"Contrabass trombone" typically
refers to a large trombone in F, usually having two triggers, and to an
instrument in BBb having a double slide (four tubes on the slide, rather
than two). The contrabass trombones to the right were
made by Lätzsch.
|
|
|
Nope, I don't own one. But,
Dick Tyack
does (Bass/Contrabass Trombone with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden).
Actually, his contrabass trombone is a custom-made EEb contrabass with
a short double slide. His contra, made by Thein, is pictured at right.
|
|
Thein also makes contrabass trombones in
F, like the one pictured here.
|
|
|
The contrabass trombone at left was made
by Voight
|
|
These two contrabass trombones were made
by Boosey-Hawkes, and are known as the "King Kong" models.
|
|
See also Doug
Yeo
, Bass Trombonist Boston Symphony Orchestra, for orchestral excerpts
that call for contrabass trombone (Wagner's "Das Reingold"). His
Gallery
includes pictures of his rare Conn BBb contrabass (towards the bottom of
the page).
The Woodwind &
Brasswind
carries a Mirafone BBb contrabass trombone (pictured at right): select
"view entire catalog", pick the Brasswind catalog, then the trombone section,
then the page of bass trombones.
|
|
Tom Izzo
pictured at right with a Mirafone BBb contrabass trombone.
|
|
Contrabass trombones didn't always have doubled
slides or multiple triggers: the original versions were just very, very long,
requiring a handle in order to extend the slide far enough.
A 17th century Oller in BBb is pictured at right, held by
Nicolas Eastop
. You can also hear BBb
on the horn, if you can play mp3 files.
|
|
|
Finally, we have a contrabass trombone of a
different shape altogether, wrapped like a helicon with a doubled slide.
|
All pictures courtesy of Johannes Mader
|
|