Trombone

Davis Shuman

ca. 1954 · Brass, white metal · Musical Instruments

Since its appearance in the 15th century, the basic design of the trombone hasremained remarkably unchanged. The ergonomic design of this trombone is a rare departure. Its slide is angled to the right to make the instrument easier to hold and operate, requiring a smaller range of motion and expenditure of energy to operate the slide and facilitating access to the lowest slide positions, which often challenge players with shorter arms. It was designed by Davis Shuman, who was a leading figure in 20th century trombone performance, pedagogy and composition in the United States. He taught at the Julliard School for many years and commissioned a number of works that are now part of the instrument’s solo repertoire. Shuman was a prolific inventor and held patents for other musical inventionsin addition to the angular trombone. These included the Turn-a-Bell Trumpet and Add-a-Mute, a set of stackable mutes. Bradley Strauchen-Scherer

Artist

Davis Shuman

Date

ca. 1954

Medium

Brass, white metal

Culture

American

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Gift of The Shuman Family, 2021