The sackbut’s tone is softer, more mellow, and less brassy than a modern trombone’s, blending seamlessly with voices and other period instruments like cornetts, viols, or early organs. Its dynamic range was narrower, suited to the intimate settings of churches, courts, or small ensembles rather than large concert halls. It could play chromatically thanks to the slide, offering flexibility rare among Renaissance brass, though players often stayed within diatonic or modal frameworks typical of the era’s music.