Editing Sackbut (section)

===Before 1600===
The sackbut replaced the slide trumpet in the 15th century [[alta capella]] wind bands that were common in towns throughout [[Europe]] playing [[historical dance|courtly dance]] music. See [[Wait (musician)|Waits]].

Another key use of the trombone was in ceremonies, in conjunction with the trumpet. In many towns in Germany and Northern Italy, '[[piffari]]' bands were employed by local governments throughout the 16th century to give regular concerts in public squares and would lead processions for festivals. Piffari usually contained a mix of wind, brass and percussion instruments and sometimes viols.<ref name="Selfridge-Field">Selfridge-Field, Eleanor (1975, rev. 1994), ''Venetian Instrumental Music'', {{page needed|date=February 2011}}. USA: Dover Publications. {{ISBN|0-486-28151-5}}.</ref>

Venice's doge had his own piffari company and they gave an hour-long concert in the Piazza each day, as well as sometimes performing for services in St. Mark's. Each of the six confraternities in Venice also had their own independent piffari groups too, which would all play at a lavish procession on the feast of Corpus Domini. These groups are in addition to the musicians employed by St. Mark's to play in the balconies with the choir (the piffari would play on the main level).<ref name="Selfridge-Field"/>

It also was used in [[church music]] both for instrumental service music and as a doubling instrument for [[choral music]]. The treble and high alto parts were most often played by [[cornett]]s or [[shawm]]s, with the [[violin]] sometimes replacing the cornett in 17th century [[Italian classical music|Italian music]].<ref name="Selfridge-Field"/>

The first record of trombones being used in churches was in Innsbruck 1503. Seville Cathedral's records show employment of trombonists in 1526, followed by several other Spanish cathedrals during the 16th century, used not only for ceremonial music and processionals, but also for accompaniment of the liturgical texts as well, doubling voices.<ref name="Herbert 101">Herbert (2006), p.&nbsp;101.</ref>

The sacred use of trombones was brought to a fine art by the [[Andrea Gabrieli]], [[Giovanni Gabrieli]] and their contemporaries c.1570-1620 [[Venice]] and there is also evidence of trombonists being employed in churches and cathedrals in Italy at times during the second half of the 16th century in Bologna, Rome, Padua, Mantua and Modena.<ref name="Herbert 101"/>

Since ensembles had flexible instrumentation at this time, there is relatively little music before [[Giovanni Gabrieli]]'s publication ''Symphoniae sacrae'' (1597) that specifically mentions trombones. The only example currently known is the music by [[Francesco Corteccia]] for the Medici wedding 1539.<ref>Herbert (2006), p.&nbsp;91</ref>