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Re: Necessity of a 4th trombone

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Necessity of a 4th trombone
From: Adrian Drover <saxhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 09:51:27 +0100
In-reply-to: <Pine.LNX.3.96.980517002438.14151B-100000@thelonious.new.ox.ac.uk>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On 17 May, Alastair Wheeler <alastair@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> You know, there's always the danger that if you supply an optional 4th
> part the bass trombonist will decide he likes the low notes more, so will
> ruin your careful scoring :)

That's true, but whenever I'm issued with an optional 4th part (in big
band work, that is) I always swap with the 3rd player, because I hate
jumping around on all those "spare" inner harmony notes. I would rather
play the bottom line of the trombone trio. Admittedly, the 4th parts I
include in my brass band scores are usually the bass line, but as they are
marked optional, I would expect the bass 'bonist to have the sense to
leave them alone unless there were 4 players.

> I've played about 20 NYJO charts with the OU Jazz Orchestra, and these
> all have 5 trombones.  The two low parts aren't always well distributed
> - the 5th is always true bass (down to F, including Bs) but sometimes
> has high unison passages while the 4th is resting.  Go figure.. anyway,
> it's nice to have support the octave up.

Yes, in the Stanza (NYJO) series the 5th is usually added to the trombone
quartet, though some are written for 4 plus tuba. It makes sense that the
added 5th part should be for another bass trombone. This player would be
given the bass line, unless the 4th is already doing this, in which case
the part could double the lead an octave lower, or thicken the harmony
with the 5th above the bass (a la Kenton). If none of these options are
possible then the bass line can be doubled at the unison or octave lower.
There is no sense in giving this player a high unison, though I have seen
it done on many occasion. Too many writers seem to think that the bass
trombone can do everything the tenor trombone can, plus more.

> > Some of my music was recorded recently by 100 trombones in Tokyo. I
> > guess there must have been probably in the region of 40 bass trombones
> > in that.

> I bet they had to wear radiation suits :)

Oops! I hope not Al. That brings back disturbing memories of 1946.

Cheers, Adrian

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References:
- Re: Necessity of a 4th trombone
  - From: Alastair Wheeler

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