What Is a Trombone Trio?

A trombone trio is a group of three trombones that performs together. This type of ensemble performs music from a variety of genres, but it is most commonly found in Western art music, particularly music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Trombone trios usually consist of two tenor trombones and one bass trombone, but other arrangements are possible. The most common substitute trombone trio is one in which the bass trombone is replaced another tenor trombone.

Trombone quartets of three trombones are quite common in chamber music. There are arrangements for trombone trio sheet music for a variety of popular and classical songs. Brass performance groups that perform this type of music are frequently seen at weddings, conventions, and charity events.

A trombone trio is made up entirely of trombones. The trombone differs from other instruments in that it has long tubes that slide up and down to change notes. The tenor trombone is the trombone that most people are familiar with. Some tenor trombones have triggers that open the instrument’s F attachment section.

Bass trombones are bigger than tenor trombones. A bass trombone usually has two triggers that open two different sections of the instrument, allowing the trombonist to play a wider range of notes on the low end. The trigger is a recent addition to newer bass trombones, and bass trombones without one have become obsolete. Early trombone trio arrangements used bass trombones that were similar to tenor trombones but were much longer. The tubing on newer bass trombones is also wider than on older models without triggers.

Many notes in the tuba range can be played a bass trombone, which is especially useful for trombone trio songs with unusually low bass notes. Bass trombones have a warmer tone than tenor trombones and are useful in a trombone trio because they produce a fuller, richer low-end sound. Fast-paced passages are more difficult to play on the bass trombone, and playing in the higher trombone ranges takes more effort.

Alto and soprano trombones are two other types of trombones that can be used in a trombone trio that aren’t part of the standard trombone trio. Both of these trombones are smaller and have a wider pitch range than a standard tenor trombone. The alto trombone is only an octave lower and slightly smaller than the tenor trombone. The soprano trombone has a high pitch and is about the same size as a cornet. It is commonly referred to as a mini-trombone because of its diminutive size.