Posted by In tune on January 28, 2004 at 11:31:26:
In Reply to: Why no C Trombones? posted by MP on January 28, 2004 at 08:02:44:
Trombones enjoy a privileged position in the brass world. They and they alone can be played perfectly in tune in any key with equal facility. Valved instruments all suffer from the compromise required in the attempt to have the various valves add up to the required length of tubing to produce appropriate pitches. Hence the plethora of differently pitched trumpets in particular. At the turn of the century they rivaled Baskin-Robbins for flavor availability. Fiour, five six valves, compensation schemes, pinky and thumb triggers and rings, be d)(*%^ ; one can never truly reach the absolute pitch of perfection offered by the slide of the trombone. In practice they wind up sloggin' along with the rest of us of course; but in the ethereal world of theory.....
Henry