#Trombone positions chart low full#

Second Position: You’ll be able to see a finger’s width of silver.įifth position produces the following notes: Some of the notes given are “false,” and should only be used with a modified position in circumstances that call for alternate positions. I’ll give you rough ideas to help you remember them. Here we’ll go through the slide positions and give a chart for the notes these positions can (roughly) produce.Īs we’ll discuss later, the precise positioning doesn’t actually matter for learning the positions. We’ll discuss this more in the advanced sections.

I’ve put the high A-flat in parentheses because it is theoretically part of the overtone series, but it cannot be played in tune or with clarity in first position. This is because moving the slide to second position moves the fundamental down by a half-step. The trombone changes the length by moving the slide.Ī good concept to remember is that the collection of notes made by putting the slide in a different position is the same just shifted down. The fundamental is a B-flat, and then all the other notes in the overtone series can be produced.Ī valve instrument changes the length of tubing by pressing a set of valves down. This is called the overtone series.įirst position on a (standard B-flat tenor) trombone is when the slide is all the way in. Valved instruments can change the length by moving the tuning slides of the valves, but this doesn’t help in most situations.Ī more in-depth analysis of tuning can be found in my article: 5 Steps to Playing in Tune.īrass instruments work by producing a distinct set of notes over top of a fundamental for each length of tubing. Trombones are unique among the brass family because they have the ability to alter the length of tubing in small ways (if you’re in the market for a first trombone, check out my guid e). In this article, we’ll discuss concepts that advancing students will find helpful.

#Trombone positions chart low full#

Charts and positions don’t give the full story. Trombone slide positions are usually given to a beginner student without much discussion of how a trombone works.