Joe Dixon 
Morning Y’all,
Finished the morning coffee with these thoughts…
I love bass trombone.
Bass trombone, like oboe, bassoon, and euphonium, is a color instrument. It can add tonal maturity to an ensemble. I love its roles partnering with tenor trombones, partnering with tuba, or acting as a tonal bridge between them.
Bass trombone, much like all brass instruments, is in a golden age – both in instrument design, as well as musical and technical performance.
In my own small world, it’s hard to believe that bass trombone has been a competitive all-state instrument only since 1970. It’s much more recent that bass trombone became an established member of high school ensembles. Today, some of the strongest music programs feature bass trombone in grades 7 and 8. Sadly, young bass trombonists are still not regular members of many middle school ensembles.
Here are some thoughts to both understand and promote bass trombone for young ensembles…
1. A good bass trombonist is a good trombonist. Bass trombonists should have the same skill level that you expect from your tenor trombonists. I use the example of medical school. All medical doctors get the same basic training, but then some become specialists.
2. I always prefer that the bass trombonist is one of the best three trombonists within a grade.
3. A young bass trombonist needs to be an independent minded player that likes the idea of playing a different instrument. They need to want to play bass trombone.
4. Treat the bass trombone as a separate instrument from tenor trombone. List them separately in a concert program. Have a 1st chair tenor and a 1st chair bass. Don’t treat them as just another 3rd part trombone.
5. Make sure you have a private instructor that understands bass trombone – it’s complicated. Also, keep that in mind when selecting young bass trombonists.
6. Bass trombone isn’t just about low register – it’s about SOUND.
Thoughts or questions?
Have a great week!
Joe Dixon
