[Trombone-l] A question on alternate(?) positions.

[dclason@nmsu.edu]

> I'd like to be useful to this choir rather than just making flatulent
> noises behind a stand,

And you want to be different from the rest of the trombonists for what
reason?

> So, I have a question on alternate positions after reading the '51
> Positions' thread.  Do you use alternate positions whenever it is the most
> convenient (in terms of same slide direction or short position changes),
> or
> do you reserve them for technical passages when it is difficult otherwise?
> In other words, would a competent trombone player be concerned about slide
> direction and slide travel distance for a passage if playing standard
> positions didn't affect the musicality of the passage in question?

Alternate positions are used for four basic reasons:

(1) intonation.  A "D" in the key of G is NOT the same as a "D" in the key
of Bb.  Being able to raise the pitch of the fifth slightly is VERY
useful, and VERY impossible in first position on most trombones. 
Exception: if you tune with the slide extended 1/2" or so you can
carefully raise the pitch of first position notes.

(2) to simplify technically difficult passages.  Usually this means that
you're moving in the 'same' direction that the slide is already moving. 
Not having to change the momentum of the slide is helpful in fast
passages.

(3) to change the timbre of the sounding note.  To my ear, notes in the
'out' positions are somewhat 'darker' (lacking in upper overtones?) than
those in the 'in' positions.

(4) to play "across the grain" in the upper register.
>
> As a reference, on clarinet, for many notes we have a basic fingering and
> then alternates that come into play when it is technically difficult (or
> impossible!) to reach the basic fingering from the previous or next note.
> However, alternate fingerings are not usually preferred when the basic
> fingering is reachable due to tuning or tone quality concerns.  Does such
> an
> distinction exist for trombone?
>
> Thanks,
> Jeremy
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