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I noticed that this is not a rule and you can’t find it everywhere, but quite often the trumpet/trombone solo is written for the 2nd trumpet/trombone. Although for example, the solos of the saxophones, both alto and tenor, are usually written for the 1st. What could this be connected with?

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  • From my experience, tradition. The 1st tpt/tb/sax plays the highest parts, and so on, but there is no reason I've found for the 2nd to have the jazz seat. Commented 14 hours ago

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In general, the lead trumpet and trombone are responsible for the flashy, high-note stuff, so to preserve endurance, that part does not usually take solos. (More so for trumpet than trombone in my experience.)

Since seating is generally done by ability (less so at professional ranks, but even there), the second trumpet or trombone is presumed to be the best non-lead player, so that part gets the solos.

However, it's not uncommon — at least in professional-level arrangements — for the fourth or fifth trumpet to have the solo part. In this case it can be that the second trumpet is also taking high-note duty, or just playing a lot, so another part gets the solo.

With trombones, it's similar, though since it's common to have more trumpets that trombones, it's also more common that the lower trumpet parts might have a solo than in the trombones.

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The trumpets are lined up 2, 1, 3, 4, with 2 being on the right of 1.

1 is the 'lead' trumpet, playing usually the higher notes on the dots.

This then puts the jazz seat (2) closest to the rhythm section, which is always on their right. It makes things closer physically, which helps during the improvisation parts of the songs, where maybe the rest of the band may not even be playing - or if they are, it's a wash supporting that jazz solo.

So it would seem to be tradition, keeping the solo trumpet as close to the rhythm section as possible, but not upsetting the 'lead' trumpet by giving them seat no.2. Joking? Possibly!

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  • This doesn't quite answer the question. What you say here is that a jazz seating chart places the jazz chair closest to the rhythm section, but you don't explain why 2 is the jazz chair. In other words, why not make 3 the jazz chair and have the lineup be 3-1-2-4, for example? Commented 43 mins ago
  • @Aaron - I'd imagine, as in my earlier comment, that it's just tradition. In a lot of big bands, the best player is 1, working down to 4 (I've played in concerts with 8..!) Probably not so with real pro bands, but more so with amateurs. This puts a really good (but not best) player in seat 2, someone who can improvise well. In other words, deemed to be the 2nd best player? Commented 34 mins ago
  • In that case, there's nothing here to distinguish it from my post. If you rewrite your post to include what you put in the above comment, then add the note about the seating chart, that seating-chart bit would be unique, if tangential. Commented 29 mins ago

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