Kontrabassposaune

contrabass trombone

noun kon-tra-BAHS-po-zow-ne Rare

Also means

the lowest-pitched member of the trombone family

Usage Note

Kontrabassposaune sounds an octave below the tenor trombone and is used in very large orchestral scores (Wagner, Mahler) for extreme low brass depth. It is rare and requires great physical effort to play.

Examples

"Wagner schrieb für die Kontrabassposaune, um die Klangmasse im Orchester zu vertiefen."

Natural Translation

Wagner wrote for the contrabass trombone to deepen the mass of sound in the orchestra.

Literal Translation

Wagner wrote for the contrabass-trombone, to the sound-mass in the orchestra to deepen.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Particles: doch, mal, ja, eben

German modal particles doch, mal, ja, and eben add attitude, not meaning. Before/after examples show how to use each one so your German stops sounding stiff.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Order Food in German: Restaurant Phrases

Order food in German with confidence: use ich hätte gern, read the Speisekarte, ask die Rechnung bitte, and handle zusammen oder getrennt like a local.

June 5, 2026 5 min read