11 Challenging second trombone orchestral excerpts

11 Challenging second trombone orchestral excerpts
I want to dispel this common misconception that if you play 2nd trombone in an orchestra, you don’t need strong high or low chops and that somehow, playing 2nd, is not that demanding. Think again!
In addition to having a keen radar for blend, balance and intonation, you need to be able to effectively bridge the sound of the section between the bass and principal trombones. In other words, you have to be able to do it all! Otherwise, you’re just hiding behind your colleagues.
In this video, I have collected and recorded 11 challenging 2nd and 3rd trombone orchestral excerpts. I’ve played all of these on auditions, in concert, or both.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS HOW I PLAY THESE EXCERPTS! There are many opinions about how to play little snippets from these masterpieces. This is my take.
I encourage you to visit and sign up for the schoolofbrass.com if you want to see my educational video on how I developed and maintain the techniques that I use to play second trombone in a major symphony orchestra.
Enjoy!
0:00 Alban Berg 3 - Pieces for Orchestra
0:44 Hector Berlioz - Roman Carnival Overture
1:06 Gustav Holst - Uranus from The Planets
1:38 Gustav Mahler - Symphony no. 5 excerpt #1
2:08 Gustav Mahler - Symphony no. 5 excerpt #2
2:36 Gustav Mahler - Symphony no. 6
2:53 Sergei Prokofiev - Symphony no. 3
3:11 Richard Strauss - Alpine Symphony excerpt #1
3:42 Richard Strauss - Alpine Symphony excerpt #2
4:09 Richard Strauss - Alpine Symphony 3rd trombone excerpt (often asked on 2nd tbn. auditions)
4:36 Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra

[@stefanstolarchuk5766]

Man, the range demands on 2nd trombone are wild

[@JimSuperNova]

Exactly!

[@ArianSadrayi]

Your tone quality is marvelous

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@4Tbone]

I think one of the hardest things about playing or practicing excerpts is knowing how it fits in with everybody else. When you play it I can hear everybody else! Absolutely fantastic! I have the whole Keith Brown set.

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks Yitzchak!

[@altotrombonedotca5052]

How can you call this challenging when you make it sound so simple. :)

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@douglaslusky6052]

I am primarily a bass trombone player and honestly, the tone colors I hear from a typical second trombone player never much spoke to me. Thank you for helping me appreciate the second trombonist role. IT is like someone else commented, "I can hear the other parts playing too."

[@winstondave]

Man, what a powerful bone you are! I've played many parts in the community and college bands I've been in, and I've always enjoyed 2nd for it gives me the chance to be sure that the trombone section sounds like a choir.

[@DLudwg42]

Thanks Jim. Great selections to prove your point. It goes without saying that your playing is excellent. This makes me miss even more the past year's lost opportunities to play in an orchestra! I enjoy playing second trombone - but I'll take any trombone part - just give me a chance to play!

[@Jiji420]

Playing second trombone is a blast! Thanks for this video!

[@stephaniecurry45]

Love this kind of content!

[@caseyfranco3959]

Ayo this is swaggy, respect my dude🎶

[@Borkorus]

What a skill! Incredible!

[@jacobruiz97]

Jesus, the range demands for orchestral 2nd trombone are even greater than that of big band 2nd (or 1st for that matter). Excellent playing!

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@douglaslusky6052]

Wonderful technique! Thank you for showing me how it is done!

[@bebopmomma]

Wow! And with a great sound!

[@haaansolo8568]

Crazy, I have been practicing my high register (for my standards, let's say f# to Bb) recently and noticed already how my tone quality in the low octave suffered. This is soo impressive!

[@basso1150]

Great stuff, thanks!

[@davewestner]

The decay time of the reverb in your bedroom is impressive! All jokes aside, you sound great! Didn't realize til I heard this that the big draw in orchestra music for me is the trombone. That and the bass drum. Go figure

[@tromboneman4517]

I keep coming back to this video just to hear what an excellent orchestral trombone tone sounds like.

[@JimSuperNova]

Thank you!

[@IsntThatSomething]

Love it!

