A GUIDE TO THE

DIFFERENT PARTS
OF A TROMBONE
WHAT IS A TROMBONE?

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with

all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating
lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate.
ANATOMY OF A TROMBONE
The trombone is made up of three main components:

- the bell section

- the slide
- the mouthpiece

These three components are regularly disassembled/assembled and are kept apart in the instrument’s case.
The slide is joined to the bell section by a threaded nut or
collar and you have to make sure the threads line up so this
connection is tight and the angle between the slide and bell
section cannot change.

This angle should be 90o (right angle) or slightly less

depending on the size of your hand and what is comfortable.

The mouthpiece is not fastened to the slide, it simply sits in the

opening of the tube. If you gently press the mouthpiece in it
will not move around, however, be careful not to strike the
mouthpiece as it can sometimes get stuck.
 Trombone Mouthpiece

We’ll start by looking at the Mouthpiece which is essentially a funnel and is the part
of the instrument that you blow into.

Mouthpieces come in various sizes, and trombonists often have a few different ones
that they use in different musical contexts.

However, as a beginner, it is often recommended that you don’t change your

mouthpiece too often as it takes time to get used to any one model.
affects the way the mouthpiece feels to
play and the sound it produces.
Generally, smaller mouthpieces make a
brighter sound and make it easier to play
higher.
Different manufacturers have different
ways of labeling the measurements of a
mouthpiece but to help explain here’s a
handy guide.
Usually, a lower number correlates to a