Soprano trombone

Soprano trombone
Soprano trombone in B♭
Brass instrument
Other names
  • Slide trumpet
  • Slide cornet
Classification
Hornbostel–Sachs classification423.22
(Sliding aerophone sounded by lip vibration)
DevelopedLate 17th century
Playing range

    {
      \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" }
      \clef treble \key c \major \cadenzaOn
      e1 \glissando c'''1
    }
The sounding range of the B♭ soprano trombone is the same as the B♭ trumpet.[1]
Related instruments
Musicians
Builders
  • Jinbao
  • Miraphone
  • Thein
  • Helmut Voigt
  • Wessex
Historical:

The soprano trombone (sometimes called a slide trumpet or slide cornet, especially in jazz) is the soprano instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments, pitched in B♭ an octave above the tenor trombone. As the bore, bell and mouthpiece are similar to the B♭ trumpet, it tends to be played by trumpet players rather than trombonists. Compared to tenor, bass, or even uncommon alto, the soprano is a rare trombone. Seldom used in classical music since its first known appearance in 1677, it survived principally in the trombone ensembles of Moravian Church music. During the 20th century some soprano trombones—dubbed slide cornets—were made as novelties or for use by jazz trumpet players including Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. A small number of contemporary proponents of the instrument include jazz artists Wycliffe Gordon and Christian Scott, and classical trumpeter Torbjörn Hultmark, who advocates for its use as an instrument for young children to learn the trombone.

  1. ^ Herbert, Myers & Wallace 2019, p. 481, Appendix 2: The Ranges of Labrosones.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference manuf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).