[@BryanRamos97]

Jim you make it all sounds easy and beautiful! 😊

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@BrianJohnstonTrombone]

This is great. Thanks for putting this up!

[@JimSuperNova]

Glad you enjoyed it! And you're doing great stuff as well!!

[@BrianJohnstonTrombone]

@@JimSuperNova Thanks! Sounds like a collab is needed down the road!

[@luisburgos6940]

Excellent execution! ! Thanks for sharing!! 👍 👍

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@brighidclaire]

Rock solid. Thank you, sir1

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@arthurcramer4958]

Holy Cow Mr. Nova! Wow, wow, wow!!!!!!!!!!

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@kesemninio7979]

Fantastic playing!

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@zeekmac2788]

Amazing!!👁👄👁

[@michaeldunagan8268]

Great work! Reminds mw why I gave up the bone softmore year if high school. Outstanding range! I did not even kniw a tenor trombone could reach below E2. I hear what I thought was a basd trombonist on the "Bridge over Remagen" opening music theme playin below E2, perhaps maybe it was this talented guy...??

[@jonburton1935]

Yes truly complicated stuff

[@arminsteinke2301]

Strauss had a grumpy day. Lip Killing ff Pedals for tenorists on Alpine 3. 😈

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

That's nuts! Consider me schooled. I'm surprised the Russian Easter Overture solo didn't make the cut. It's not "challenging" in the typical sense, but it's very exposed and hard to get perfect.

[@JimSuperNova]

I could make dozens of videos of standard 2nd trombone excerpts but I wanted to focus on the ones that are demanding in terms of range. I love the Russian Easter excerpt.

[@ibizaking]

@@JimSuperNova and Sheherazade :) Rimsky seemed to love 2nd trombonists ;)

[@showingYOUtheworld]

BRAVO !!! Very powerful and direct sound with a lot of metal in it. Great intonation and articulation. It would be really nice, if my second trombone played like you. RESPECT ! P.S.For those who like to criticize I will say: Take a mic,play some excerpts, put the video in KZbin and THEN maybe ,,you " will have the right to criticize.

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@lcope2004]

These pieces look very intriguing I can't wait to try them when I get my tuba. It sounded really nice I hope I can get them to sound nice as well. Revised comment once again I am truly sorry for any trouble I've caused you.

[@JimSuperNova]

Well done. Please keep me posted on your progress. I mean it!

[@lcope2004]

@@JimSuperNova don't worry I shall ill even try looking for some of the actual tuba parts

[@JimSuperNova]

@@lcope2004 Try looking at this website for tuba parts for a lot of these: imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page

[@slateflash]

Prokofiev #3 trombone parts are seriously underrated

[@JimSuperNova]

Indeed!

[@TheListerbo]

Fantastic

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@dion1949]

Bravo!

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@augiegrad80]

Those changes from tenor cleff to bass cleff would drive me crazy. Not that it is a long trip, mind you.

[@taylorfong2716]

YES! Jim fantastic playing!

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks!

[@metalheadjock3513]

Seems like, although the Italians "invented" the orchestra, the orchestra blew up in the hands of the Germans. One look at the repitoire shows that. A lot of truth to your statement!

[@knelson3057]

those germans really love their brass huh

[@emilymason7277]

absolutely fantastic sound ! new subscriber here :)

[@JimSuperNova]

Thank you!

[@jemiller226]

Alpine, man... I'm having a blast (metaphorically and occasionally literally) running through that right now with a virtual ensemble, and I'm definitely noticing that 2nd and 3rd are harder in spots than 1st is. (Let's not even get into 4th--that low register is nuts.)

[@esiotrot1018]

I've seen the Berlin Phil use a contra for 4th and Bass for 3rd in that. Pretty darn cool.

[@posaune45]

Yo those dynamics in Mahler 6 while keeping that tone just blew my mind. Plz teach me how to do that lol

[@JimSuperNova]

😂 I can teach you the ways of the Force…

[@jazzychazzy007]

Love it! isn't there a big 2nd solo in Sheherazade?

[@unidaddy]

I knew you'd have to do SOMETHING with Uranus.

