sackbut

The sackbut was the Renaissance predecessor of the modern trombone—a brass instrument with a telescoping slide that could play chromatic notes at a time when most brass instruments were limited to natural harmonics. The English word 'sackbut' comes from the Old French sacqueboute, which likely derived from sacquer (to pull or draw) and bouter (to push). Push-pull: the basic motion of the slide.

The sackbut appeared in the mid-15th century, probably in Burgundy or Flanders. It was smaller and quieter than the modern trombone, with a softer, more vocal tone. Renaissance composers used it primarily in church music and ceremonial ensembles, where its ability to blend with voices made it invaluable. Giovanni Gabrieli scored sackbuts in his polychoral works at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice around 1600.

The English spelling 'sackbut' is a folk etymology—the English heard the French word and reinterpreted it through familiar English syllables. The King James Bible of 1611 uses 'sackbut' in the Book of Daniel (3:5), listing it among the instruments that signal when to worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. This is anachronistic—Daniel would not have known a 15th-century European instrument—but the translators used the contemporary name for the closest equivalent.

The sackbut evolved into the trombone over the 18th and 19th centuries, growing larger, louder, and brassier. The original sackbut was a chamber instrument. The modern trombone is an orchestral and jazz instrument with three times the volume. Early-music performers revived the sackbut in the 20th century, and the difference is audible—the sackbut whispers where the trombone shouts.