TromboneChat

Does anybody have instances of composers writing microtonally for trombone? Any ET/EDO? Solo trombone, trombone with microtonal accompaniment, etc?

Stuart Dempster?
Mattie Barbier?

There are many many who do, myself included. The last is extremely long, but here are a few:

Wolfgang von Schweinitz, my former composition teacher, has written quite a number of works for trombone in just intonation. Including his long scale work for trombone and pre-recorded trombone, Juz.

https://mattiebarbier.bandcamp.com/albu ... -yodel-cry

He's part of a composer collective, Plainsound, which can be found at plainsound.org. it's full of active ji composers who write for the trombone like Ellen Arkbro and Mark Sabat, as well as two composer trombonists.
Sarah Davachi has used ji and microtonal trombone extensively including her trombone quartet: https://youtu.be/qVxvuunIr_s?si=grOcTOva1od1Fotv and her work Long Gradus, which we recorded as a trombone quartet: https://sarahdavachi.bandcamp.com/album/long-gradus

David Rosenboom- In the Beginning https://youtu.be/SyVcmWlfWRw?si=Ky62eov8Ow2MMXd3

There's multiple works by Alvin Lucier, Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster, Nicholas Deyoe, the list is pretty endless. Some are really wonderful and work beautifully, some, like Ben Johnston's One Man, really don't.

mbarbier wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2026 12:00 pm
[...]

Sarah Davachi has used ji and microtonal trombone extensively including her trombone quartet: https://youtu.be/qVxvuunIr_s?si=grOcTOva1od1Fotv and her work Long Gradus, which we recorded as a trombone quartet: https://sarahdavachi.bandcamp.com/album/long-gradus

[...]

I've never heard anything like that before. Incredible. Both the composition and the execution.

I was curious how that would be notated, but this makes complete sense: https://www.fabermusic.com/shop/en-bas- ... 606/sample

George Friedrich Hass Trombone Octet

https://www.universaledition.com/en/Wor ... t/P0067155

Played by Trombone Unit Hannover

I've taken a gander and would love to have people be interested in more.

mgladdish wrote: Sun Apr 12, 2026 3:32 am

mbarbier wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2026 12:00 pm
[...]

Sarah Davachi has used ji and microtonal trombone extensively including her trombone quartet: https://youtu.be/qVxvuunIr_s?si=grOcTOva1od1Fotv and her work Long Gradus, which we recorded as a trombone quartet: https://sarahdavachi.bandcamp.com/album/long-gradus

[...]

I've never heard anything like that before. Incredible. Both the composition and the execution.

I was curious how that would be notated, but this makes complete sense: https://www.fabermusic.com/shop/en-bas- ... 606/sample

Super glad you enjoy it! Sarah is a very special musician- I feel very lucky to work with her so much! The score for that one is funny cause she just told me the pitches she wanted and some general durations at the session. After she edited it together and sent me the score. Total flying blind and hoping I was playing in tune

I also forgot about this newer one that's in meantone- https://youtu.be/l_PvegPv4yg?si=PptspQIHULvvO3zL

The recording isn't out yet, but we just did a new one for organ and two bass trombones and a few weeks ago that was really beautiful. Hopefully that comes out in some form before too long.

You mean, like on purpose, microtonal?