Why Not Move Your Trombones?
As long as I’ve looked at Showstyle bands, I’ve wondered about the placement of trombones in the stands.
Every other brass instrument is in order of bore size. Trumpets are in the front followed by mellophones and then baritones. The size of the bore is in proportion to the amount of sound that each instrument can produce without cracking its tone.
So that being the case, why are the trombones in the back?
As a trombone player myself, I love the visual appeal of the slides sticking out over the band, particularly from the side. But aurally this configuration makes it harder for the trombone to cut through the bigger sound of the other instruments.
Try this instead:Trumpets/Trombones/Mellophones/BaritonesThis will put your instruments in order of bore size and make the trombone sound much more available to you melodically.
Or…
Try this instead:
Trumpet/Mellophones/Trombones/Baritones
This set-up would be for bands where the baritones generally play lower in pitch than the trombones. This set-up works the best for intonation so that every player works towards trying to play in tune with the lower-pitched instrument behind them.
For trumpet sections with a particularly strong group of screamers, try this set-up.
Trombones/Trumpets/Mellophones/Baritones.
More like a jazz band, this one puts the lower brass instruments in bore size order, but puts the trumpets behind the trombones that they should be able to scream over.
By the way, going back to the visual aspect of the horn, realistically the trombone s are going to look good regardless of where you put them.
What are you guys’ thoughts on this?
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D. Rashad Watters
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Replies
I honestly think most people would be harping more of the fact that they arent use to it and may be an "ugly"/uncomfortable look to them, no matter how clearer the tbone sound could be.
Honestly I would think that from the front, it would make the band look better. Currently you see, small bells first, larger bells next, the same size bells with bigger holes after that, and then bells that are bigger the first but smaller than the 2nd to next.
Making the look more gradual may add to the appearance of the band.
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Darius J. Harris said:
From what I understand, Bethune already uses a set-up where the baritones are behind the trombones and I think that few people have noticed.
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I believe this is because in most SWAC bands, trombones usually have harmonies or chords. As you need to hear the melodies and counter melodies, the trombones were moved to the back to avoid covering them up.
This is probably the reason that trombones stayed in the back but not why started out there.
The line-up in the stands reflects the opposite of the parade formation.
Trombones in front, baritones, mellophones, and then trumpets. Instruments in order of pitch except for the trombones in front due to their visual presence. Stands line-up would be be based off of this since bands marched in parades long before they marched into the stands.
Its clear though from parade formation that the other instruments, particularly the baritones and mellophones have no problems playing over the trombones to be heard.
I'm pretty sure that the reason for today's set-up is much less for sound, and more for tradition.
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Sky High Dx said: