alto in treatises _ will kimball

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ALTO TROMBONE in TREATISES, DICTIONARIES, and METHODS

1600-1925

Introduction: Below is a chronological listing of what many written sources have recorded about the alto

trombone throughout history, beginning in the 17th century and continuing through the first quarter of the 20th

century. These sources offer much useful historical information about key, use of the instrument, clef, etc.

Three things should be stipulated: 1) Not all sources are of equal importance. For example, Hector Berliozs

treatise carries significantly more weight than that of William James Henderson. 2) Sources are often

derivative. For example, much of the information in late 19th and early 20th century orchestration treatises

derives from Berliozs treatise. While the fact that a particular source is derivative may mitigate its historical

worth to a certain extent, it can also illustrate influence. 3) Finally, it goes without saying that not all sources

contain accurate information, which is one reason that looking at broad overall patterns may be useful. All of

the below references are listed in the Alto Trombone Bibliography, most of them in the Primary Sources

section.

Summary of Alto Trombone Keys:

OVERALL KEY TOTALS:

41 D/E-flat

4 F

2 B-flat

1 E

GERMANY: 14 D/E-flat, 1 B-flat

Praetorius (1619)D

Speer (1697)D

Niedt (1721)D

Majer (1729)D

Christoph and Stssel (1736)D

Eisel (1738)D

Koch (1802)D

Frhlich (c. 1811)B-flat/E-flat (contradictory)

Riemann (1882)E-flat

Saro (1883)E-flat

Jadassohn (1889)E-flat

Schroeder (1889)E-flat

Hofmann (1893)E-flat

o in Treatises : WILL KIMBALL file:///W:/__Collezione/_Trombone da riordinare/kimballtrombone/w...

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Mayerhoff (1913)E-flat

UNITED KINGDOM: 11 E-flat, 3 F, 1 E

Bertini (1830)E-flat

Mandel (1859)E-flat, E, F

Wirth (1870)E-flat

Prout (1877)E-flat

Stone/Grove (1879-90)E-flat, F

Hunter (1879-88)E-flat

Encyclopaedia Britannica (1888)E-flat, F

Corder (1896)E-flat

Vincent (1897)E-flat

Fitzgerald (1902)E-flat

Forsyth (1913)E-flat

FRANCE: 5 E-flat

Braun (c. 1795)E-flat

Kastner (1839)E-flat

Berlioz (1844)E-flat

Gevaert (1863)E-flat

Lavignac (1895)E-flat

AUSTRIA: 1 E-flat, 1 B-flat

Seyfried/Albrechtsberger (1826)E-flat

Nemetz (1827)B-flat

BELGIUM: 3 E-flat

Mahillon (1897)E-flat

Ergo (1908)E-flat

Gilson (1921)E-flat

ITALY: 1 E-flat

Galli (1898)E-flat

US/CANADA: 6 E-flat, 1 F

Coon (1883)E-flat


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Claus (1884)E-flat

Olker (1889)E-flat

Henderson (1899)E-flat

L. Elson (1900)E-flat

A. Elson (1922)F

White (1924)E-flat

Conclusions: Obviously, one of the things that becomes most readily apparent upon examining these sources

is the key of the alto trombone. Throughout trombone history, the vast majority of written sources have

considered the alto trombone an instrument in the E-flat orbit (D, E-flat, F). This fact becomes clear from both

the written materials and the many diagrams pictured with them (see below). Another noteworthy matter

concerns the ubiquity of the alto trombone; the number and variety of authors who have included alto

trombone in their discussions of the trombone is striking. (On these two subjects see also Extant Altos.)

Finally, although exceptions can be found (particularly in printed music), it would appear that writers of

historical treatises have very consistently associated alto trombone with the alto clef.

The Sources:

c. 1600Italy: Aurelio Virgiliano offers

the earliest diagrammatic representation

of trombone slide positions in his treatise,

Il dolcimelo (Herbert, Sackbut 73). He

shows cornetto as the top voice, then lists

positions for alto trombone, tenor

trombone, and bass trombone, labeling

only 4 diatonically-numbered positions

for each (other notes would have been

extrapolated from the 4 basic positions).

The instruments in the diagram are

labeled C (cornetto), A (alto trombone), T

(tenor trombone), and B (bass trombone).

The heading reads, Nuova intavolatura

di tromboni per sonarli in concerto (see

facing image; public domain) (Virgiliano 51-52).

1619Wolfenbttel, Germany: Michael Praetorius writes the

following about alto trombone in the second volume of his treatise, Syntagma Musicum: Alto or discant

trombone (trombino, trombetta picciola), which can play discant parts perfectly well although the musical

quality produced by its small body is not as good as that of the ordinary trombone, which can be used to play

equally high parts after steady practice. Although Praetorius seems to equivocate about alto trombone in this

volume, the next volume, intended for the practical musician, provides numerous recommendations for using

the alto trombone, and names the range of e to a (above the bass clef) as the register at which he recommends

switching from tenor to alto (see below) (see facing image; public domain) (Praetorius II Crookes 43).


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1619Wolfenbttel, Germany: In the third volume of his

treatise, Syntagma Musicum, Michael Praetorius discusses use of alto trombone in several different settings.

The first is in the context of the cornett and violin choir: But if another C-3 clef is used besides the one for the

basset and other clefs noted above, it is better to use a sackbut together with the cornetts (if an alto sackbut

player who plays really well is available), and a Viol da bratio (Praetorius III Kite-Powell 159). Later he

mentions alto trombone in the context of choirs of trombones and curtals, naming it as a possible instrument

for the top voice of an ensemble with six sackbuts, curtals, or shawms (Praetorius III Kite-Powell 165).

Finally, while discussing clefs and transpositions, Praetorius

remarks, Not everyone playing in the alto clef on the ordinary tenor sackbut [gemeinen tenor- posaun] can

reach g anda lamire and even fewer on a chorist [double] curtal. If the first part is intended to be played a

fourth or fifth lower as an alto, that part must be played either on an alto sackbut [alt-posaun] or treble [single]

curtal [Zingel Corthol], that is, a small discant curtal [kleinen Cant-Fagot], or sung by an alto. Above all, one

must see to it when composing that no part ascends much more than an octave. Even though some chorist

[double] curtal players can play a g and tenor sackbut players [tenor-posaunen] can reach an aeven higher

at timesmost players generally cannot. For curtal players the highest note must remain d, and for sackbut

players, e (or at the highest, a) (Praetorius III Kite-Powell 167; see also original document, above). Lampls

translation is similar: Nobody can reach the g1 and a1 la-mi-rein alto [clef]on a common tenor

trombone, let alone on a Chorist-bassoon, when the first part, the cantus, is to be played a fourth or fifth lower,

as an alto. Therefore this part should be played either on an alto trombone orZingel-corthol, which is a little

Cant-bassoon, or sung by an alto. But one has to be careful in composing not to let any part ascend far beyond

the octave. For although some players manage to go up to g1 on Chorist-bassoons, to a1 on tenor

trombones and still higher yet, only a few are capable of doing this. Everyone else has to stop at d1 on the

bassoons and at e1, at the most a1, on trombones (Praetorius III Lampl 276). This is an extremely

important piece of performance practice information, one not traditionally highlighted by scholars, that offerssignificant clarification of Praetoriuss mixed statement in Volume II of the treatise. In all practicality, most

tenor trombone players cannot reach even an a above the bass staff, he says, so most trombonists will need to

begin playing alto trombone somewhere in the range of e-a above the bass staff. This practical information

tempers Praetoriuss earlier statement from Volume II considerably.

1620 Wolfenbttel, Germany: Woodcuts of

the various members of the trombone family

appear in Michael Praetoriuss Sciagraphia, a

collection of illustrations appended to his

treatise, Syntagma musicum. The trombones

pictured include alt or discant posaun

(comparable to modern alto), gemeine posaun

(comparable to modern tenor), quart- or quint-

posaun (bass trombones, fourth and fifth below


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tenor), and octav posaun (contrabass, an octave

below tenor). See facing image (Praetorius II,

plate 8; public domain image).

c. 1650Instrumentlischer Bettlermantl, an

anonymous musical compendium written in

both German and Latin, offers illustrations of 4

sizes of trombones with their respective slide

positions (Campbell, Instrumentlischer).

1697Ulm, Germany: Daniel Speer mentions

alto trombone along with tenor and bass

trombone in his treatise, Vierfaches

Musikalisches Kleeblatt. His description and

position charts show four diatonically-numbered

positions for each member of the trombone

family and indicate that, at this time, tenor

trombone is probably pitched in A, alto in D,

and bass in D (see facing image; publicdomain). The author provides, along with his

trombone description, two 3-part sonatas for

trombones (Speer Vierfaches 179-83). In a

separate section of the treatise, Speer discusses

how to organize music performances in a small

town, saying, Since the middle voices (alto,

tenor, and bass) are most commonly played on

viols or trombones in the churches, the guild

musicians suffer only the slightest disadvantage

in their accustomed wages by the students

playing these parts, though the guild musicians

make many idle complaints (Speer Vierfaches

204).

1713Hamburg, Germany: Johann Mattheson

writes the following in hisDas neu-erffnete

Orchestre: The most magnificent-sounding

tromboneis a type of trumpet, on which the notes are produced by pulling out and in, in conjunction with

blowing. There are large and small trombones, namely: small alto, large alto, tenor or large quart, and bass

trombone, which can form a full choir by themselves, but are used very rarely, except in church pieces and

solemn music (Guion, Trombone 25).

1721Hamburg, Germany: Friedrich Erhard Niedt discusses trombone in his treatise,Musicalischer

Handleitung, including mention of alto, tenor, and bass trombones. In the second edition, edited by Johann

Mattheson and published in 1721, Mattheson appends the following: Because the trombone is an instrument

which is known to few, except for trained wind players, I would like all the more to present its precise

compass, especially since, in the First Edition, it was dreadfully skipped over, and since many composers, who

would like to write music for trombones, because they sound so splendid, do not know how to write for them.

The alto trombone is discussed as an instrument in the key of D, the notes available in first position being

listed as d, a, d, f, a, etc. (Niedt 151-152).


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1729Schwabisch Hall, Germany: Joseph

Friedrich Bernhard Caspar Majer, organist at St. Katharina in Schwabisch Hall, Germany, discusses the

trombone family in his treatise,Museum musicum. He shows and describes a tenor in A and alto and quint

trombones in D (see facing 2 images; public domain) (Majer 42-43).

1736Chemnitz, Germany: The treatise Kurtzgefasstes musicalisches Lexicon, usually attributed to Johann

Christoph and Johann David Stssel, is published. Heavily influenced by Walthers Musikalisches Lexikon, it

mentions that alto, tenor, and bass trombone parts can all be played on tenor trombone. However, it also

discusses the pitch and positions of the true alto and bass trombones, clearly instruments considered to be in

the key of D: Alto and bass trombone have the same three positions, with d, a, d, f, a, and d in first

position; c, g, c, e, g, c in second; and f and b in third (Guion 36-39).

1738Erfurt, Germany: Johann Philipp Eisel, in his text

Musicus autodidactos, oder der sich selbst informirende

Musicus, describes the alto trombone as an instrument pitched

in D: What kind of slide positions do an alto and bass have?

As anticipated, they also have three positions, which are done

in one and the same way as the first ones described. The first

position, or to speak more clearly of it, if the trombone is not

extended at all, the range has D, A, D, F#, A, D, and in thealto clefs or notes after each other are D, A, D, F#, A, C, D

(Eisel 72; translation from Guion, Trombone 43). Eisel also

includes the following comment about clefs, indicating a

strong correlation between trombone type and clef: What is


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to be noted concerning the clefs? Nothing more than this, that

the alto trombone has the alto clef as prescribed in the parts,

where as the quint and quart trombones generally have the

bass clef as prescribed in the parts. Whoever understands then

that which was stated before will also be able to find their way

easily in this (see facing image; public domain) (Eisel 72;

translation from Guion, Trombone 44).

1790Vienna, Austria: Johann Georg

Albrechtsberger writes his treatise, Smmtliche Schriften ber Generalbass, wherein he says the following

about trombone: The first trombone should go with the alto, the second with the tenor, and the third, which is

now scarcely in use, with the vocal bass. This instrument requires rather slow than quick notes, and admits of

but few forced notes, which the trumpets alone produce readily. A quick movement must never be given to it in

obligato pieces (Albrechtsberger 264). He also writes, The Trombone (Posaunen, tromboni) are of three

kinds: bass, tenor, and alto. In every position of the slide, the trombone yields four, five, or six different

sounds.The compass of the bass trombone is from E1, through every semitone, up to G3; and of the alto

trombone from F2 up to E-flat4. Braun and Frlich have written methods or schools. Ahlsdorf, Bolke, Braun,

Dueller, Frlich, Hrbeder, Micke, Schmitt, Seeger, Segner, Ulbrich, etc. have handled this instrument

skillfully (Albrechtsberger 290). Albrechtsbergers alto trombone range chart (see facing image; public

domain), which includes a low e in 7th position on an E-flat alto trombone that was generally considered to

only have 6 positions at that time, should not necessarily be seen as an indication that it was actually intended

for a B-flat instrument, as falset tones (or lipped notes), had been in widespread use since as early as

Praetorius, particularly in the lower harmonics (Albrechtsberger 440). In addition, later editions of the treatise

clarify, clearly showing an alto trombone pitched in E-flat (see 1855, below).

c. 1795Paris, France: Trombonist Andr

Braun writes his method, Gamme et Mthode

pour les Trombonnes. The earliest moderntrombone method, it specifically states that

the alto trombone is in E-flat, the tenor and

bass in B-flat. An influential method bookit

informs several later methods, including

Frhlich and Nemetz (see 1811 and 1827,

below)the method book also provides an

alto trombone position chart clearly showing

an instrument in E-flat (see facing image;

public domain). Editions are subsequently

published in German and Italian (Weiner,

Braun; Weiner, Braun Revisited).


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c. 1795Paris, France: The earliest

book of etudes written specifically for trombone, Franois Ren Gebauers Six trios pour trios trombones

extraits de 50 leons pour la trombone bass, alto & tenor, is published. It is issued as a companion to Andr

Brauns Gamme et Mthode pour let Trombones, which specifically states that the alto trombone under

consideration is pitched in E-flat (see above). In addition to the top voice of the 6 trios, alto trombone materialincludes 7 alto trombone studies set in a relatively high register or f to e-flat (see facing image; public

domain) (Weiner, Gebauer).

1802Frankfurt, Germany: Heinrich Christoph Koch writes about the trombone family in hisMusikalisches

Lexikon: There are different sizes for this instrument which are called alto and tenor trombones. [Footnote:]

Years ago, they also had, aside from the then quite common trombone, another alto, or discant, trombone, a

quart trombone, and an octave trombone, which was one octave lower than the normal or common trombone.

He then describes the alto trombone as an instrument pitched in the key of D: On the alto or quint trombone,

the notes receive a different relationship to each other with the three just-described slide positions, for the first

provides d, a, d, f, a and c; the second c, g, c, e, g, and b; and the third f and b (Guion 82).

Frhlich

c. 1811Bonn, Germany: Joseph

Frhlich writes his method, Vollstndige theoretisch-pracktische Musikschule, which includes extensive

pedagogical material for the trombone family. Frhlich is somewhat contradictory. While he says, In modern

times, the three kinds of trombone are made similar in size in many places, and always similar in

construction, he later clearly states that the alto trombone is an instrument in E-flat: Almost all of the

foregoing [about the tenor trombone] is also true of the alto trombone, except that it is a fourth higher, making

the high notes even easier to get, and its fundamental is E-flat (Guion, Trombone 112-113). Finally, in his

trombone position charts, he clearly shows a tenor trombone in B-flat and an alto trombone in E-flat (see


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facing image for alto trombone; public domain; Guion 114-117, 300-309).

1819London, England: Charles Burney, author of the musical entries in Abraham Reess Cyclopaedia,

mentions the entire family of trombones: The instrument is made of brass, of which there are five sorts: canto,

alto, tenor, base, and double-base. It is much used in the large churches of Germany. They can produce all the

tones and semitones in gradation. The manner of writing for them is the same as for different voices, and on

the same staff of five lines (Guion, Trombone 92).

1826Vienna, Austria: Ignaz von Seyfried, in his

revision of Albrechtsbergers treatise of 1790 (Smmtliche Schriften), clarifies the pitch of the alto trombone as

E-flat, appending the facing alto trombone position chart (see facing image; public domain) (Albrechtsberger-

Seyfried). Not only was Seyfried in the unique position of having been a pupil of Albrechtsbergers, but he

proceeded to become an active Viennese composer and conductor as well. His versatility, explains Groves,

won him a unique place in Viennas musical life. He regularly conducted at least 2 orchestras in Vienna,

supplying them with numerous works himself, and was on friendly terms with many prominent musicians of

Vienna, including Mozart and Beethoven. Seyfried conducted the premiere ofFidelio, along with many other

early performances of important works of the era (New Grove, Seyfried 184).

1827Vienna, Austria: Andreas Nemetz writes his trombone method,Neueste Posaun-Schule. A mostlyunoriginal work derived from earlier methods of Frhlich and Braun, it differs from those methods (and the

vast majority of other written works) in that it categorizes all 3 trombones (alto, tenor, bass) as B-flat

instruments, supplying only a single position chart (Weiner, Nemetz).

1830London, England: Auguste Bertini, a musician active in France, Italy, and England, publishesNew

System for All Musical Instruments, an instruction book for a variety of instruments. He mentions alto, tenor,

and bass trombones, the alto pitched in E-flat (Myers, Fingering Charts).

1839Paris, France:

Jean-Georges Kastner, a

French composer and

theorist, writes Trait

Gnral

dInstrumentation, an

orchestration treatise that predates that of Berlioz and is adopted into the curriculum at the Paris Conservatory.

He provides a position chart for alto trombone clearly indicating an instrument pitched in E-flat (see facing

image; public domain) (Kastner-Woodward, Trait 313). Kastner also writes about the security and purity of

sound when using alto trombone in its middle register instead of tenor in its upper register: If they are used in

their middle register as much as possible, both alto and tenor trombone create a superb effect, because the

tones can always be attacked with frankness and purity [franchise et puret] (Kastner-Woodward, Trait 250).

1840Stuttgart, Germany: As recorded in hisDanses des morts, Jean-George Kastner reportedly hears a

chorale played each day from a balcony by a quartet consisting of cornett, alto trombone, tenor trombone, and

bass trombone: In 1840, while I was in Stuttgart, I heard every day a concert of sacred music performed by

four musicians who, according to custom, climbed the balcony of the tower to play a chorale, of which the first


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voice was played by the cornett, and the others by alto, tenor, and bass trombones (Kastner, Danses des morts

213). Kastner specifically describes the alto trombone elsewhere as an instrument pitched in E-flat (see 1839,

above).

1844Paris, France: Hector Berlioz describes the alto trombone in E-flat

(small trombone, or alto trombone in E-flat) in his highly influential Treatise on Modern Instrumentation

and Orchestration (see facing image; public domain) (Berlioz-Clarke 152). About the use of the alto trombone

he says, There are four types of trombone, each bearing the name of the human voice to which it most closely

approximates in range and tone. These last three [alto, tenor, and bass] are the only ones in general use. Still

it must be said that the alto trombone is not found in every French orchestra and that the bass trombone is

almost unknown in France (Macdonald 208). About clef he states, The alto trombone is written on the altoclef About key and nomenclature he says, With its slide in closed position the notes which may be

obtained with the lips are shown in Ex. 141a, the same series as that produced by the natural resonance of the

tube on horns, trumpets, cornets and all other brass instruments in E-flat. Hence the name little or alto

trombone in E-flat, as players call it, though this need not be specified in scores since it sounds at its written

pitch and is not one of the transposing instruments Although Berlioz offers a mixed opinion about the alto

trombone, he does have a few positive things to say, mentioning that the instruments high notes are very

useful and thus bemoaning, it is a matter for regret therefore that the alto trombone is now to be found in

very few of our French orchestras (Macdonald 208). In his discussion of valve alto trombone (which he

explains is pitched in E-flat or F), he is also complimentary: Melodic solos are frequently written for the alto

valve trombone. If well phrased, a melody can have considerable charm on this instrument. Although the

statement is in reference to valve alto trombone, Berlioz adds, But it is a mistake to believe it would have any

less charm on the slide trombone in the hands of a true virtuoso (Macdonald 228).

1844Hector Berlioz, in his orchestration textbook, includes 4 alto trombones (in E-flat; see above), 6 tenor

trombones, and 2 bass trombones in his dream orchestra (Macdonald 329).

1848Paris, France: Jean Georges Kastners treatise on military

music,Manuel Gnral de Musique Militaire, includes prints of a

number of different types of trombones used in military music,

including rear-facing trombone, double-slide trombone, and

several types of valve trombones (see facing image; public

domain). The note on the bottom of the page reads, There are, as

we know, three types of trombone, alto, tenor, and bass; but it is

simply a difference in size and not in the shape of the instrument

(Kastner, Militaire Pl. XVII).


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Albrechtsberger-Novello

1855England/Austria: In Novellos translation of Albrechtsbergers collected writings, J. G.Albrechtsbergers Collected Writings on Thorough-bass, Harmony, and Composition, edited by Seyfried, the

overtone series and range of the alto trombone is diagrammed, clearly showing an instrument in E-flat. The

overtone series diagram begins with 6th position and proceeds to 1st (see above image; public domain)

(Albrechtsberger-Novello 253).

1859London, England: Charles Mandel, Professor at the Royal Military School of Music, discusses alto

trombone in his Treatise on the Instrumentation of Military Bands. Although he describes altos in E-flat, E, and

F, as well as offering position charts for each, he comments that at the present time, instead of an alto, tenor,

and bass trombone, three tenor trombones are employed (Mandel 65). Later he mentions that [the alto] is

superseded by valved alt-horns, or by the tenor trombone; while, again, the bass trombone, being too

troublesome, is replaced by the bass valved instruments, or the tenor trombone (Mandel 67). However, heconcludes with his own unique proposal of a section of different sizes of trombones in relatively close keys:

For my own part, therefore, I should be inclined to employ the three trombones, with a slight difference of

key; choosing the first in C or D flat, the second in B flat, and the third as tenor-bass, supported by a bass

trombone, on which some of the bass notes might be doubled by means of the lower octave (Mandel 68).

1863Paris, France:

Franois Gevaert, who later

becomes director of the

Brussels Conservatory,

writes his influential Treatiseon Instrumentation, which

includes a slide position chart

and range diagram of the alto

trombone, revealing an

instrument in E-flat (See facing

2 images; public domain; Gevaert 241-242).

1867London, England: F. J. Fetis, in his orchestration guide published in the periodical The Musical World,

says, The compass of the trombone alto, like the bass trombone, is not alike in all countries; in Germany the

dimensions of the tubes being larger than in France, and the manner in which some portions of it are disposed

being different, the bass trombone descends to C, while in France, it only descends to EThe alto trombone isa fifth higher than the bass trombone, and descends to B-flat, reaching up to E-flat.Three parts are generally

written for the trombones, which are called bass trombone, tenor trombone, and alto trombone. The tenor

trombone part is sometimes played upon the bass trombone. Some composers write these three parts on the one


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set of lines, with the F, or bass clef; others the tenor part with the key or C upon the fourth line; others write

upon the same set of lines, the tenor and bass trombone parts, and on the next lines write the alto trombone

part. Others again write each part separately, and in the key of each instrument (Fetis 477).

1870London, England: Adam

Wirths trombone method, Posaunen-Schule fr Alt, Tenor und Bass-PosauneInstruction Book of the Simple

and Valve-Trombone, written in both German and English, is apparently intended for a wide audience. It

includes a Table of the different Trombones that shows alto trombone in E-flat, valve and slide tenors in

B-flat, and bass in F (see facing image; public domain) (Herbert, Trombone 192).

1877London, England: Ebenezer Prout, soon to become professor of composition at the Royal Academy ofMusic and later Guildhall School of Music, writes the following about alto trombone in his text,

Instrumentation: Formerly a soprano trombone seems to have been known, as we find it indicated in some of

Bachs scores. It is now, however, entirely obsolete; and even the alto trombone is not employed in France,

though in this country and in Germany it is frequently to be met with in the orchestra. THE ALTO

TROMBONE is in the key of E-flati.e., the natural sounds produced by the difference of embouchure when

playing with the slide closed for part of the harmonic series of that key.Three trombones are usually

employed in the orchestra: in England and Germany, an alto, a tenor, and a bass; and in France, three tenor

trombones. If a student bear this fact in mind he will see the reason for the difference in the treatment of the

instruments which he will find in French scores (e.g., those of Auber or Hrod), as compared with those of

German masters. (Prout, Instrumentation 87-88). Regarding notation and clef of the trombone family, hementions several different practices, while concluding that many give a separate line to each instrument, and

write each with its proper clef (Prout, Instrumentation 88).

1879London, England: William Alexander Barrett, British writer, critic, choirmaster, and Vicar-Choral of St.

Pauls Cathedral, writes the following about alto trombone in hisAn Introduction to Form and

Instrumentation: The Alto Trombone is not so frequently used in the orchestra as it should be, the players

preferring the convenience of the Tenor instrument, the tone of which, though good, lacks the soft brilliancy of

the Alto (Barrett 73-74).


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1879-1890London, England: Sir George Grove publishes the

first edition of his influentialDictionary of Music and Musicians. The trombone article, written by WilliamStone, includes a position chart for alto trombone, tenor trombone, bass trombone in G, and bass trombone in

F. Stone mentions that the alto trombone is pitched in F or E-flat, and the alto positions shown in the position

chart are clearly for an instrument in E-flat (see facing image; public domain) (Grove 1st ed. 177).

