What Is the Difference Between an Alto Trombone Vs. a Tenor Trombone?
Trombones fall under the family of brass instruments. The modern trombone family consists of the alto trombone, bass trombone, tenor trombone and contrabass trombone. These instruments are frequently sounds heard in an orchestra. However, the 18th century was the first time someone used a trombone in the orchestra. Trombones range from an E beneath the bass clef to above the middle C to a B-flat.
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Trombone Characteristic
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Trombones have a cylindrical bore and a slide unlike other types of horns. You move the slide up or down to adjust the tubing in the trombone to change the harmonic series. The instrument produces various pitches by the vibration of your lips. In addition, trombones have seven different positions within the slide. Trombones come in four sizes, with the soprano being the smallest while the tenor trombone is the longest. The alto trombone is smaller than a tenor trombone, but bigger than a soprano trombone.
Notes
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Manufacturers make alto trombones four pitches above the tenor trombone, which is an E-flat. However, some manufacturers produce alto trombones in the key of F. An alto trombone offers limited pitches compared to the tenor trombone. A tenor trombone is the most common instrument in the trombone family, according to the Music at Virginia Tech website. It produces notes in the key of a B-flat. However, some manufacturers make tenor trombones starting in the note of C.
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Valve Configurations
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Tenor trombones have a variety of valve configurations. Some people may refer to the valve as the trigger. The valve lowers the pitch of the instrument. Trombones without a valve usually have small to medium bores. For example, it can span from 0.490 to 0.542 inches. A tenor trombone with at least one valve has medium bores that spans from 0.525 to 0.542 inches. Additionally, some instrument makers produce convertible tenor trombones, which the valve section comes off to lighten the trombone when a musician isn't playing the instrument.
Mouthpieces
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The alto trombone mouthpiece is the same as the tenor trombone mouthpiece. Many musicians who play alto trombones also play tenor trombones. These musicians frequently select mouthpieces that have matching edges, but contain different backbones and cups.
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