INTRODUCING THE VALVE TROMBONE! Valve Trombone 101

[@smholgate]

As a professional euphonium and tuba player, I feel like I missed a valve trombone education. Thank you so much for posting and informing me! Excellent stuff.

[@Bayan1905]

My son has been playing in band for several years and tried a couple different instruments until he found the slide trombone and he really likes playing it.

[@TheTromboneChannel]

Not even a minute into this video and I can already tell 100x more effort went into this than the others. Good work!

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Thanks for watching!

[@bkraft]

I've been playing slide trombone for 35 yrs - and recently learned to play the valve trombone - it's a blast to play - I'm sorry I didn't pay much attention to it years ago.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

I know why alot of orchestras switched back to slide trombone, the intonation on the valve trombone wasn't really in tune. This was way before they added valve triggers to the 1st and 3rd valve slides to help improve the intonation.

[@Mando98]

As a former baritone/euphonium player from my highschool and early college days (even a season of DCI), I've been intrigued by this instrument bc I noticed they use it a lot in banda and I'd love to buy one eventually. The only problem seems to be that all my mouthpieces are large shank and these seem to only be small shank if I'm not mistaken??:/ Thank you for making this video!!

[@dwerden]

What a nice surprise to find a video on valve trombones! Very nice job, Keith!

[@babeadams9351]

I started my music career on a slide trunbone. After learning the valve trombone I progress to all other brass instruments that had valves, Base cliff and trouble. Cliff. Turn out to be an easy scholarship for college

[@AKAFT]

Great video! This explains why some Italian operas have technically difficult licks for trombone, such as the Act I opening notes of Verdi's La Traviata and the ending of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. They were probably often played on the valve trombone.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Flugabone is a Marching Variant of that instrument wrapped like a Flugelhorn. It reminds me of the great Juan Tizol who played with Duke Ellington

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Slide triggers for the 1st and 3rd valves would allow the valve trombone to play in tune.

[@CrystalAlyse]

For those who used the slide, what are the valve positions if we want to learn?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

​@@CrystalAlyse each of the 7 slide positions has a matching valve combination on trumpet, French horn, tuba, Baritone horn, and even valve trombone.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@CrystalAlyse 1st Position = Open 2nd Position = 2nd Valve 3rd Position = 1st Valve 4th Position = 1st & 2nd Valves 5th Position = 2nd & 3rd Valves 6th Position = 1st & 3rd Valves 7th Position = 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Valves

[@mikesosa1146]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial of the valve trombone. Maybe next you can spend a minute or two on the differences between a regular sized valve trombone and the compact valve trombone. Both keyed to Bb. Thx!!!

[@timothytikker1147]

One regional tradition that uses the valve trombone is the sardana cobla. It's an 11-piece orchestra that accompanies the sardana, the national dance of Catalonia. This ensemble uses one valve trombone alongside two trumpets and two C bass Flügelhorns.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Thank you for sharing!

[@erniearruda8861]

That’s the instrument I started on when I joined the Portuguese community band 37 years ago here in Canada 🇨🇦 for marching and there role was more for boom chucking in our style of music, and easier to March with and to learn the fingering patterns across the board. Music was written in all treble clef. What’s funny now is the European bands especially Portuguese are using slide trombones more now and kinda disbanded the valve due to younger players playing in different groups and better full sound that you don’t get with a valve trombone.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Thanks for all of the great insight!

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

As a tuba and euphonium player, I occasionally ponder adding a valve trombone and have even seen valved alto trombone, which would be interesting.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Thanks for the input! I didn't even get into alto valve trombone as it is such a small subset of an already small category but it is a very interesting concept (and something that I would love to play someday!)

[@bobjacobson858]

Thanks for this informative video. Although I had heard of the valve trombone long before, I've watched a number of the CCB orchestral videos from Brazil where this instrument seems to use this instrument exclusively. As I had mentioned in one of your other videos on the valve trombone, now I know how to hold my 1916 Conn 4-G. (With a little luck, I'll eventually find the best way to hold my Conn 16-E mellophonium (perhaps there ISN'T a standard way for this one!).

[@jasonsummit1885]

I used to play valve trombone back in high school marching band when the baritone horn got to be too heavy to carry around during summer parades.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

There are certainly some differences in the ergonomics between the two instruments :-) thanks for watching!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Juan Tizol played Valve Trombone

[@ChrisJones-ij3xp]

He was probably the most famous valve trombonist. Rob McConnell was pretty well-known too.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Actually you can also use Valve Trombones in Marching Band too cause you don't have to worry about breaking your slide.

[@Ruigekerel]

You don't care about tuning in marching band? These valve trombones are very, very out of tune.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Ruigekerel They worked around this issue by adding spring loaded tuning slide triggers.

[@Ruigekerel]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 no tuning slide triggers offer enough leverage to add the necesarry centimeters needed to get the low notes in tune.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Ruigekerel Wait a minute he made Special Slide Triggers for them:kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKiXmaVnYpl1n8U to make it work

[@CrystalAlyse]

Break the slide?? No one I ever marched with hit or broke their slide. You bend your bell upwards and hit no one or nothing. Never heard this as a reason before. Sounds like something the last generation went through 😂😂😂.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

These are also common in Tejano & Conjunto Music.

