There was a part I had in college where the bass went to a High C over the first trombone who had an Ab.
The reason I got was basically the bass bone has a different tone than a tenor in that range, and the composer wanted a rounder sound than a tenor.
The bass trombone, like any brass instrument, has no hard upper limit to its range - it's all down to the player's chops. The standard recommendation is to avoid writing anything higher than F above the staff, but when writing for professional players, it's perfectly feasible to go a fifth beyond that (or even more), especially if it's just a short burst.
It’s gonna be the same as for a tenor player. The bass trombone just allows you to have an easier time with low notes. There isn’t a limit to the top just as with any brass instrument. Just take it slow building your range. Add a half step to your chromatic scale everyday and it’ll seem easy once you get there
Absolutely yes. I play these notes on bass trombone all the time. Some orchestral bass trombone parts go into the high range on occasion, such as Farandole and Hary Janos. There are high A's and B's in those.
I do mean that high F, and I don’t know what your skill level is but I’m a professional player and I try to keep my range consistent through to that high F. I double on bass and tenor.
Of course they can. Believe it or not, the majority of notes played by bass trombones in the orchestral repertoire are above the staff. Good mastery of as many octaves as possible is a must for all trombonists, regardless (within reason) of how much tubing is on the instrument.
It’s something a now-retired professional bass trombonist told me. Based on his resume alone, I’m inclined to believe that statement. Especially if you consider most French rep, when they were writing for three tenors instead of two tenors and a bass.
It's a 3rd trombone part in most orchestral settings, not specifically written for a bass 'bone. Most 3rd parts are written in the staff, but many go well above that. Get used to it.
Currently playing the bass part for a videogame orchestra. On one piece I'm playing mostly between G1 and C3. At the end of it, I'm playing B4 and C5. 🤣🤣🤣 It's both lovely and miserable, as it's the last piece of the concert.
Its an arrangement of Raphael's theme from Baldur's Gate 3. It's fun. It's high. It's fun. 🤣🤣
Yep, but it isn't ideal and takes some work. You can get more face into the larger mouthpiece so your muscles aren't as physically hindered. However, notes in the upper register take some really fast air.
Absolutely, but will depend on your mouthpiece and facial muscles. I would swap out mouthpieces depending on the tune. Shallower cup if it went up a little higher or deeper cup for lower stuff. Totally unnecessary to change the score from bass clef to tenor clef for just a couple of bars.
Unusually high but not impossible. But why isn't a tenor trombone or French horn playing this, especially since it is a solo?
Also, write the solo either all in tenor clef or all in bass clef.
Sure, they can hit those notes (depending on the player’s chops), but it’s marked “Solo” at bar 9. I’d put that Solo in another trombone part, 1st or 2nd, because it will be quite difficult, if not impossible, for a bass trombonist to play that passage effectively and cut through… even for a seasoned professional.
You're not likely to ever see anything higher than a 3rd ledger line “G” written for bass bone, definitely not a high "C."
(EDITED for my stupid grammar and inability to write clearly)
Yeah just takes lots of effort. Takes like months of range training. When I first came up upon problems with my range not being high enough I just thought it would come to me. But to my surprise that never happened of course. I could never reach a Bb4 on my tenor trombone and would chop out or squeak on anything that was higher than a F4. But what I did to fix this was this one warm up exercise that I would do. It involved doing long tones from the middle of my range to the very bottom of my range. So it would be like F3 all the way to B2, Bb all the way to F2 and so on. Then after you do this just do glisses on the slide starting from 1st position to 6th going up ranges after each gliss until you reach your top range. This exercise helped expand my range from barely reaching Bb4 to easily hitting F5 in about 3 months time.
Now I’ve been playing trombone for about 5 years from 6th grade middle school to right now in the end of my sophomore year. So trust me or not, I’m no professional, but I will say this advice helped me greatly expand my range.
Yes, but I wouldn't want to be on first chair for the part where the bass goes to high C
Or second. Or third.
There was a part I had in college where the bass went to a High C over the first trombone who had an Ab. The reason I got was basically the bass bone has a different tone than a tenor in that range, and the composer wanted a rounder sound than a tenor.
Could be a Beethoven's 9th type situation where only the Bass is playing
The bass trombone, like any brass instrument, has no hard upper limit to its range - it's all down to the player's chops. The standard recommendation is to avoid writing anything higher than F above the staff, but when writing for professional players, it's perfectly feasible to go a fifth beyond that (or even more), especially if it's just a short burst.
my hs jazz stuff goes up to Eb above that 🥲
on bass trombone? I hope not.
nah it’s lead
That's not highschool level repertoire then...
It’s gonna be the same as for a tenor player. The bass trombone just allows you to have an easier time with low notes. There isn’t a limit to the top just as with any brass instrument. Just take it slow building your range. Add a half step to your chromatic scale everyday and it’ll seem easy once you get there
Yes but they will never stop complaining about it
Unrelated, but what a weird place for the transcriber to switch to tenor clef
Yes. I hear Ben Van Dijk do it often.
