Trombone Trios

Cotboneman · 2020-06-25 9:42 p.m.

I find that playing trombone trio music is, depending on the arranger or composer of course, a little more rewarding for the players. The parts tend to more interesting for everyone, and for us older guys, and guys who have been away from playing awhile, that first part doesn't always call for belting out high C's, or the 3rd part pedal F's all day. I'm thinking specifically of trios arrangements by Ostrander, or original collections by Pederson, Uber or even Premru.

I have access to a decent library, but was wondering if any one else had some favorites to suggest in building, or expanding a trio book, intermediate to advanced levels.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-06-25 10:19 p.m.

I had a piece published by Kendor called "Trio for Trombones" by Beethoven. It was his "Abschiedgesang". It's a chorale and fugue and if the bass Trombone gets carried away kicking off the fugue the 1st and 2nd have to hang on for dear life.

Another trio I like is called "Trio for Trombones" by Mendelssohn. It's the Angel Trio from Elijah (Lift Thine Eyes). Very easy but pretty.

If I get a chance to look in my trio book I'll find more suggestions.

Elow · by **Elow** » 2020-06-25 10:32 p.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]I had a piece published by Kendor called "Trio for Trombones" by Beethoven. It was his "Abschiedgesang". It's a chorale and fugue and if the bass Trombone gets carried away kicking off the fugue the 1st and 2nd have to hang on for dear life.

Another trio I like is called "Trio for Trombones" by Mendelssohn. It's the Angel Trio from Elijah (Lift Thine Eyes). Very easy but pretty.

If I get a chance to look in my trio book I'll find more suggestions.[/quote]

Is the book for purchase?

Edit: hey my name is elijah

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-06-25 10:47 p.m.

My "book" is a folder with a collection of sheet music. You can buy anything I have from outfits like Hickey's or Sheet Music Plus.

Posaunus · by **Posaunus** » 2020-06-25 11:07 p.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]You can buy anything I have from outfits like Hickey's or Sheet Music Plus.[/quote]

:good:

Thanks to places like Hickey's and Sheet Music Plus (and a few others), I have music to play during the current pandemic isolation. Let's try to keep them all in business by purchasing instead of borrowing / copying!

Cotboneman · by **Cotboneman** » 2020-06-26 12:01 a.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]I had a piece published by Kendor called "Trio for Trombones" by Beethoven. It was his "Abschiedgesang". It's a chorale and fugue and if the bass Trombone gets carried away kicking off the fugue the 1st and 2nd have to hang on for dear life.

Another trio I like is called "Trio for Trombones" by Mendelssohn. It's the Angel Trio from Elijah (Lift Thine Eyes). Very easy but pretty.

If I get a chance to look in my trio book I'll find more suggestions.[/quote]

Yes that's a good one. I have that one, and yes, the bass trombone does go on a lark in the fugue! Thanks for looking!

hyperbolica · by **hyperbolica** » 2020-06-26 10:04 a.m.

I've got a big quartet book, but not many trios. Of the trios I have, I've got two that are fun and good music. Jeff's Jaunt by David Stephen Powell is kinda jazzy with a couple high Cs in the 1st and 2nd parts. It's up tempo and fun. And then there's Triotje ("little trio" in Dutch) by Michael Eversden which is more modern, jazz rhythms, some complex meters, pedal notes in 3rd part. This one takes practice to pull it together mostly due to rhythm.

Cotboneman · by **Cotboneman** » 2020-06-26 2:21 p.m.

[quote="hyperbolica"]I've got a big quartet book, but not many trios. Of the trios I have, I've got two that are fun and good music. Jeff's Jaunt by David Stephen Powell is kinda jazzy with a couple high Cs in the 1st and 2nd parts. It's up tempo and fun. And then there's Triotje ("little trio" in Dutch) by Michael Eversden which is more modern, jazz rhythms, some complex meters, pedal notes in 3rd part. This one takes practice to pull it together mostly due to rhythm.[/quote]

I'll look them up, thanks!

torobone · by **torobone** » 2020-06-26 4:20 p.m.

I played trios with two bassoons, and one of them was pretty good at finding free stuff. Some ideas:

Boismoitier trios - only for flute, but nicely transcribed for 3 trombones. 1st is in tenor clef

~~[url]~~<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.free-scores.com/free-sheet- ... -lichtmann">https://www.free-scores.com/free-sheet-music.php?compositeur=joseph-bodin-de-boismortier&Arrangeur=jay-lichtmann</LINK_TEXT>

Musescore: - library has a lot of trios. you might fix some arrangements. For example, many arrangement only put the melody & really fun stuff in the 1st part.

Celloexpressions: some decent stuff, although some need fixing

IMSLP

tubapeter: most are pretty cheesy

Bassoon arrangements by Speer & Hook - very playable.

We have about 60

Cotboneman · by **Cotboneman** » 2020-06-27 12:43 p.m.

[quote="torobone"]I played trios with two bassoons, and one of them was pretty good at finding free stuff. Some ideas:

Boismoitier trios - only for flute, but nicely transcribed for 3 trombones. 1st is in tenor clef

~~[url]~~<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.free-scores.com/free-sheet- ... -lichtmann">https://www.free-scores.com/free-sheet-music.php?compositeur=joseph-bodin-de-boismortier&Arrangeur=jay-lichtmann</LINK_TEXT>

Musescore: - library has a lot of trios. you might fix some arrangements. For example, many arrangement only put the melody & really fun stuff in the 1st part.

Celloexpressions: some decent stuff, although some need fixing

IMSLP

tubapeter: most are pretty cheesy

Bassoon arrangements by Speer & Hook - very playable.

