Appendix 2

To: Matthew Pollack and Fuji Ozawa, Yamaha Music Atelier, Research and Development, London

From: Ken Shifrin, Principal Trombone, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Date: 27 February 1994

Re: Preliminary evaluation report of the Yamaha Alto Trombone prototype YSL673 with detachable Bb valve.

The Yamaha YSL673 has a warm, full-bodied sound that matches well with the tenor and bass trombone of the orchestral section. It has the mellifluous, rich tone generally associated with the tenor trombone – indeed it has a tendency to sound somewhat like a small-bore tenor – which should make it attractive to many conductors. The YSL673's lovely timbre makes it an excellent choice as a solo instrument. However, whether an alto soloist is looking for a brighter, smaller (more 'authentic'?) sound is naturally subjective.

As far as the Bb valve is concerned, I have sketched out a number of examples from the orchestral repertoire that are less awkward (and probably better in tune) when the Bb valve is utilised. As one can observe, the main reason to use the Bb valve is to avoid 7th position e on the Eb alto, by providing alternative Trigger 2 (T2)⁷. However, this note is relatively low for the alto register and does not often occur in the alto solo or orchestral repertoire. In this respect the YSL is superior to the non-detachable Bb valve of its counterpart, the Conn alto trombone, for although the Bb valve renders a good number of orchestral passages more fluid (and indeed some passages, as from Berg's Lulu, are not even playable without it as the notes descend below the Eb's register), it is an option that I feel many players will want but will not need most of the time.

As I have remarked previously, of more obvious value is the double-valve trill mechanism which permits one to trill minor and major seconds. (I mentioned that in Stuttgart I tried such an alto while it was being developed for Armin Rosin.) Even a single valve that enabled one to trill a half-step would be keenly sought, as it is the one interval that is impossible to produce by lip-trilling.

However, the exception to this statement is the fact that the Bb valve apparently enables the player to execute virtually all major and minor 2nd trills – either by availing oneself of alternative slide positions with the Bb horn and lip-trilling, or by using the Bb valve as a piston, thus filling the gap that exists on the Eb horn. (A chart is enclosed.) Problematic trills in the Albrechtsberger Concerto, the Wagenseil Concerto, the Leopold Mozart Concerto and Wolfgang Mozart's 'Jener Donnerworte Kraft' – mainstays of the alto trombone solo repertoire – are thus rendered properly playable, where even the most masterful lip-triller was previously forced to 'disguise' them. (And bear in mind that there are a lot more less-than-masterful lip-trillers than there are masters!)

Analogous to the F horn on the Bb/F tenor trombone, the Bb valve on the Eb alto trombone provides only six positions as each succeeding position on the Bb horn is progressively longer than its Eb horn counterpart. Therefore, the lowest note available (non-pedal tone, that is) with the Bb valve is F in long-6th position or Trigger 6 (T6).

The low E in the passage from Berg's Lulu should be playable in T6 by retuning the Bb valve to A, simply by fully extending the Bb tuning slide. Presently, however, the Bb tuning-slide is not long enough to lower the pitch a full half tone. Also, the 'authentic' execution of several trills – including the famous opening a' to bb' trill in the Albrechtsberger – requires the tuning-slide of the Bb horn to be lowered a semi-tone. Compared to the comparable Conn alto trombone, I found more resistance with the Yamaha in the crucial upper-register.

Therefore, since we are dealing with a prototype, I suggest you consider the following possibilities.

1. The Bb valve tubing be made open-wrap.
2. A Thayer-type valve be installed in order to reduce resistance and produce a better match between Bb horn and Eb horn timbres. I am not convinced that such a valve would create too little resistance in the upper register. Recall that the YSL671 straight horn seems to have more upper-register stuffiness than the Conn with Bb valve.
   
   The valve mechanism is presently positioned too low. It digs uncomfortably into the player's neck. The accompanying sketch shows one way the above suggestions 1 and 2 could be designed and implemented, thus eliminating stuffiness and discomfort and providing the option to retune the Bb valve to A.
3. So that one can take full advantage of the trill option, I suggest that the valve beredesigned for maximum trilling speed and comfort: a French Horn type valve, with minimum distance to travel (like the Conn valve), that can be operated by one's strongest left-hand finger (i.e. the first or second finger) and positioned as the E-valve on the Bach bass trombone. The present valve is rather clumsy, slow and impractical as a trilling mechanism, and is very uncomfortable on the hand and the wrist.
4. So that the crucial notes of eb" (e.g. Schumann III) and f" (e.g. Beethoven V) are always available in first position (no matter how sharp one's colleagues may be playing), I suggest extending first position to an auxiliary quarter position with spring bumpers.

A possible alternative for the attachment of the two separate 'horns' (the Eb or straight horn and the Bb horn) is to have them share the same tuning slide (I believe the Bach Bb/F tenor trombone is connected in a similar way). The valve would be positioned higher than it currently sits, thus preventing it from digging into the player's neck. Space is available for open-wrap which would eliminate the stuffiness of the Bb-valve notes. And now space is provided for the superior Thayer-type valve system. Likewise, the open-wrap permits the attachment horn to have the same resistance as the straight horn. Also, the necessary tubing would now exist to enable the player to retune the Bb horn to A when it is needed.