TromboneChat

Hope this isn't a stupid question. What is the practical goal of shortening a tuning slide? Just curious.
Thanks!

To get a horn up to pitch.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:09 pm To get a horn up to pitch.

... if it's flat to start with!

It's sometimes necessary if one wants to use extended slide positions - not only do you need to get the horn up to pitch, you need to get it significantly above pitch.

JohnL wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 12:12 am It's sometimes necessary if one wants to use extended slide positions - not only do you need to get the horn up to pitch, you need to get it significantly above pitch.

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Right. It was a somewhat common thing to do in the big band era so the player could use slide vibrato in an extended 1st position, especially those that used a slide vibrato that was above and below the pitch. Of course, you pretty much lost 7th position, but you lipped it down when needed. The players that used a slide vibrato that was only below the pitch had no real need to shorten their tuning slide so they left it alone.

I know an excellent trombonist that was taught this way from the get go as a young kid. All of his horns were pretty much pitched in B natural, that's how much of his tuning slide he would have cut.

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Many American made trombones can barely play in tune in A440, especially if you want to play long on the slide. If you want to play in Europe, or even many US orchestras that are moving to A442, cutting it down becomes inevitable.

Before our friends from the UK chime in about not having to cut down 88Hs -- the design is already set up to play long on the slide. That's been the big bummer switching from the 88H to a Bach style design.

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Thu Feb 28, 2019 7:10 am Many American made trombones can barely play in tune in A440, especially if you want to play long on the slide. If you want to play in Europe, or even many US orchestras that are moving to A442, cutting it down becomes inevitable.

Before our friends from the UK chime in about not having to cut down 88Hs -- the design is already set up to play long on the slide. That's been the big bummer switching from the 88H to a Bach style design.

I wonder the degree to which that influenced the 88Hs popularity over there. 'American' style sound on a horn thats already capable of playing in tune over there at the right place/time.

Maybe unconsciously, but let's face it - Denis Wick had a big influence in and of himself ... and the 88H is just a fantastic design to begin with. A LOT more going for that horn than good choices on slide vs bell section length !

I’ve had to cut the tuning slide on every Bach horn I’ve owned, tenor and bass. I play off the bumpers. On my current Bach 42 and 50, the tuning slides are slightly less than 1/4” out at A=440, and all the way in for A=442. I haven’t had to cut the tuning slide on any other horns I’ve owned, Conns, Kings, or Edwards.

I've been playing on short slided horns since 1971. You've got to match what the lead player is doing!