[Trombone-l] Alto 'bone

[Daniel Pliskin]

>I bought one of the infamous Selman alto trombones this week ...
>
>To my dismay, however, I've found that my range on the alto isn't any 
>higher
>than it is on tenor, in spite of the huge difference in horn size

Yes.  I found the same thing.  What I was hoping for was a smaller trombone, 
which I could take on a plane, but also, which sounded like my tenor but 
also allowed me to play higher stuff.  And that last part is unrealistic.

An alto trombone isn’t supposed to sound like a tenor.  It’s designed to 
sound like something between a trumpet and a tenor trombone.  And if I use a 
mouthpiece, which gives me that raspy, piercing sound, I’m able to play 
higher stuff.

It’s when I choose a mouthpiece that gives me a warm pleasant tone, like 
that of a tenor, that my high range goes away.

DanP