Just finished this years Brass Band competitions. Unfortunately we did not win the overall silverware, but we did win the Test Piece and Stage March performances. We also scored well during the street march.
Now that that is out of the way, I have been gifted a new Trombone by the band to look after as my own while I continue playing in the band. I don't expect anyone to really understand what I'm talking bout, but this is a really big step for me!
Not only is the Trombone larger and heavier, it has a larger bore, so requires a lot more air volume to play. Lung workout, here we come!
I've heard Trombones have been described as a hollow paperclip, and in their purest form, the Tenor Trombone, they are exactly that, just a hollow tube with a mouth piece in one end, and a flared bell at the other end. The last Trombone I have been using is almost 30 years old, but it has held up really well over that time. It is classed as a Bb/F Trombone, and it has a trigger mechanism that opens up another length of pipe and provides a greater range of notes, especially in the lower register.
The new Trombone I have just received is a Bb/F/Gb Bass Trombone, and it has 2 triggers! I can use it exactly like my other Trom, but now I have an additional Trigger which can be used either individually, or together with the other trigger at the same time. This will require a fair bit of research and practice to get used to it's quirks and possibilities!
You can see the physical differences between the two Troms in the photos!
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