Trombone Note Position Chart
Tenor trombone · E2–B♭4 with every alternate slide position · concert pitch, bass clef · tap to hear
How to play
- Many notes can be played in more than one position. The cell shows them all — pos 1 · 6 means first position or sixth. Tap the slide picture to cycle through them and watch the slide move.
- Alternate positions are not just trivia: they save you huge slide movements in fast passages, and a few are the standard fix for awkward jumps (F3 in 6th instead of 1st, B♭3 in 5th instead of 1st).
- The partial shown beside the position is which note of the harmonic series you are buzzing. Same slide position, different lip tension, different partial — that is how one position gives you many notes.
- Tap a note to see its slide position and hear it. The slide animates out to the right position.
- Position 1 is all the way in (closest to you); position 7 is fully extended. Each position further out lowers the pitch a semitone.
- The trombone has no valves — you choose the note with the slide plus your lips (the harmonic). That’s why open notes like B♭, F and D… all sit in position 1.
- Play note repeats it; Play all runs up the range. Vol sets volume. Keyboard: Tab + Enter/Space.
- Tip — the low chromatic notes fall 1→7 as you go down (B♭ F E♭ D…), a handy way to find them.
The tenor trombone falls within this range that stretches from a low E to a high B flat.
To use this widget, click on the notes of the instrument with your mouse. You can also use keys on computer keyboard if you prefer. It will show you where the note would be positioned on the trombone and let you hear what that sounds like in real-time.
How to Use the Trombone Widget
Start by clicking on one of the notes in the grid underneath the diagram. The buttons each corresponds to a different pitch. When you click on a note, the widget plays a sample of that note and lights it up. At the same time, it update the diagram above to show where your slide belongs. This immediate feedback should of help you associate the abstract idea of a note’s name with physical act of putting the slide in that location.
In addition, there are alternative position for many trombone notes. These are displayed as an option after the note buttons with a dot between them. If you see pos 1 dot 6, it means this note can be played in either the first or sixth position. This becomes realy important when thinking about fingerings efficienty. If you click directly onto the slide diagram, you will cycle through the different options. It will take you to the next available position for the note by effective moving the slide up to that new position.
Here you can hear and feel what each alternative sounds like. Each option clearly displays both visually and in written form what each selection is about. The big letter tell you which note is playing. The lower text line gives you the main position and any alternative positions, along with harmonic partial you are sounding on that note. The slide graphic moves to show information. Note that the slide goes from completely extended (pos 7) to completely retracted (pos 1). This helps reinforce how far the slide has to go for a given drop in pitch.
There’s some control over what you do with the app. There is a play all button that will run through the full range of notes one after another. This can be helpful when learning how the app is organized and just generaly warming up. Clicking on the play all button a second time will display a stop button so that you can exit the sequence whenever you like.
Then there is a volume control that allows you to control the master sound level. Want to practice quietly later into the evening? Turn the volume down. Need to hear the differences more clear than before? Turn the volume up.
The Fullscreen button in the top right corner will expand the widget to fill your screen (useful if you’re viewing this on a small window or phone). You can then more easy view the slide diagram and note grid.
The How to play button is a reminder on how it works. Clicking here toggles a help panel. This panel walks you through navigating the widget, the partials, and the alternate position mechanics.
Additionally, there’s keyboard navigation so you can interact with the app hands free. With this, you can tab between the note buttons and hit Space or Enter to play and choose the note. If you like keyboard shortcuts, this is a handy feature. It helps if you prefer a keyboard for accessibility or when you are multitasking to move through the chart quickly.
One of the most useful applications of this is for practicing other positions. When you play the trombone in real life you will find that at times it is necessary to change position to make big slide movements as small as possible. The widget will help finding those alternative positions for you. How about not using the usual low position but a higher one for a note? This is similar to what happens when you are playing a fast passage. The slide movement needs to be small and manageable.
Also, you can hear how different each partial sounds. Often the higher partials has a brighter, more focused sound then the lower darker partials. It is also presented in a logical way that makes it easier to learn by memory. The notes flow from low to high across the grid. Practicing arpeggios and scales becomes more methodical. Notice how pattern of hand position changes along the scale. What you discover is the natural harmonic series for the instrument. Repeating the positions for each new partial helps you recognize the pattern and develop muscle memory when using the slide.
Explore the various registers slowly. Note how the low brass tones provide a rich foundation, while the higher notes offers clarity and projection. Use the Play all facility to hear it all at once and then work on each note in detail. Clicking the notes one after another will allow you to try playing a simple melody. Notice as the slide adjusts itself to match. Seeing as well as hearing helps solidify your learning about this instrument.
Pick out some known notes and locate them on the instrument. Try the alternative fingerings that will change the sliding action. Set the volume control to a suitable setting, then have at it!
This is an accessible exercise for the novice learner to the more advanced player who wishes to fine-tune their slide positions. Enjoy exploring and finding out about what makes the trombone tick.