Efforts to shorten the slide lengths of the S-shaped slide trumpet resulted in the invention of the U-shaped slide. The modern trombone originated in Burgundy in the middle of the 15th century. This was the forerunner of trumpets and trombones. The second form consisted of a long cylindrical tube (unvarying bore size), upon which a broad, shallow bell was mounted. It is this instrument from which the French horn and other instruments of the saxhorn and flugelhorn families evolved. Trombones and trumpets evolved from the medieval buisine, a brass wind instrument that originated in southern Italy in the 11th century and took two principal forms: the first was a conical tube that flared as the length increased, ending in a deep bell the tubing was curved, like an animal horn, and could even become coiled in longer versions. In France somewhat smaller bores are used than in Germany and North America, and smaller bores are also generally preferred for solo performances. It is the slide that distinguishes the trombone, the oldest brass wind instrument with a chromatic scale, from all the other brass instruments. The main (inner) tube is held with the left hand and the slide shifted by the right, thus altering the tube length. Slide stays strengthen the two sets of parallel tubes. The trombone consists of three parts: the bell with the tuning slide the inner slide, open at the top and bottom with the mouthpipe and mouthpiece attached to its top part and the bell attached to its bottom and the U-shaped movable outer slide, which connects the two open-ended parallel tubes of the inner slide. Material: Mainly brass, often gold brass nickel silver (inner and outer slides).Classification: Aerophone, brass wind instrument.

Trombone bb scale slide position chart