[@JimSuperNova]

😂

[@samuelpineau4998]

I will never look at 2nd trombone the same way again

[@JimSuperNova]

That’s part of why I made this video! Glad it resonates!!

[@neilwalsh3977]

A wonderful instrument - should be used more in composition!

[@MichaelEavesMusic]

Ummmits a staple in every band/orchestra

[@RedstoneManiac13]

Ah Uranus, the butt of many jokes... That trombone excerpt doesn't look fun, but neither is that Timpani excerpt, lemme tell you 😅

[@tromboneman4517]

Did you have to? That joke frankly stunk.

[@prentisshobbs7015]

Great playing...... I see some people have given you a thumbs down......I am sure none of them have out video one out there to share.....just sayin

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks for the support Prentiss! It’s ok. Haters gonna hate… 😉

[@waynekreml3036]

I can't stop listening to this! Any advice for a powerful lower range (mainly trigger register)?

[@JimSuperNova]

Concentrate on getting a great sound rather than power in the low range. Great sound projects better than unfocused sound. From a practical point of view, play lots of Bordognis down an octave or tenor clef down an octave. Hope that helps!

[@waynekreml3036]

@@JimSuperNova okay, will do. Thanks so much!

[@nano5646]

quiero tener ese sonido felicitaciones

[@JimSuperNova]

Gracias!

[@metalheadjock3513]

Much respect dude....I have a WICKED case of perfect pitch....you nailed everything....trust me, I would have known if a note were out of place. Your tone and your RESONANCE are extraordinary. Immediately recognized the "Eine Alpensinfonie" Op. 64....I'm a crazy dude....title of his tone poem is tatted on the front of my neck! Not kidding. One of those themes is uttered after the thunderstorm, one just before an oboe solo with strings tremelos and the other is a theme played a few times, in the first few minutes of the piece and again DURING the tail end of the thunderstorm sequence. Also, I thought the Holst excerpt was played by horns! Then again, Holst was a trombonist himself...He knew what he was doing. If I held auditions for a major orchestra, you'd definitely make the cut.

[@james_subosits]

You do know who this guy is, right? He kinda already has a job with a great orchestra

[@charliewhelan9488]

@@james_subosits it made me laugh though

[@jacobruiz97]

Yup. I put a tuner against his playing and expect at least one slightly out of tune note and not a single one was missed. This guy is phenomenal. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is extremely lucky to boast him.

[@johnmcallistermusic]

So this begs the chicken/egg question. Do trombone players play everything loud because that's all that's written, or do composers only write "loud" because that's all they do. Hmmm. Also, you sound absolutely fantastic. Especially when playing loud.

[@JimSuperNova]

Interesting question. I think it’s really context specific. Forte can mean different things depending on what piece, what composer and what context.

[@metalheadjock3513]

I had to smile when I first heard Wagner's "Magic Fire Music". Only a German would take a slow, soft piece going smoothly and then give the melody to trombones and a tuba at fortissimo....AND IT STILL WORKS ARTISTICALLY AND MUSICALLY in character with the piece. Great question!

[@aaronkeister2682]

Also Sprach was FANTASTIC! How did you build up and lay down that D so effortlessly?

[@JimSuperNova]

Hi Aaron. Quite simply, Norman Bolter’s high range builders are the best way I know of to develop strong high chops. Check them out!

[@nicholashogg3398]

@@JimSuperNova Thanks for the advice!

[@christophernadar2572]

Does the end of Mahler 5's 2nd bone part really go down to that low C#? I thought that was only in the 3rd bone part.

[@JimSuperNova]

It depends on the edition. I’ve had to play the low version on many an audition. It’s also the version we use here in Pittburgh.

[@MightyRavenoO]

Well done! Which trombone and mouthpiece are you playing ? Do you switch if you play principal or bass trombone ?

[@JimSuperNova]

I play a Shires trombone and Greg Black mouthpiece. I play primarily the same mouthpiece on tenor, regardless of part but switch for bass.

