Exploring the
ORCHESTRA
Trombone
Musical Section:
Brass (Instruments that make sound when the player buzzes their lips into a mouthpiece, causing the instrument to vibrate. Other instruments in this family: trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, euphonium.) . Other instruments in this family: French Horn, Trumpet, Tuba
About the Trombone
What it looks like
A trombone is a big, shiny instrument that makes a loud sound. It has a long slide that you push back and forth to change the notes.
The trombone is used in marching bands and orchestras and is great for playing both happy and big sounds!
Did you know? Instead of using keys to make different notes, the trombone changes notes by sliding the long tube in and out.
How to Play
Mini Maestro
You play it by blowing air into the mouthpiece. The trombone is special because it can make cool sliding sounds when you move the slide in and out.
Take a deep breath and blow in air. By buzzing your lips into the mouthpiece, you make the instrument vibrate and create sound.
Young Maestro
Hold the trombone with one hand and use your other hand to move the slide. The slide is the long part that moves in and out. When the slide is closer in, the notes are usually higher. When the slide moves out, the notes are usually lower.
Take a deep breath and blow in air. By buzzing your lips into the mouthpiece, you make the instrument vibrate and create sound.
Terrifying Trombones!
In Danse Macabre (which means “Scary Dance”) Saint-Saëns doesn’t give the trombones much to do for most of the piece. But when they finally enter, they add a sudden spookiness to the music. In fact, the trombones make such an eerie sound, audiences reportedly jumped in their seats at an early performance. So maybe next, Halloween you could dress up as a trombone.