1879-1888London, England: Robert HuntersEncyclopaedic Dictionary, one of the most influential English

dictionaries of its type during the 19th century, mentions that the alto trombone is known as an E-flat

instrument: There are three kinds of trombones, called after their compass the alto, tenor, and bass

trombones.The alto trombone has a compass of more than two octaves and a half, and is also known as the

trombone in E-flat. It is written in the c clef, third line (Hunter 215).

1882Leipzig, Germany: Hugo Riemann, influential musicologist and professor at Leipzig University,publishes hisDictionary of Music, wherein he specifically mentions that the alto trombone in E-flat

(orchestral compass A to E-flat) is now somewhat rare (Riemann, Dictionary 809). Riemann also mentions

E-flat alto trombone in hisHandbuch of 1919 (see below).

1883Leipzig, Germany:

Heinrich Saro, German

composer, military

bandmaster, and trombonist,

publishes his text on

instrumentation for military

bands,

Instrumentations-Lehre fr

Militair-Musik, which

describes an alto trombone

in E-flat (see facing image;

public domain): The alto trombone is rarely represented in military music. It has an effective range of two

octaves and is written in alto clef. If the slide is closed, we obtain the following series of notes [see diagram,

above]. The second position gives the pitch of half a tone lower, etc. Trills are not written for the alto

trombone; likewise it is not possible to play the following figure: [see diagram, above] (Saro 17).

1883Cincinnati, Ohio: Oscar

Coon publishes his text,Harmony and Instrumentation, and says the following about the trombone in the

orchestra: In this country, the Alto and Bass are seldom seen, and the three Trombone parts are played on

Tenor Trombones. He indicates that the alto trombone is an E-flat instrument, offering a diagram of the pitch

range (see above; public domain). About notation, he says, Music for the Trombone is written in different

ways; some authors using the Bass clef for all three Trombones, while others write the three parts on different

staves, giving to each the proper clefAlto, Tenor and Bass. Others, again write the 1st and 2nd on one stave

in the Alto or Tenor clef, and the 3rd in the Bass clef (Coon 73).

1884Frederick Niecks, inA Concise Dictionary of Musical Terms,provides the following: Trombone. A

brass wind instrument with a slide, by which means it can extend its compass downwards, and produce all the

chromatic notes within this compass.Besides the notes comprised in the compasseach of the three


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trombones has four so-called pedal-notes: those of the alto and bass trombones, however, are bad and not

easily practicable; and of those of the tenor trombone (B-flat, A, A-flat, G), only the first three are good, the

fourth being difficult to produce.Three is the usual number of trombones employed in the orchestra. But the

bass trombone is becoming more and more rare, and instead of it a second tenor trombone is frequently

employed. In France we find even three tenor trombones. Besides the slide trombones there are also valve

trombones, which, however, are inferior with regard to tone (Niecks 246).

1884Boston, Massachessetts: J. B. Claus, whose The Structure of the Orchestra, appears inMusical

Herald, states, In the old scores, the trombone parts are written in alto, tenor, and bass clef respectively, and

the instruments used were of corresponding registers. The alto trombone, the smallest in size, was in the pitch

of E-flat. (Claus).

1888Edinburgh, Scotland: TheEncyclopaedia Britannica article on trombone mentions the family of

trombones, including alto in F and alto in E-flat: At present six trombones are more or less in use, viz., the

alto trombone in F, the alto in E-flat (formerly in D), the tenor in B-flat (formerly in A), the bass in G, the bass

in F (formerly in E), the bass in E-flat (formerly in D) (Baynes XXIII 587).

1889Leipzig, Germany: Salomon Jadassohn,

professor at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipzig, writes his orchestration text,A Course of Instruction

in Instrumentation. The text, soon translated into English, includes information about the alto trombone,

including a diagram of the overtone series of the E-flat alto trombone (see facing image; public domain;

Jadassohn 275). The author states, Formerly we always had three trombones in the orchestra, namely: alto,

tenor, and bass trombone. The last named instrument which is no more in useas previously remarked aboveis

admirably replaced by the tuba. The alto trombone is of less frequent use, for its higher notes, such as

one-lined B-flat, B and two-lined C can be taken much better by the valve-trumpet (Jadassohn 273).

1889Hamburg, Germany: Carl Schroeder explains the following about alto trombone in hisHandbook of

Conducting: There are alto, tenor and bass trombones, and with closed slide these have the following natural

notes: Alto Tromb. [shows harmonic series in E-flat].In many orchestras only tenor trombones are used, and

frequently only these are indicated by modern composers. But where the alto and bass trombones areprescribed by the composer, it should be seen to that such are played. (Schroeder 87).

1889Quincy, Illinois: Pierre V. OlkersMusicians Hand and Text Bookmentions alto, tenor, and bass

trombones, noting the following about alto: The E-flat Alto Slide Trombone with a notation in the Alto clef,

derives its name from the fact that the tones produced in the closed (first) position, are all intervals of the chord

of E-flat major (Olker 77). An overtone series in E-flat is notated on the following page (Olker 78).

1893Leipzig,

Germany: Richard

Hofmann, professor at the

Leipzig Conservatory,writes his instrumentation

treatise, Praktische

Instrumentationslehre.


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About the alto trombone Hofmann says, The alto trombone is the smallest and most easily handled of the

trombones now in use, and is written for in the alto clef. It is usually said to be an instrument in E-flat He

includes an alto trombone position chart, showing an instrument clearly in E-flat (see above image; public

domain) (Hofmann part 6, 26). Hofmann also mentions that the valve alto trombone is pitched in E-flat

(Hofmann part 6, 45).

