The trombone belongs to the brass family of musical instruments, which includes trumpets, tubas and horns.
History
The trombone was invented in the late 15th century by Flemish instrument makers in Burgundy, a region of modern-day France. It was constructed as an improved version of the slide trumpet.
Types
The types of trombones differ based on construction and sound. The different types are tenor, tenorbass, bass, contrabass, alto, soprano, sopranino and piccolo. These days, the most common trombones are tenor and bass.
Names
The word "trombone" is Italian, meaning "large trumpet." The English name for early trombones was "sackbut." The trombone is called "posaune" in German and "basun" in Swedish.
Strange Fact
In January 1996, a band musician caused a death when he moved the slide of his trombone too vigorously, hitting the trumpeter in front of him in the head.
Fun Fact
The oldest trombone that exists today is on display at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany. It was made by Erasmus Schnitzer in Nuremberg in 1551.