The jazz trombone is a brass instrument that is used to perform jazz music. Despite the fact that some trombones are marketed specifically as jazz trombones, a jazz band typically has a variety of trombones. The tenor jazz trombone is the most common trombone used in jazz music, though other types of trombones are also used. In jazz bands, there are many variations of the basic tenor trombone.
There are usually several different types of trombones in a jazz ensemble, rather than just one. Basic tenor trombones, tenor trombones with a trigger, and bass trombones are among the trombones used in jazz. Within a jazz ensemble, each type of jazz trombone serves a different purpose.
The main slide section, the tuning slide and bell section, and the mouthpiece make up a basic jazz trombone’s case. The inner and outer slides can be separated from the main slide section, and the tuning slide can be carefully removed from the section with the bell. Triggered tenor trombones have a lever attachment that opens a piece of tubing, causing the note to change. This alters the instrument to allow the musician to reach notes that would otherwise be far apart on the trombone slide more quickly and easily. The portion of tubing activated the trigger on a triggered jazz trombone has its own tuning slide.
Bass trombones are larger trombones with triggers that are used to play notes at the very bottom of the trombone range. On a bass trombone, a skilled player can hit lower notes, and the low end has a richer, warmer tone. When a tuba player is not available, this type of jazz trombone is sometimes used to play a modified jazz tuba part, though its low-end range does not quite match that of the tuba.
When a seasoned trombone player is playing fast jazz passages, especially those that were not written for trombone, a trigger can come in handy. Bebop jazz, which was pioneered well-known jazz stars Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, is known for its fast, difficult passages. When playing bebop jazz, the trumpets or saxophones are frequently the focal point, as they are designed to facilitate fast playing. These passages can be much more difficult for trombone players to master because the trombone’s mechanics do not allow for fast playing. By shortening the distances between note positions, the trigger can alleviate some of the difficulty.