[@jaywilkoff9413]

Great video! I had a chance to play a Blessing Valve trombone about 10 years ago. It reminds me of playing a barbitone.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

We've had a few of the Blessing valve trombones come through the shop and I really enjoyed how they played (I tried to do a video with one but the audio glitched on me!) Thanks for watching!

[@georgeschaut2178]

Great video...I actually hadn't seen a valve trombone being played until a few years back on the beaches in Rio de Janeiro!

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Very cool; from my understanding it is quite a bit more prevalent in Latin America...

[@danielnewman134]

Very informative. I learned a good amount in a short time. Thanks.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Thanks for watching!

[@paultandberg3948]

I wish you had played it a little... demonstrate what it offers and what it loses.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

A good point (I realized my omission after the video was done...) Fortunately I do have a few other valve trombone videos on our channel (with another hopefully coming soon) and perhaps I'll have to do a Valve Trombone 202 talking about the sound/playing experience...thanks for watching!

[@paultandberg3948]

@@SchmittMusicTromboneShop I feel a little like the kid who complained there was no gumdrop included with his gallon of free ice cream. I love your videos... and your contagious enthusiasm for the trombone (and music in general). Thank you!

[@BANDLDR]

I bought my Conn valve trombone from my neighbor for $100. I paid about $200 to have it cleaned up and adjusted and it was ready to go. I definitely prefer standard slide trombone, but the valved instrument is kind of a fun novelty.

[@derrickwhite6084]

Are you interested in selling the valve section?

[@BANDLDR]

@@derrickwhite6084 No. I keep it at the school where I teach and make it available to students who are euphonium players interested in jazz band, but not willing to learn slide trombone.

[@kenrup]

In the '70's and '80's valve trombones where on the inventory roles for Army Bands. That way a euphonium player could help out in a stage band in a pinch.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

I feel like I talk to a lot of players from that era that played more valve trombone; not so much now, which is too bad!

[@joseayala-zg5fm]

Hi,Ive played alto tenor an baritone saxophones for 18 months every day .Will I have ahard time ajusting to a valve trombone an which trombone is the bset to start with

[@ogstv8778]

I have one of that yamaha valve trombone. 1. Is that yamaha valve trombone is key of Bb? 2 is yamaha slide trombone and Yamaha valve trombone are the Same sounds? Thank you in advance.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Miraphone makes Valve Trombones with Rotary Valves

[@Kalamboonga69]

What are some good buy cheap beginner valve trombones that I can buy?

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

While there are very inexpensive, models available on the market in my experience, they are passable at the fast and extremely frustrating at worst. Value for money the most affordable valve Trombone that I trust is the Jupiter JTB700V; they are very well-made, have great valves, and have a great sound and response for the price, around $1500 USD.

[@Rob-oj9bj]

I'm a new player and having difficulty finding a position where it feels like there's "room" for me in between the bell section and the valves section - every time I play I feel like I am crammed in and the tubing is pressing sideways into the left side of my neck... Does anyone have any ideas what I could be doing wrong?

[@boneman751]

great vid.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Thanks for watching!

[@rosshawdeepinside]

Could you demonstrate the alto Eb valve trombone?

[@jjschm20]

How common is the valve trombone nowadays? I imagine it’s only in a tiny fraction of performances.

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Many middle/high schools have valve trombones for euphonium/tuba players who want to play in jazz ensemble and there are certainly many players who use it as a double in jazz and other settings (not to mention all of the great Latin American/European/Asian regional traditions practiced in the US); with that said I think the percentage is still very small as compared to slide options...

[@charlyramirez3685]

Quite common In mexican bands

[@lethiapage4767]

These weird instruments fascinate me. Is this interchangeable with a slide trombone in an orchestra? And does it play similarly to other 3 button instruments in the brass family? For ex a lot of fingerings in trumpet translate to the French horn. Same same here?

[@Rob-oj9bj]

Whether or not it's interchangeable depends on the music you're playing and how particular the writer was. (are there glisses that require the smooth slide motion? Did the composer have a particular sound in mind or just write "low brass" parts? The sound is similar to a Trombone or baritone, as opposed to the Euphonium or French horn.) The fingerings are basically the same, at least until you exceed the normal range and have to figure out what's best for your specific instrument anyway.

[@vicdickenson3869]

Are there good v trombones being made today or is is better to find and old Conn?

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

A good question! While Yamaha, King, Bach and Jupiter all make valve trombones (falling between intermediate and professional in playing/response/quality) I'm not sure any of them match a good vintage Conn. With the shift in playing needs I don't think there has been the same attention on developing valve trombones as with slide options...

[@jackjohn6754]

where do i buy i valves trombone in the us

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

Specialty brass shops may have valve trombone options in stock; for example, we have the Jupiter JTB700V in our shop at the moment (IMHO the best valve trombone option at it's price range). Do you have a particular maker/design/price range in mind?

[@itznoxy7193]

Can it also slide or just valve?

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

It just has valves! There was a valve/slide trombone combination called the Superbone in the 1970s-80s but it was fairly impractical…

[@MOCHOLENCHO]

The Sinaloa (México) banda has german origins.

[@Juan_Bone09]

once I saw one with 4 valves

[@SchmittMusicTromboneShop]

They are somewhat rare but certainly around! Thanks for watching!

[@Juan_Bone09]

@@SchmittMusicTromboneShop and i saw one with 5

[@MexicanCrusader]

Peso pluma trumpbone

[@marcuslucas6260]

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘮 😑