We have about 60[/quote]

Very good resource! Thank you for the links, I'll check them out.

fsgazda · 2020-06-27 5:10 p.m.

The Allen Chase trios are kind of fun.

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku034043.php

<YOUTUBE id="SCKNpZFK78s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCKNpZFK78s</YOUTUBE>

<YOUTUBE id="Sjq0kb_BC4g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjq0kb_BC4g</YOUTUBE>

There are a few others on youtube. I personally like the March and Stiff Riff.

MTbassbone · by **MTbassbone** » 2020-06-27 7:58 p.m.

I also really like the trombone trio way more than trombone quartet. The Brian Lynn trios are really good. I think there are three of them: Steak and Kidney Supper, Ba-Dee-Doo-Dup, and Bachy Things. The believe the 2nd movement in Steak and Kidney Supper has pedal D's in the bass trombone part but it might be optional. Hickeys has all three listed in their catalog. There are several arrangements of the Bach Sinfonia's done by Ralph Sauer that are fantastic. There is also a Pergolesi Trio Sonata that Sauer arranged that is really nice as well. Last one Britten's Fanfare for St Edmundsbury. This was originally written for 3 trumpets, but works equally as well for 3 trombones. Unfortunately some of the really good stuff is no longer in print. Some of these definitely have 1st parts that go exceedingly high just an FYI.

Cotboneman · by **Cotboneman** » 2020-06-28 8:36 p.m.

[quote="MTbassbone"]I also really like the trombone trio way more than trombone quartet. The Brian Lynn trios are really good. I think there are three of them: Steak and Kidney Supper, Ba-Dee-Doo-Dup, and Bachy Things. The believe the 2nd movement in Steak and Kidney Supper has pedal D's in the bass trombone part but it might be optional. Hickeys has all three listed in their catalog. There are several arrangements of the Bach Sinfonia's done by Ralph Sauer that are fantastic. There is also a Pergolesi Trio Sonata that Sauer arranged that is really nice as well. Last one Britten's Fanfare for St Edmundsbury. This was originally written for 3 trumpets, but works equally as well for 3 trombones. Unfortunately some of the really good stuff is no longer in print. Some of these definitely have 1st parts that go exceedingly high just an FYI.[/quote]

Great! I'll investigate, thanks!

Cotboneman · by **Cotboneman** » 2020-06-28 8:37 p.m.

[quote="fsgazda"]The Allen Chase trios are kind of fun.

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku034043.php

<YOUTUBE id="SCKNpZFK78s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCKNpZFK78s</YOUTUBE>

<YOUTUBE id="Sjq0kb_BC4g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjq0kb_BC4g</YOUTUBE>

There are a few others on youtube. I personally like the March and Stiff Riff.[/quote]

Awesome, thanks!

torobone · by **torobone** » 2020-06-30 12:56 p.m.

Another small resource:

~~[url]~~http://www.ritchietrombonechoir.com/music.html

Two trios of note:

The 3 movements of the Beethoven's Suite from the Mount of Olives. Very playable, particularly the 2nd movement.

Premru's Felicity

Draagyn · by **Draagyn** » 2020-09-05 12:56 a.m.

We played a really fun arrangement of one of Corelli's Sonata da Chiesa for quintet - one of the most rewarding Renaissance arrangements I've ever played - which made me discover an arrangement of the same one for 'bone trio:

<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/so ... c/18493815">https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/sonata-da-chiesa-op-3-7-sheet-music/18493815</LINK_TEXT>

I also really enjoy playing the Bach tuba duets/trios by Daniele Augustine, they're great for working your low range. Dr. Donn Schaeffer at the University of Utah showed me the light with those. He would actually be a great resource for finding more trios.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-09-05 7:43 a.m.

I remember a colleague having a book by Dhelemmes with duets, trios, and quartets. Don't remember the title, though.

I have a book called (in German) "Intonation Studies" by Robert Muller. Had excerpts from symphonic literature with critical trombone parts (all 3) so you could work on locking them in.

Kbiggs · by **Kbiggs** » 2020-09-05 12:09 p.m.

Paul Gay. Chorale. Beautiful piece.

Bach Chorales, vols. 1 and 2, arr. Donald Miller. Excellent for intonation, and matching articulations and endings of notes.

Corelli sonatas are very nice. There are several different pieces and several arrangers.

Pachelbel/Yeo Sonata is also very nice.

As suggested above, Hickey’s and other shops are good places to browse. They are adding new stuff all the time.

Driswood · by **Driswood** » 2020-11-23 1:23 p.m.

I have a few sets of Tommy Pederson trios. They are great! Sadly, they are out of print and not easy to find.

momentum · by **momentum** » 2021-02-19 6:42 a.m.

Wuorinen has a nice trombone trio:

<YOUTUBE id="ZXIlvGbq9sA">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXIlvGbq9sA</YOUTUBE>

And a quartet:

<YOUTUBE id="MSelTrIs8Ac">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MSelTrIs8Ac</YOUTUBE>

robcat2075 · by **robcat2075** » 2021-02-20 11:26 p.m.

I recall playing the trombone trio "Azure Skies" in 8th grade.

I don't recommend it.

Cotboneman · by **Cotboneman** » 2021-02-25 1:58 a.m.

Another good source of printable pdf files of trombone ensembles, as well as brass ensembles, which I have discovered can be found at Clarinet Institute of Los Angeles (www.clarinetinstitute.com). I'm sure members here have explored this site, but I had not until recently. There's enough stuff here to keep a retired guy who is continuing in isolation from the pandemic (at least until I'm vaccinated) busy for a while. :)

Quick Links

Instruments

Marketplace

Trombone Trios