Absolutely yes. I play these notes on bass trombone all the time. Some orchestral bass trombone parts go into the high range on occasion, such as Farandole and Hary Janos. There are high A's and B's in those.
Farandole is a publishing error; they mixed up the first and third parts. It sure is fun watching the struggle from the principal chair...
Is that so? I played it without issue in my orchestra, ha!
The bass trombone would not be the limiting factor. The limitations would primarily be on the capability of the player.
I hate playing above Ab =p
The instrument is capable yes. The player is the main factor here. :)
Yes. As a bass trombone player I try to keep all the way up to the high F in my wheelhouse all the time.
As a lead player I have troubles going to high F! (If you mean the 6th ledger line F)
I do mean that high F, and I don’t know what your skill level is but I’m a professional player and I try to keep my range consistent through to that high F. I double on bass and tenor.
Yeah, but it could induce suicidal thoughts.
Tenor and bass trombone are the same length and therefore have the same range.
Same lengths, very different temperaments. The players, I mean.
Yes, easily. There is bass trombone repertoire that is written higher.
You seem fun at parties
Yes but very unideal
See if you can find a recording of Charlie Vernon playing "Barnacle Bill the Sailor", particularly the ending,and let us know.
Of course they can. Believe it or not, the majority of notes played by bass trombones in the orchestral repertoire are above the staff. Good mastery of as many octaves as possible is a must for all trombonists, regardless (within reason) of how much tubing is on the instrument.
Hmm... I wouldn't agree that most of the notes are above the staff. Yes, there are plenty but most are in the staff.
It’s something a now-retired professional bass trombonist told me. Based on his resume alone, I’m inclined to believe that statement. Especially if you consider most French rep, when they were writing for three tenors instead of two tenors and a bass.
I mean, if he's French then I would believe it! But otherwise, no.
If you’re playing Bizet that makes sense.
It's a 3rd trombone part in most orchestral settings, not specifically written for a bass 'bone. Most 3rd parts are written in the staff, but many go well above that. Get used to it.
Sure. Shouldn’t too much of a problem. It will sound different than a Tenor C but easily done.
Absolutely, there's no limit to how high you can play as long as your lips can handle it
Currently playing the bass part for a videogame orchestra. On one piece I'm playing mostly between G1 and C3. At the end of it, I'm playing B4 and C5. 🤣🤣🤣 It's both lovely and miserable, as it's the last piece of the concert. Its an arrangement of Raphael's theme from Baldur's Gate 3. It's fun. It's high. It's fun. 🤣🤣
Yes. That high C is about the top of the useable range, but yes you should be able to play all of that.
Yep, but it isn't ideal and takes some work. You can get more face into the larger mouthpiece so your muscles aren't as physically hindered. However, notes in the upper register take some really fast air.
I can on bass but I main tenor so that's probably why
Sadly yes. It huts tho!
Absolutely, but will depend on your mouthpiece and facial muscles. I would swap out mouthpieces depending on the tune. Shallower cup if it went up a little higher or deeper cup for lower stuff. Totally unnecessary to change the score from bass clef to tenor clef for just a couple of bars.
Tuba regularly does
Maybe in solo rep, not a lot of high Cs generally
Unusually high but not impossible. But why isn't a tenor trombone or French horn playing this, especially since it is a solo? Also, write the solo either all in tenor clef or all in bass clef.
Sure, they can hit those notes (depending on the player’s chops), but it’s marked “Solo” at bar 9. I’d put that Solo in another trombone part, 1st or 2nd, because it will be quite difficult, if not impossible, for a bass trombonist to play that passage effectively and cut through… even for a seasoned professional. You're not likely to ever see anything higher than a 3rd ledger line “G” written for bass bone, definitely not a high "C." (EDITED for my stupid grammar and inability to write clearly)
Wh tis this from?
Looks like "The dance of Yao"
Thank you!
Dance of Yao, nostalgic
What?! Tenor clef in the bass trombone part? Oh no!
The instrument is capable. Is the player?
Yeah just takes lots of effort. Takes like months of range training. When I first came up upon problems with my range not being high enough I just thought it would come to me. But to my surprise that never happened of course. I could never reach a Bb4 on my tenor trombone and would chop out or squeak on anything that was higher than a F4. But what I did to fix this was this one warm up exercise that I would do. It involved doing long tones from the middle of my range to the very bottom of my range. So it would be like F3 all the way to B2, Bb all the way to F2 and so on. Then after you do this just do glisses on the slide starting from 1st position to 6th going up ranges after each gliss until you reach your top range. This exercise helped expand my range from barely reaching Bb4 to easily hitting F5 in about 3 months time. Now I’ve been playing trombone for about 5 years from 6th grade middle school to right now in the end of my sophomore year. So trust me or not, I’m no professional, but I will say this advice helped me greatly expand my range.
i've seen a tuba hit it in a hebron HS marching band show (I think), so you got this!
In high register bass trombone have the same range as tenor.
Easily
Yes but very unideal
If you flip it upside down.