Does anybody have experience using the “Caroler’s Favorites” Salvation Army book with a trombone quartet?

Did you have to make any adjustments?

How successful was it?

Any impressions would be welcomed!

I'm not familiar with it. But it's likely to have tenor parts in treble clef.

I grew up in Salvation Army Bands. The best way to use those books for a Trombone Quartet is to play the 2nd part (alto line) up an octave, and play the others as they are. This will sound sort of like a Barbershop Quartet kind of harmony, but it works. The tenor line and the melody will be in a similar register, but if you don't take the alto line up, it will be really muddy, and unless you're Watrous or Alessi, the melody line is too high to play more than a tune or two up there. The alto line gets a bit tiring up the octave - I've never done it, but the couple of times I played that part, I wondered if it would be worth playing the version that's written for an E Flat instrument on an alto (no need to change the octave - it would be there already).

I have a set of parts in manuscript where a friend of mine transposed most of the tunes in those books into a higher key with the first parts (melody) on top of the quartet, which sounds more traditional. Those keys put the group into keys that are a bit high for the first, but more like high B flats and C's, rather than high F's if you were going to raise the originals up an octave. It makes the arrangements sound like traditional Trombone Quartet arrangements - the actual keys are different, not the notation.

I think they have books in Bass Clef (concert pitch) and other options now. My books are in either B Flat or E Flat (same keys - different notation).

Jim Scott

[quote="CalgaryTbone"]I grew up in Salvation Army Bands. The best way to use those books for a Trombone Quartet is to play the 2nd part (alto line) up an octave, and play the others as they are. This will sound sort of like a Barbershop Quartet kind of harmony, but it works. The tenor line and the melody will be in a similar register, but if you don't take the alto line up, it will be really muddy, and unless you're Watrous or Alessi, the melody line is too high to play more than a tune or two up there. The alto line gets a bit tiring up the octave - I've never done it, but the couple of times I played that part, I wondered if it would be worth playing the version that's written for an E Flat instrument on an alto (no need to change the octave - it would be there already).

I have a set of parts in manuscript where a friend of mine transposed most of the tunes in those books into a higher key with the first parts (melody) on top of the quartet, which sounds more traditional. Those keys put the group into keys that are a bit high for the first, but more like high B flats and C's, rather than high F's if you were going to raise the originals up an octave. It makes the arrangements sound like traditional Trombone Quartet arrangements - the actual keys are different, not the notation.

I think they have books in Bass Clef (concert pitch) and other options now. My books are in either B Flat or E Flat (same keys - different notation).

Jim Scott[/quote]

Interesting! I figured there was no easy shortcut. Might be cool to do the”barbershop” thing! :amazed:

The "Barbershop" way works better with singing - church, parties, etc. Better keys for a choir or congregation. The keys in the version I have for Trombone quartet/choir sound better for that group, but the keys will be too high or low for the average singer.

JS

[quote="CalgaryTbone"]

I have a set of parts in manuscript where a friend of mine transposed most of the tunes in those books into a higher key with the first parts (melody) on top of the quartet, which sounds more traditional. Those keys put the group into keys that are a bit high for the first, but more like high B flats and C's, rather than high F's if you were going to raise the originals up an octave. It makes the arrangements sound like traditional Trombone Quartet arrangements - the actual keys are different, not the notation.
[/quote]

Hello,

Would it be possible for you to share these transcripts with me in PDF format?

Thank you in advance and have a nice day.

Sorry - for several reasons, I don't think I can share the manuscript versions that I have.

Jim Scott

[quote="CalgaryTbone"]Sorry - for several reasons, I don't think I can share the manuscript versions that I have.

Jim Scott[/quote]

ok

Merci beaucoup et bonne journée