Darn Tootin’: Trombone Champ Has People Turning Real Trombones Into Controllers [Update]

Update: September 30th 2022, 8:09 a.m. AEST

The good folks over at Holy Wow Studios got in touch to inform me that there is, in fact, ANOTHER wacky fella working on a custom tromboller (trombone controller), and might’ve actually been the first person to start building one.

Aight we gonna start a doc thread on my attempts to build a controller for @HolyWowStudios new game Trombone Champ pic.twitter.com/hFzqwzhnWp

— socks magocs 💗💜💙 (@RottenTunaGames) September 21, 2022

While it doesn’t look like it’s fully finished as he’s aiming for ‘the best in show’, RottenTunaGames has been posting regular updates in a thread on the tweet linked above that go into excruciating detail about his building process.

I highly recommend chucking him a follow and keeping up to date with the build, it looks rad! Apologies for missing the OG tromboller, and I truly can’t wait to see the finished product.

The original post continues below.

Original: September 29th 2022, 11:49 a.m. AEST

Trombone Champ is proving to not only be a hit rhythm game in its own right, but also an opportunity for the biggest galaxy brains of our gaming community to find more ‘authentic’ ways to blow horn.

If you’re online, you’ve probably seen at least one wacky individual showing off their very own trombone controller that they’ve rigged up to use in Trombone Champ. I personally have found a myriad, with some using actually trombones, some using a VR mod and building a trombone-like controller with their VR controllers, and some maybe even building a trombone themselves for it.

I’ve decided to aggregate some of them all in one place to show you the absolute madness of it all.

Someone had to do it, and today that someone is me: Trombone Champ played with a trombone. pic.twitter.com/k6YLtI3Fwc

— Dan Lew (@danlew42) September 24, 2022

This weekend I made a Trombone Champ controller out of a real (soprano) trombone! I’ll have a video out shortly about the process, but for now, enjoy this video of me absolutely failing our national anthem with my new device! cc @HolyWowStudios pic.twitter.com/SvPoxfk6GV

— Hung Truong (@hungtruong) September 25, 2022

I made a custom #trumbonechamp controller from a kazoo with an Arduino and a ToF sensor + mic trigger. Full video soon! @HolyWowStudios pic.twitter.com/ATZoB5sOiQ

— Greig Stewart (@ThereminHero) September 25, 2022

😅😅 this was the most fun project I’ve done in ages, thank you for making this game @HolyWowStudios #TromboneChamp #Arduino #Steam pic.twitter.com/EvtXjLQ0Hk

— Jason (@TheNoochGoodler) September 27, 2022

Mark Kleeb not only made a trombone controller, but the entire thread previously to this tweet actually covers the entire creative process that led to building the finished trombone controllers.

#TromboneChamp pic.twitter.com/vWNHOxAOoL

— Mark Kleeb (@markkleeb) September 28, 2022

And of course Rudeism, the man known for playing video games in any way that he can that doesn’t involve using a normal controller, jumped on the trend as well.

BEHOLD, THE TROMBONE CONTROLLER

Ultrasonic sensor controls the slide, and a microphone controls the dooting. If only I knew how to play it IRL 😅

The ultimate way to play Trombone Champ @HolyWowStudios pic.twitter.com/Lvm5m2CT44

— Rudeism (@rudeism) September 27, 2022

If you haven’t given Trombone Champ a try yet, you definitely should. It’s a whole lot of silly and goofy fun to be had. And don’t worry, you do not need an actual trombone or any trombone experience to play, you just need to remember that you’re not always the melody.