Why wasn't I allowed to play the trombone?

[LizardKing]

After hearing Harold from Neighbours playing his trombone I think you(r family) had a lucky escape!

That was the Tuba was it not?

 

[Amp34]

Maybe.

Still, all brass instruments are terrible so...

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

To see whether you've got perfect or relative pitch.

I have perfect pitch and trombone (or any brass or wind instruments) are a no-no to me. This is because they play in "concert pitch" which is 2 semitones out from real pitch. So I play what was meant to be a C on the trombone but my ears hear it as Bb. I would not be able to concentrate on playing the instrument if I'm reading the music sheet in one key and then hearing it in another key.

 

[SubScape]

Surely even if he didn't have a great pitch, he was 10 and wanted to learn, surely that would have gotten better over time and they shouldn't have just dismissed him so quickly?

 

[mame]

Your arms were too short

 

[russ0r]

For the same reason stringed instruments are out, with the possible exception of the guitar.

Fretless stringed instruments you mean.

I had a mate who played trombone at school. Rebecca Black probably had more talent in her little finger than he did. He was rubbish. They still let him play!
Sounds like your music teacher was a bell end to be honest.

 

[J.B]

Your arms were too short

I seem to remember the man measuring everyones arms to determine who can play

 

[Meridian]

Fretless stringed instruments you mean.

Which in an orchestra would be all of them. Except the occasional guitar if that was their bent. This a school: they would not be auditioning for a band.


M

 

[Dunks]

This. All the other brass instruments (and woodwind for that matter) have absolute pitch set by opening and closing valves, but trombone requires the slide to be precisely opened to a point set solely by the player. The player gets feedback from the note they create to tell if they've got it right. If you haven't got perfect pitch - or a good copy - then you won't get the slide position correct. For the same reason stringed instruments are out, with the possible exception of the guitar.


M

Interesting.

Well I was able to play the Cello, so guess I must've done alright .

Really wish I continued it though, might take it back up!

 

[Blue160]

This. All the other brass instruments (and woodwind for that matter) have absolute pitch set by opening and closing valves, but trombone requires the slide to be precisely opened to a point set solely by the player. The player gets feedback from the note they create to tell if they've got it right. If you haven't got perfect pitch - or a good copy - then you won't get the slide position correct.

Not quite right

I play trombone professionally, and I don't have perfect pitch. More to the point neither do the vast majority of the musicians I work with. Relative pitch, which is hearing the intervals between notes is the important one.

I also teach trombone a couple of days a week, and I've never found a kid with an ear so bad you can't even start.

I suspect the visiting brass teacher was a trumpeter. They're always scared of teaching trombone

 

[craptakular]

Was it rusty?

 

[memyselfandi]

This. All the other brass instruments (and woodwind for that matter) have absolute pitch set by opening and closing valves, but trombone requires the slide to be precisely opened to a point set solely by the player. The player gets feedback from the note they create to tell if they've got it right. If you haven't got perfect pitch - or a good copy - then you won't get the slide position correct. For the same reason stringed instruments are out, with the possible exception of the guitar.


M

The French Horn can be interesting as it has a higher number of notes which are commonly played just by using the embouchure than the other valved brass instruments. Valve positions are different too, for the octave below middle C (as written) the valve positions are the same as, say, a trumpet or tuba, but the next octave is completely different and then above that you can pitch it purely on embouchure with no valves (if you know what you are doing).

Good relative pitch also helps if you are sight transposing as a double check that you are doing it right.

I didn't play Trombone but did play French Horn at school for 11 years up to, and including, county level.

 

[timbob]

I have perfect pitch and trombone (or any brass or wind instruments) are a no-no to me. This is because they play in "concert pitch" which is 2 semitones out from real pitch. So I play what was meant to be a C on the trombone but my ears hear it as Bb. I would not be able to concentrate on playing the instrument if I'm reading the music sheet in one key and then hearing it in another key.

You could learn to read bass clef - trombone reads at concert pitch then (stupid instrument!)

I'm a bit late to the thread, but as has been said, I suspect the teacher in the OP was looking for people who had the ability to sing the first few notes of a scale in tune. He was probably looking for a certain level of relative pitch to begin with.

Unlike perfect pitch though, relative pitch is a skill, not a gift. So over the years you get better and better, and you definitely do need it for instruments with keys and buttons for the individual notes. Even though a sax has a different fingering position for each note, playing it properly in tune is HARD!