Trivia
The trombone was a bit of a problem for cavalries...
Trombones were straight tubes up until around the 12th or 13th century, when some unknown craftsman came upon the idea of bending a piece of tubing that was too long, and then attaching a U-shaped slide to it. Even so, there is an interesting story about trombones being too long. In the 19th century someone came up with the idea of a "short trombone" for members of cavalry bands. In this instrument, the slide was replaced with a valve. It was very difficult to maintain one's balance on horseback while playing a slide trombone, and many players are known to have fallen from their mounts. In most modern marching bands the trombone player marches in front, so that he or she doesn't hit anyone with the long slide of the instrument.
(Reference: Alyn Shipton (Author), Reiko Irie (Translator), "Illustrated World of Music 3: Brass Instruments," Kaiseishakan, 1994)

Musical Instrument Guide:Trombone Contents
Structure
How to Play
How the Instrument is Made
Choosing an Instrument
Care and Maintenance
Trivia
- God is in the trombone
- The trombone was a bit of a problem for cavalries...
- A trombone that would scare even a snake!
- Two instruments, both tenor, but quite different!
- A trombone player walks into pawnshop...
- You can trill just by moving your mouth
- It is possible to increase the pitch even as you extend the slide
- Famous pieces from trombone concertos
- Orchestra pieces in which the trombone plays an important role
- The Yamaha quartet
- For trombones, why does sheet music notation differ from the fundamental tone of the instrument?
- A bass trombone-with an F attachment only