At 4:42 PM -0400 6/23/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In a message dated 6/23/06 3:27:17 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
1. The only modern contrabass trombone I've EVER heard of is in BB-flat,
though some today add an F trigger. Both of these are an octave lower than
the tenor-bass instrument used today, regardless of its boresize.
Actually, Mirafone makes one that is pitched in F.
Gentlemen, we are arguing semantics, and my only concern is with
sound. Nomenclature for low instruments is and always has been
variable, as have standards of construction and tuning. Mirafone or
any instrument maker can slap any label they want on any instrument
because there are no international standards. Look at the tuba
family(s) if you want a REAL can of worms! I have played on a Bach
BBb contrabass VALVE trombone owned by Indiana University (a real
piece of crap with an ugly, stuffy tone, and I don't think my chops
were THAT bad!), and examined but not played a real 4-tube BBb
contrabass at the Conn museum when it was still in Elkhart.
The conventional definition of a contrabass instrument is one an
octave below the bass instrument of the family, but yes, there are
intermediate-pitched instruments in many families that can be labeled
bass, contrabass, or whatever, including the Eb (or EEb) contra-alto
clarinet (now there's a semantic mess for you!), the greatbass
recorder in C, and any of the trombone variants that are being
discussed. Henry is absolutely right; the only thing that matters is
the specific tone quality in a given range.
John
--
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
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