trombone in c.
As far a the advantages of quick response imputed to shorter instruments, slide tenor trombones are free blowing enough that trombonists never worry about this, it's not an issue. The resistance of the trombone is usually varied by the bore size, and trombonist have a very good selection available. One could say that rather than play trombones is many different keys, trombonists play different bore sizes instead, small horns for jazz or very hight parts that still suit the tenor, meduim and large as the breadth of sound and to some extent the tessitura require it. Going to Alto when the part really suites it.