1895Paris, France: Albert Lavignac, professor at the

Paris Conservatory, writes his treatise,La Musique et les Musiciens. About the trombone family he says,There are three varieties of slide trombone: the alto trombone, the tenor trombone, and the bass trombone,

which are each written in the clef suitable for the voice of which they bear the name He then offers the

range for each, showing an alto trombone apparently in E-flat (he later confirms this, saying the alto is pitched

a fourth higher than the tenor), the lowest note being the lowest pitch attainable on an E-flat instrument

(excepting pedal notes), and the highest being the 8th partial in first position (compare the tenor trombone

range offered, which shows comparable notes in B-flat) (see facing image; public domain) (Lavignac 142).

1896London, England:

Frederick Corder, British

conductor, writer, and professor of

composition at the Royal

Academy of Music in London, publishes his orchestration text, The Orchestra and How to Write for It: A

Practical Guide. Corder includes a diagram of the range of the alto trombone in E-flat (see above image;

public domain), commenting on the rarity of the alto and bass instruments, It is a great pity that practical

reasons have conduced to the almost entire abolition of all save the B-flat trombone; but it cannot be helped, so

we must accept the fact. He bemoans that cornets have to be used to fill in the valuable high notes of the

Alto trombone (Corder 58).


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1897Brussels, Belgium: Victor-Charles Mahillon, Belgian musician, instrument builder, and curator of the

Conservatoire museum in Brussels, writes an orchestration text that includes a fingering/position chart for the

trombone family of alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass. The chart clearly indicates an alto trombone in E-flat (see

above diagramclick for larger image; public domain) (Mahillon 34).

1897London, England: Charles Vincent, whose Scoring for an Orchestra had been originally appeared in

The Organist and Choirmaster, says, There are three trombones in general use in a complete orchestra, viz.:

the alto, tenor, and bass, though frequently the alto instrument is omitted, an additional tenor taking its place

(Vincent 30). Regarding the key and range of the alto trombone, he says, The alto trombone is in E-flat, and

has a compass, for practical purposes, from [notated c to d-flat''] (Vincent 31). And finally, he includes a

position chart for alto trombone, saying, The following are the notes produced from the seven positions on the

alto trombone in E-flat [position chart for E-flat alto trombone] (Vincent 32).

1897London, England: Ebenezer Prout writes about alto trombone in his treatise, The Orchestra. His

discussion is similar to his text,Instrumentation, from 20 years earlier, the main difference being his inclusion

of Italy with France as places where alto is not in use. Though the tenor trombone, of which we have beenspeaking, is the only one to be found in the orchestras of France and Italy, two other varieties are employed in

this country and in Germany. These are the alto and the bass trombone. Except in pitch, they exactly resemble

the tenor trombone, and will therefore need no lengthened description. The ALTO TROMBONE is a perfect

fourth higher than the tenor, its fundamental note, with the slide closed, being E flat. The pedal notes of this

instrument have never, so far as we know, been employed. Its tone, though somewhat less powerful than that of

the tenor trombone, is also brighter, especially in its upper notes. Its compass is from [A] to [E flat] [notates on

staves] with all the intermediate semitones; but its lower notes are of inferior quality, and are, besides, not

needed, as they lie in the medium of the tenor trombone. Its upper notes, on the other hand, are far superior to

the same notes on the tenor, and it is to be regretted that the instrument is not always to be found in our

orchestras (Prout, Orchestra 223-4). He later reiterates regional differences: In the enormous majority ofcases three trombones are employed in the orchestra. In France and Italy, as mentioned above, these are three

tenor trombones, in England and Germany, either alto, tenor, and bass or two tenors and bass. (Prout,

Orchestra 225). Finally, he comments on notation: There is no instrument in the orchestra as to which there is

so much diversity of practice, as regards notation, as the trombone. In one respect it differs from all the brass


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instruments hitherto treated; it is always written at its real pitch, as a non-transposing instrument. The older

masters mostly gave a separate staff to each trombone, using the alto, tenor, and bass clefs (Mozart: Don

Giovanni, second finale; Beethoven: Finale of symphony in C minor, Mass in D, &c.). In modern scores two

staves are more frequently employed, the alto and tenor trombones being written on the one and the bass

trombone on the other. Either the alto or tenor clef is used for the two upper trombones, the former being the

more common, probably because fewer leger [sic] lines are required if the part for the alto trombone lies high.

If there are two tenor trombones, instead of an alto and a tenor, the tenor clef is of course adopted. Examples of

this will be seen in Wagners later scores, though he sometimes, when the parts lie low, writes all thetrombones in the F clef (e.g. in the Prelude to Tristan und Isolde) (Prout, Orchestra 225).

1898Milan, Italy: Amintore Galli, professor at the Milan

Conservatory, writes his orchestration text, Strumenti e Strumentazione, in which he describes an alto

trombone in E-flat (trombone contralto), explaining that the instrument is comparable mechanically to the

tenor trombone, and showing the instruments pitch range (see facing image; public domain). He also

comments, In the orchestra, three trombones are used in chorus, in full harmony and sometimes majesticdrawn melodies, especially the alto trombone and tenor trombone (Galli 107-108).

