Real-life trombonists explain why Trombone Champ is so much fun

gamesradar.com:

Surprise hit Trombone Champ has re-ignited many players' long-dormant passion for rhythm games – whether they realized it beforehand or not. But while gamers and critics have been singing its praises, the voice of one group has not been heard enough: actual trombonists. As a musician myself – currently the second oboe in Leicester Symphony Orchestra – I set off on a quest to find out what real trombonists make of the game, how it compares to playing the real thing, and how a wrong note-filled journey to mastering a virtual instrument can highlight the joy found in classical music. 

One of my biggest takeaways from conversations with real-life trombone players was that although the game isn't aiming for absolute accuracy, Trombone Champ does mimic real trombone playing in some pretty key ways. The obvious parallel between the game and playing a real trombone is the use of the slide – players will often correct an incorrect note in-game by sliding into a note so they can happily pretend they were always hitting the right one. One trombonist explains: "I mean, that's what happens in real life. Sometimes when you're on a wrong note, you just quietly slide up into the right one."

A classic case of 'fake it till you make it' is at play, it seems. And the more I chatted to real-life musicians, the more I found distinct parallels between Trombone Champ and the real thing.

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Another accurate detail portrayed in Trombone Champ, for example, is how easy it is to overshoot notes. Paul, a trombonist and the conductor of the University of Nottingham Trombone Ensemble (opens in new tab), Brass Band (opens in new tab) and Concert Band (opens in new tab), says: "It's as