All the trumpet-type air-sounding instruments in ancient my country are generally called horns. They were originally played with natural horns, and later developed to be made of bamboo, wood, leather, copper and other materials. The trombone was derived from ancient horns.

In ancient times, it was military music, and there are many records in the literature. "Tong Li Yi Zuan": "Changing the horns is also, according to Chi You, Shi Xun and the Yellow Emperor fought at Zhuolu, the emperor ordered to blow the horns, for the dragon to ming, to control it. Emperor Wu of Wei conquered the Wuhuan, and the army thought of returning, but the horn was reduced. It is Zhongming, whose voice is especially sad, in response to Hu Jia" (quoted from "Taiping Yulan"). In "Tong Ya", there is: "Changming is the name of the present day, and the mouth is round and long, like a bamboo tube, one foot five inches. There is also a small handle and an empty tube. Take it out of the tube and blow it, and there will be Mingjia in Jin." In the drumming music of the Han Dynasty, horns and horns were used at first, and then drums and horns were used as the main instruments. The Tang Dynasty Duan Chengshi "Gaojige": "Leather horns, five feet long, shaped like a bamboo tube, halogen books, military use, or bamboo, or leather." "Tang Shu Yiwei Zhi": " Dajia Luju, Changming and Zhongming are all twenty.” The Song Dynasty continued to use this system, and in the sixteenth year of Shaoxing (1146), Changming and Zhongming reached as many as sixty each, and the Liao and Jin dynasties advocated Changming and Zhongming each have twenty. In the Ming Dynasty, there were copper horns. Wang Qi's "Sancai Tuhui" in the Ming Dynasty: "The ancient horn was made of wood, and now it is made of copper, which is a variant of the ancient horn. Joy." This copper horn is very similar to what is called a trombone today.

In 1959, a trombone was unearthed from the Ming Dynasty Muying Tomb in Yingtang Village, Shuigezi, Jiangning County, Jiangsu Province. According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty", Mu Ying (1345-1392) was awarded the prefect of the tent, and was a military official. This trombone was used as a musical instrument in the guard of honor during his lifetime and is now in the Jiangsu Provincial Museum.