J-POP Songs Featuring the Trombone

The trombone is active across many genres such as classical, jazz, and wind ensemble music.
However, in J-POP, trumpets and saxophones often take the melody line and stand out, so many people may find it hard to imagine what the trombone actually sounds like.

This time, I’ll introduce some great songs—mainly from J-POP—where the trombone sounds particularly cool.

■ “Tabi wa Michizure” / Official Hige Dandism

The saxophone takes the main role, but the trombone also plays an important part in the background.
This song is a slightly rare one where all the members sing together.
The cheerful chorus is really beautiful, isn’t it?

Trumpets tend to stand out with their high notes, but can you hear the trombone?
If you’ve just started learning instruments, it might be hard to pick out, but the trombone is definitely there.

This combination, where the trombone supports the trumpet’s high notes, works very well and is frequently used in J-POP, so try listening for it in other songs as well.

■ “Ashita mo” / SHISHAMO

SHISHAMO is known as a three-piece girls band, so their songs usually have a simple instrumental setup, but this track is a rare case where a rich horn section is used.

Right after Aya Matsuoka’s bass line, the horn section including the trombone comes in.
This song is a cheer song for people working hard every day, meant to lift you up when you’re feeling down or sad, and the bright, powerful tone of the brass instruments expresses that feeling perfectly.

Another highlight is from 3:53, where each instrument in the horn section begins its solo.

■ “Seesaw Game ~Yūkan na Koi no Uta~” / Mr.Children

This is a live performance video available on Mr.Children’s official YouTube channel.
Although it’s an older song, it remains very popular, yet it is rarely performed live, making this a valuable recording.

In the studio version, the intro melody is played in unison by strings and guitar, but in this live version, the horn section takes over.

Along with the trombone, saxophone and trumpet are joined by accordion, violin, and cello, creating an incredibly rich sound.

■ SAYONARA / SAKEROCK

Gen Hoshino, who became widely popular with the “Koi Dance,” was primarily active in this band before that.
The band had already disbanded by the time of the “Koi Dance,” and since most of their songs are instrumental, they are still considered a cool band with many fans hoping for a reunion.

As you can tell immediately, this song features the trombone as the main instrument.
It doesn’t use unison or harmonies with saxophone or trumpet; instead, the trombone alone carries the melody, which is quite rare.

It’s a track to enjoy while appreciating the instrument’s smooth, continuous pitch changes and its slightly unstable character.

■ “Killer Ball o Mou Ichido” / Gesu no Kiwami Otome

This song was released as an answer song to “Killer Ball” from 2013.
The disco-style funk groove is combined with a horn section, but suddenly Chopin starts playing in the background during the A section, creating a chaotic and captivating sound.

Enon Kawatani’s arranging ability is diverse and never gets boring.

The trombone is used throughout the song along with other brass instruments.
Since the track is dense with sound, the trombone doesn’t stand out on its own, but it firmly supports the mid-low range.

■ “Tsuki Miru Doll” / GENTLE FOREST JAZZ BAND

This track is based on a swing jazz big band style but includes proper pop vocals.
Its retro concept, reminiscent of the Taisho era and early Showa period, gives it a stylish charm.

The 21-member big band is led by Gentle Kubota, who conducts and plays trombone.
Gentle Kubota also plays in the band Zainichi Funk with Hamano, the trombonist from SAKEROCK mentioned earlier.

Whether this band should be called J-POP just because it includes vocals is debatable, but it is one of the few vocal tracks where you can hear a trombone solo in action.

■ MAGIC / sumika

The upbeat piano and horn section create an exciting atmosphere, making it a song that naturally gets your body moving.

The trombone is once again played by Gentle Kubota.
He’s active in many different places.

There is an interlude around 2:04 where the horn section and piano intertwine, so don’t miss it.

■ Summary

While writing this column, I tried to find J-POP songs with trombone solos in vocal tracks, but I couldn’t find any.
It’s an instrument that can take solos in genres like jazz, so it was unexpected not to find any at all.

However, just because there aren’t many examples doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
Music is free.
If you are drawn to the sound of the trombone, you might want to play for a solo in your own vocal tracks.

For those who want to start, PLAYTECH trombones are affordable, high-quality, and recommended.
They are ideal for beginners, so be sure to check them out.

⇒ PLAYTECH Trombone lineup

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