#Alto trombone position chart alto clef how to#

The timeline below draws from more than 100 primary sources, which is, chances are, more primary sources than any other single document on the alto trombone (with the possible exception of bibliographies). Why? Because they bring readers closer to actual documented facts rather than individual interpretations and opinions. For sources see Alto Trombone History Bibliography.Ī note on sources: In historical research, primary sources are gold. Others have pointed out it's easier on composers as well.A history of the alto trombone in timeline form. Low brass just has too much range for one clef to fit perfectly I guess. I don't think the ledgers are that awful when I play tuba I get as many lines below the staff. The transposition, especially octaves, makes it a little weird because while C is always open/1st position, C won't sound the same and that takes getting used to (from my experience playing treble G bugle music, which traditionally uses a similar system of all TC)īass clef (imo should never be transposed) has the benefit of always playing concert pitch. I used to read only TC euph (recovering trumpet player) and I agree that fewer ledger lines are also nice. A flugelhorn player can seamlessly play alto or baritone horn.

#Alto trombone position chart alto clef how to#

The benefit of TC is that it's more user friendly (in this circumstance) because if you switch instruments, you'll immediately know how to read your part. In british brass band, every instrument except bass trombone is written in transposing treble, even the Eb and Bb tubas. al., it's probably fair to say that their influence for conventions in band and big band/jazz followed their traditions. With band traditions coming out of Sousa, et. It appears in B-flat much like its band pairings: tenor sax and b-flat bass clarinet. The euphonium/baritone might appear in the treble tenor clef (the one with the little 8 at the bottom). This is why you may find some of the Italian works from that era very 'slide unfriendly.' This is why some of the literature such as the infamous glissando in Bartok is not possible to play on an unmodified B-flat instrument.įrom the mid-1800s into the 1920s, Italian and many other European orchestras were using valve trombones (the cimbasso is a legacy of this trend). The bass trombone has been through several tuning conventions such as G and F. Also trombones were not always pitched in B-flat. Brass band music in the UK, however, appears in treble clef for the trombone. The orchestral tradition influenced the band tradition. Tenor bones are more likely to see tenor or alto than bass in much of the literature. This is probably why the other clefs are more of an exception than the rule. Rimsky-Korsakov used the crap out of alto clef for the trombone (including bass trombone) and that tradition among Russian composers continued through Shostakovich and Stravinsky where you find passages for the bass trombone written in alto clef for no explainable reason.Ĭommonly, bass trombone was often paired with the tuba in the score (upper part bass bone, lower part tuba). The conventions of bass clef spill over to the trombone.Ĭomposers who were seen as master orchestrators probably had the most influence on which clefs were used. When composers/arrangers are orchestrating, they pair the like voices.

Likewise, its use in the orchestral score helps keep the notes on the staff.īut, like cellists and bassoonists, they also read bass clef most of the time. Tenor clef is seen by the cello, bassoon, and tenor trombone as they have similar ranges and voices. The alto clef is practical for first trombone parts because it reduces the number of ledger lines needed which keeps the score tidy. Into the 20th century, the alto clef remained in use even though the orchestration was settling into 2 tenor trombones and a bass trombone as the common practice. Alto trombone is mostly used for specific period music (Baroque, Classical). The alto clef is used by 2 instruments in the orchestra: the viola and alto trombone. The scoring of those instruments by composers have traditionally paired them with similar instruments in the string and wind families. There are several members of the trombone family and the clef usually reflects the range in which they share with others.