[@h3x382]

Long tones and lip slurs 😂💪

[@nairongoncalves]

I miss 3 pieces in the list: - Tragic Overture, Op.81 from Brahms - La Gazza Ladra from Rossini - The Red Poppy: Russian Sailor's Dance from Glière Maybe you can do a second video with this 3 pieces.

[@JimSuperNova]

😂 I’ll think about it...

[@nairongoncalves]

@@JimSuperNova if you make a new video, let me know!! I liked to watch your video

[@metalheadjock3513]

Also, "Ride of the Valkyries" "Entrance....into Valhalla" Solo from "Bolero"

[@aikifab]

No, not the C clef ! I've always avoided learning that s**t ;-)

[@kahlilwyatt]

Those low Cs How do you make them sound that way

[@JimSuperNova]

Lots of low range work. Take Bordogni’s down an octave, etc...

[@TexasTechguy210]

What mouthpiece are you using? The lower register tone is👌almost as if your playing Bass Trombone.

[@JimSuperNova]

I use a Greg Black custom that’s essentially a 3G/5G roughly.

[@JimSuperNova]

And thanks for your kind words!

[@nate4137]

If this is the kind of range that second trombonists need, what do first parts look like?

[@JimSuperNova]

A third higher at times and not nearly as low.

[@BS-cu2hg]

Nick Knatterton

[@covajo9]

And i thought bass trombone was pretty powerful

[@SuperJox]

When’s part 2?

[@JimSuperNova]

Guess you’ll have to stay tuned! 😉

[@james_subosits]

Jim, I don't know if this is answered in another comment, I can't find one: How do you have your valve section tuned?

[@JimSuperNova]

Hi James! I normally tune my valve so C is in tune in first position but when I play 3rd on Alpine symphony, I pull my valve tuning slide so a low C is in sixth position. Hope that helps!

[@james_subosits]

@@JimSuperNova Thanks so much Jim "Bubble Butt" Nova!

[@JimSuperNova]

Glad my butt is always on your mind… 😉

[@Godooable]

The microphone is really compressing the audio quality. Any chance you can upload again without the compression?

[@JimSuperNova]

I respectfully disagree. No compression used in this audio. I’m pretty happy with the quality… 😉

[@Godooable]

@@JimSuperNova maybe it's the added reverb I'm hearing then

[@henryprice7817]

I think Till Eulenspiegel should be in here 🤔

[@JimSuperNova]

I was trying to keep the video under 5 minutes and there was already plenty of Richard Strauss represented. 😉

[@gustavsoler1812]

you missed the trombone solo in malher 3rd simphony first moviment.

[@JimSuperNova]

Umm... that’s not a second trombone solo

[@gustavsoler1812]

@@JimSuperNova oh... ups

[@steveberry7264]

Nicely played! Not trying to be picky - but couldn’t really hear the sforzandos in Mahler’s 5th second movement :)

[@JimSuperNova]

Thanks! But I’d check the quality of your listening devices. The wave form of my recording says different about the Mahler sforzandos. 😉

[@nateclark9684]

You forgot William tell overture

[@JimSuperNova]

Nah. I didn't forget. There are MANY more than 11 challenging excerpts for 2nd trombone. These are just some of them.

[@slateflash]

Wait isn't the Berg a first trombone excerpt? Second trombone rests after the first statement and then only joins in again on the triplet quavers

[@JimSuperNova]

In strict terms, yes you are correct. That said, I played that entire passage in my winning audition here in Pittsburgh. Every time I've seen this performed, the 2nd trombone plays the whole passage. Just one of those weird traditions.

[@alann2282]

Yea, make it all look so easy and great tone, but why play a lot of these B naturals with the valve? The tone is better in 7th position. Some arm stretching exercises needed!

[@JimSuperNova]

That’s hilarious! 😆😆😆😆😆

[@tromboneman4517]

He probably didn’t do it that way since it’s unnecessary a lot of the time.

[@roberts932]

eintritt in den wald triplets are too fast.

[@JimSuperNova]

Nope

[@disneymatt01]

Roman Carnival - missed a beat, measure 17

[@JimSuperNova]

Nope. Look again... 😉 Even though it goes from 2/4 to 6/8, it stays one beat per bar.