Helping Students Get to Know the Bass Trombone
"Spain" from Bass Lines by David Fetter
I. Introduction
A. The bass trombone has evolved more in mechanics, use, and reputation in the last 50 years, and is evolving more right now, than most instruments. This is the bass trombone "renaissance" right now.
B. I hope that no one ever gets the silly notion that the bass trombone is some inconsequential auxiliary instrument that just shows up here and there. It is an important part of every trombone section in a band, orchestra, or jazz band, an excellent solo instrument, and is also very flexible in a chamber music setting.
I just want to make sure everyone is aware of what the bass trombone is capable of, what it has done in the past, some ways to effectively implement and use it in your music programs, and also what the bass trombone is doing today.
II. History
A. The bass trombone is an old instrument.
1. Trombones first appeared around 1400 AD in various sizes. Alto, Tenor and Bass designations were standard by 1550.
a. note on the term "sackbut:" This is just an early English name for the trombone. It is not necessarily an early precursor to the trombone. The instrument has always been called trombone in Italy and Posaune in Germany.
2. Consider how many other instruments have been used continuously for that long.
B. Trombones were used primarily in sacred choral music, doubling vocal parts etc…
C. Slowly morphed into a symphonic instrument, by way of sacred scenes in opera. Mendelssohn even stated "The trombone is too sacred for frequent use." Beethoven opened the symphonic flood gates and the parts have gotten more frequent and diverse from there.
D. Bass trombone was used in jazz as the big band movement arose through the 20th century
E. Didn't really take off as a solo instrument until the last half of the 20th century.
F. George Roberts, Hollywood studio bass trombonist, was one of the most influential people in bringing the sound of the bass bone to the public.
III. Pedagogy for Young Players
A. Let's lose the disturbing trend of putting the worst trombonists on the lowest parts by default (and then handing them a bass trombone).
0. Obviously it tends to create a dearth of good bass trombone players.
1. First of all, it tends to hurt the balance and intonation down low.
2. In orchestra, the 1st and 3rd parts are often more complex than the 2nd part-On a lot of things, any melody will come to the Principal, while the bass bone sometimes hooks into a cello/bass line. Mostly filler for the 2nd trombone. In band music, the trombone parts are not filled with difficult technical passages-the parts are generally equal in difficulty-just range differences.
3. This also reinforces the idea that high notes are more important than low notes, and the egotism and lack of musicianship/reality that can result. Truly good players need to be flexible and able to step in and nail any part, be able to blend with tubas, or the trombone section, or anyone else.
4. I really like the idea of a rotating section. It can motivate weaker players to step it up.
5. If you need a default system, how about starting the youngest, worst players in the middle (2nd part usually) and as they develop a preference for high or low playing, let them earn a 1st or 3rd part.
B. Your school can and should have a bass trombone!
1. It's not the most expensive instrument out there.
Used: $1200 and up
New: $2500 and up
2. They are often on E-Bay, or contact me if you're looking for one-people tend to let me know if they're selling trombones and I'm happy to pass on anything I know. Mark Manduca is selling a nice Bach 50B right now for $2500.
3. I recommend the Getzen Custom series.-Nice thayer valves which are very hardy, and tone doesn't get worse as valves are added.
4. A bass trombone is needed:
a. for jazz band just to play in the proper range, and get the right sound and blend with the bari sax.
b. for concert band in order to keep the low end balanced and take some edge off the trombones.
c. for orchestra to get the proper balanced section sound and timbre.
d. Good players should have the opportunity to learn the bass trombone, to learn to fill it with air, learn the trigger mechanics, and go for the bass trombone sound.
C. When to switch to bass trombone (most students start on tenor)
1. Size factors- student has to be strong enough to hold it with good posture and without left hand pain over time. Bass trombone weighs about 17 pounds-a few more than tenor-and balances differently.
a. Not all small people can't play a large instrument-some have the right amount of tenacity to do it really well- the issue is posture and pain problems. "Bullet brace" by Edwards and "Rest bar" by Greenhoe help with left hand stress.
2. Range factors- A student who is playing with a strong sound (the air is there) but having trouble with high range might be a good fit for bass trombone. If they're just not getting high notes, it's often a air/breathing thing more than an actual range issue.
3. 11th grade seems to be a pretty safe average point.
D. Trigger setups and tricks
1. For several decades double-valve bass trombones have been the standard.
a. Independent-valves can be used separately or together
b. dependent-2nd valve can only be added to 1st valve (older tradition)
2. Most common setup: Independent F-Gb-D combo
less so: F-G-Eb combo
3. Position are different with triggers-only 6 positions with the trigger down, 5 with both triggers down.
4. If you're really getting all you can out of the two valves, the second trigger will be used by itself more than the 1st trigger!
a. F and C are tunable both ways in 2nd position. 1st position is not the "best position"-we are like string players-we have to learn to listen and tune each note. Seriously, we hardly bother tuning in orchestra, we just tune as we go.
b. We strive for smooth, easy, small slide movements when possible. This reduces arm tension which kills legato and disrupts the airstream.
c. Therefore for scale work in flat keys- Bb-C (in 2nd) on the way to D or Db is better than Bb and C in first and then a longer jump to D or Db.
5. Trigger tricks
a. Then B natural in 4th, Db, Gb in 1st, etc… become handy and fun to use in the music.
E. Maintenance
see: http://www.edwards-instruments.com/trombone/maintenance/valve_care.php
IV. Solo Literature for High School Students
Gordon Jacob - Cameos (w/ piano or band accomp)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Concerto (w/ piano or band accomp)
Ralph Vaughan Williams - Six Studies in English Folk Song
arr. Doug Yeo - Trombone Essentials (solo collection)
Franz Liszt - Hosanna (w/ organ)
Patrick McCarty - Sonata (w/ piano or strings accomp)
Richard Lieb - Concertino Basso (w/ piano or band accomp)
Alexey Lebedev - Concert Allegro
V. The Bass Trombone Today
A. Today the bass trombone does nearly everything that any other instrument does. Major composers are writing concertos for it-it can appear in nearly every musical setting. Orchestral bass trombone auditions have become incredibly competitive worldwide. As I mentioned before, this is the renaissance for the bass trombone, and we need to prepare students to take part in it and play well.
B. Daniel Schnyder and Dave Taylor- Schnyder's music is an absolute melting pot of different cultures and styles. In addition to being a great classical composer and jazz musician, he has spent his life learning from musicians from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and all sorts of places, by sitting with them and learning to perform their music with them. I think his ability to really capture so many different styles, not just pander to them, is unique in the world. In Dave Taylor, he found a bass trombonist who is not only a technical monster and can play whatever Schnyder writes, but is also similarly at home in any style. Schnyder has written a bass trombone sonata, a bass trombone concerto (which we'll play part of today) and numerous other pieces for bass trombone in a solo or chamber setting. His music has really helped bring the bass trombone up to the level up other instruments and has removed barriers and perceptions of what the bass trombone can and can't do.
We'll play the 2nd and 3rd movements of his subZERO Concerto for Bass Trombone, written for Dave Taylor and the Absolute Ensemble in New York City.
Any questions, comments, etc... please send me an e-mail: dan.barrett@maine.edu
May 21, 2010
Nov 17, 2009
Egberto Gismonti
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