Despite hundreds of years of existence, even until the early 2000s the contrabass trombone was not a widely known member of the trombone family. In recent years there have been many developments leading to increased usage and acceptance. This increased usage stems from the key elements of accessibility and advancement in design. The available literature about the contrabass trombone is limited. New information that has become available recently does not identify the causes for the contrabass trombone’s increase in popularity.
In this thesis I document the expanded usage of contrabass trombone through interviews with thirteen professional trombonists who use contrabass trombone. This thesis also includes a review of available literature, an overview of compositions since 1800 that include contrabass trombone, and a discussion of advances in manufacturing that have revolutionized contrabass trombone performance. Specific events led to the contrabass trombone becoming more accessible to those who were interested in it. Trends in manufacturing and music production have made the contrabass trombone easier to play and use.
This project shows that over time, along with the innovations and design improvements of the entire trombone family, the contrabass trombone is being used more regularly because it has grown increasingly user-friendly and desirable in compositions where its unique timbre is warranted. This has led to the contrabass trombone gaining acceptance as a true member of the trombone family: worthy of study, application, and usage.