1899Toronto, Canada: William James Henderson says the following in his orchestration text, The Orchestra

and Orchestral Music: In respect of register there are three principal kinds of trombonesalto, tenor, and

bass. The alto has a compass extending from A at the bottom of the bass clef to the E flat in the top space of

the treble clefThe alto trombone is in E flat.The tone of the trombone is grave and majestic, but it may be

made to rage hoarsely. In all solemn or broadly dignified music trombones play a conspicuous part

(Henderson 34).

1900Boston, MA: Louis C. Elson, author of the orchestration chapter ofFamous Composers and their

Works writes, The alto, tenor and bass trombones are used frequently in modern music although not regular

instruments of the classical orchestra..the clarinetist often uses the B flat clarinet in defiance of the will of

the composer, and many orchestras whose scores call for alto, tenor and bass trombones present all three parts

upon tenor, or B flat, trombones.The alto trombone is the smallest of the group and possesses the shortest

tube, therefore, the highest tone-series; its deeper register is weak, but the instrument is brilliant and effective

in its higher tones; it is called the E flat trombone from the fact that (with closed slides, or without touching its

keys) it gives the harmonic series of E flat. He then provides a position chart for alto trombone in E-flat

(Elson, Famous 137).

1902London, England: John Fitzgerald, London conductor and

arranger, writes hisModern Instrumentation for String, Military,and Brass Bands, in which he clearly shows ranges for an alto in

E-flat, tenor in B-flat, and bass in G (see facing image; public

domain) (Fitzgerald 35).


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1904Paris, France: Charles Widor, author of the influential

orchestration text, Technique de lorchestre moderne, comments

on the admirable timbre of the alto trombone, ranking the

instrument as an indispensable voice in the traditional quartet

of cornetto and 3 trombones: Despite its admirable timbre, akin

to that of the Trumpet in F, the Alto Trombone has now become

more or less obsolete, because its compass being much the same,

it is almost a duplicate of that magnificent instrument. It was acharacteristic German custom, on Sundays and Church holidays,

to have the Choral for the day played by a band of Cornet and

Trombone players, standing in the tower of the principal church.

Bach introduced this effect into his Cantatas, the brass instrument

group playing alone or doubling in unison each of the vocal

parts. So, the Cornetto and the Trombones were grouped

together, and the Alto became an indispensable voice in this

robust quartet (Widor 78).

1905Boston, MA: Louis Charles Elson, author ofElsons Music Dictionary, mentions alto trombone in

E-flat and shows the instruments harmonic series in E-flat (Elson, Dictionary).

1908Ixelles, Belgium: Emile Ergo, Professor of Harmony, Counterpoint, and Instrumentation at the Institute

of High Musical Studies, Ixelles, Belgium, authors the treatise,Dans les propyles de linstrumentation. About

the family of trombones and use of clefs he says, After the traditional rule, each species of trombone uses the

clef of the corresponding voice. He also clearly describes an alto trombone in E-flat, with the label

Trombone-alto (mi flat), followed by a staff with alto clef and a notated e-flat on the staff. He labels tenor

clef Trombone-tnor (si flat), followed by a staff with tenor clef and a notated b-flat on the staff (Ergo 38).

1911Clapp, in his text, The Wind Band and its Instruments, mentions Eb alto, showing its harmonic

series in E-flat.

1913Berlin, Germany: Franz Mayerhoff writes his

instrumentation treatise,Instrumentenlehre, in which he shows an alto trombone position chart for an

instrument that is clearly in E-flat (see facing image; public domain) (Mayerhoff 57).

1914London, England: Cecil Forsyth writes the following about the alto trombone in his orchestration text:

The Alto (or E-flat) Trombone: This Trombone is now practically obsolete. It is built in the key of E-flat, a

perfect fourth higher than the Tenor.The part was almost invariably written in the alto-clef, but the bass-clef

was used occasionally and conveniently for the lowest notes (Forsyth 139).

1919Berlin, Germany: Hugo Riemann,


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influential musicologist and professor at Leipzig

University, writes hisHandbuch der

Musikinstrumente, in which he diagrams the

range of the alto trombone, clearly an instrument

in E-flat (see facing image; public domain) (Riemann Handbuch 87).

1921Brussels, Belgium: Belgian composer and teacher Paul Gilson, former Professor of Composition at

Brussels Conservatory, writes the following in his treatise,Le Tutti Orchestral: The alto trombone, which has

fallen into disuse, was in E flata fourth above tenor trombone in B flat; the latter is the only one that remains

of the old trio of trombones. The alto trombone therefore climbed with relative ease up to E flat (see the 4th

movement of the 3rd Symphony by Schumann, 4th measure; this passage is cited by Gevaert in his Traite

dInstrumentation) (Gilson 58).

1922Boston, Massachusetts: Arthur Elson remarks in Orchestra Instruments and Their Use, The alto

trombone stands in F; that is to say, its fundamental tone is F, and its harmonic series with closed slides is

based on that note. Its lower register is inferior in quality, and as it corresponds to the best part of the tenor

trombone, it is never needed. But its upper notes are superior to the same tones on any other instrument of this

family, and they might well be included in some of our extensive modern orchestras (Elson, Orchestra 240).

1924Boston, Massachusetts: William C. White discusses the trombone family in his treatise,Military Band

Arranging, clearly stating the key of alto trombone: Trombones are built in E-flat alto (White 23).

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