Would it not play sharp, as it would contract in the cold? Anyway, you're
lucky with a trombone in that you can easily compensate for this with the
slider. It's not so easy on other wind instruments.


The contraction of the instrument with cold is negligible compared with
the reduction in the speed of sound in the air column which makes it flat. (1
semitone for 33 deg C change). I'ts true you can adjust by playing "short" but
that's not as easy as it sounds when you're used to the normal slide positions.
And what about 1st position, which is up against the stop anyway? The
adjustment on the tuning slide (round the back) is plus or minus an inch or so,
about ±1/3rd of a semitone. Enough of this banter. :-)

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.