Trombones / Sackbuts

The trombone is a member of the brass family.  Most trombones have a telescoping slide mechanism that varies the length of the instrument to change the pitch. However, some models also have a valve attachment, which lowers the pitch of the instrument. The word “trombone” derives from Italian Tromba (trumpet) and -one (a suffix meaning “large”), so the name means “large trumpet”.   It has a predominantly cylindrical tube (bore) that is bent into an elongated “S” shape.

The sackbut is a French term and a type of trombone which was commonly used during the Renaissance and Baroque eras. It has a telescopic slide that is used to vary the length of the tube to change pitch.  Unlike the slide trumpet from which it evolved; the sackbut has a U-shaped slide with two parallel sliding tubes.  This allows for playing scales in a lower range.