Sackbut modern orchestra sounds out of tune, but it tunes perfectly well on in a sackbut choir if everyone plays natural harmonics. Plenty of musical understanding can be gathered from reading the original music print. Publishers such as SPES and Arnaldo Forni Edition provide facsimile copies of plenty of music for trombone from this era. To read these it one needs to become familiar with the old clefs, time signatures, ligatures and notational conventions of the era. The sound of sackbuts (and trombones) has long been thought especially solemn and noble, had an association with death and the afterlife. The instrument
American Musical Instrument Society American Musical Instrument Society The American Musical Instrument Society (AMIS) was formed in 1971 "to promote study of the history, design, and use of musical instruments in all cultures and from all periods" (the branch of musicology known as organology). Based in the United States, it publishes a journal and a newsletter, holds annual conferences (occasionally in conjunction with the Galpin Society), maintains an active website and e-mail forum, and presents five awards. The society's international membership includes collectors, curators, historians, performers, instrument makers, conservators, restorers, dealers, teachers, and students. The "Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, "(ISSN 0362-3300)