Meaning & use
trombonist
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Meanings
nouncountablemusic
A musician who plays the trombone, a brass instrument with a long sliding tube.
Grammar: Countable: a trombonist, two trombonists.
Patterns
- a trombonist in something
- a trombonist for someone
The trombonist stood up for his solo.
She is the lead trombonist in the city orchestra.
Our school band needs a second trombonist.
nouncountablemusic
A person who plays trombone for a living or as a main activity, often in a jazz or marching band.
Grammar: Countable: describes a role in a group.
Patterns
- jazz trombonist
- session trombonist
He worked for years as a session trombonist in London.
The jazz trombonist toured Europe with a quartet.
Every marching band needs a strong trombonist.
Word forms
| plural | trombonists |
|---|
Common combinations
- jazz trombonist
- The jazz trombonist played a smooth solo.
- principal trombonist
- She became principal trombonist at twenty-five.
- professional trombonist
- His dream was to be a professional trombonist.
- bass trombonist
- The bass trombonist gave the band a deep sound.
- a trombonist and composer
- He is a trombonist and composer from New Orleans.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trombone player
- This is more casual and easier to say, with exactly the same meaning.
- brass player
- A brass player may play any brass instrument, such as trumpet or tuba, so it is broader.
- instrumentalist
- Instrumentalist is a formal word for a player of any instrument.
- horn player
- Horn player usually points to the French horn, so it is not a safe synonym.
Word family
Commonly confused: trombonist or trumpeter?
trombonist vs trumpeter
A trumpeter plays the smaller trumpet, which has valves rather than a slide.
Practice
Which musician moves a slide to change notes?
Choose one answer.
A trombonist plays the trombone, which uses a slide. A trumpeter presses valves instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trombonist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.