Edwards solution to the Bartok B-natural-to-F glissando
Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 11:56 pm
The very exposed B-natural-to-F glissando in Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra was written for an F bass trombone. It cannot be played as a true glissando on a 2-valve Bb bass trombone.
I don’t know the name of the player in the photo, but the instrument is the bell from a single valve Bb bass trombone fitted with an Edwards double slide that turns the open bugle into the pitch of F.
As the shifts are of the same length as on an alto trombone in F due to the double slide, I have a strong suspicion that this slide has a length allowing for more than 7 positions within the reach of a normal right arm.
One may say that this is a costly solution for one very brief excerpt, but I have wondered, if it actually could be a shortcut to a contrabass trombone in F for players already having a Bb bass trombone that they like.
The bore would be narrower than the bore of the real contrabass trombones in F, but wider than the widest British basstrombone in G, the Imperial with a valve in D or in C. And the valve slides of some Bb bass trombones, like of my King 7B, could be pulled to act as C, respectively Db, valves on the F version with a double slide. That should make full chromatism down to pedal F possible.
One potential problem would be whether the octaves and fifths of the open bugle would be sufficiently in tune with themselves. Also whether the slide positions would be reasonably predictable between the partials.
I haven’t played my Pfretzschner alto trombone in F as musch as I have played my Eb alto trombones, but the shorter shifts should be manageable.
Main problem might be whether Edwards will make such slide with a stub fitting the receiver of my King 7B.
Klaus
I don’t know the name of the player in the photo, but the instrument is the bell from a single valve Bb bass trombone fitted with an Edwards double slide that turns the open bugle into the pitch of F.
As the shifts are of the same length as on an alto trombone in F due to the double slide, I have a strong suspicion that this slide has a length allowing for more than 7 positions within the reach of a normal right arm.
One may say that this is a costly solution for one very brief excerpt, but I have wondered, if it actually could be a shortcut to a contrabass trombone in F for players already having a Bb bass trombone that they like.
The bore would be narrower than the bore of the real contrabass trombones in F, but wider than the widest British basstrombone in G, the Imperial with a valve in D or in C. And the valve slides of some Bb bass trombones, like of my King 7B, could be pulled to act as C, respectively Db, valves on the F version with a double slide. That should make full chromatism down to pedal F possible.
One potential problem would be whether the octaves and fifths of the open bugle would be sufficiently in tune with themselves. Also whether the slide positions would be reasonably predictable between the partials.
I haven’t played my Pfretzschner alto trombone in F as musch as I have played my Eb alto trombones, but the shorter shifts should be manageable.
Main problem might be whether Edwards will make such slide with a stub fitting the receiver of my King 7B.
Klaus
