The reference positions correspond to fixed positions for natural harmonics one, two, four, eight, and sixteen. We must add seven new (different) positions for each odd harmonic above that. Mark McDunn’s “The 51 Positions” chart goes from the first natural harmonic (pedal) up to the sixteenth harmonic. When they get note-wise close there is just not enough room to display everything on paper, but the mind's eye can zoom in on the detail to follow the paths. And most charts do not well handle the compression of partials as they go up. The ear can then recognize in aural context there are position paths available for play, not just notes.Īnyway, this chart does not support that kind of thing. So melody becomes a path of connected positions in the chart. (Lower in his visual model is higher in pitch-don't get that part.)Īnyway, the internal visual model allows one to think visually about lines, and Greg does that in his chart. The best representation of such chart I have seen is in Greg Waits' book, but for some reason his internal model is upside down relative to mine. What I mean by internal model is an internal visualization of the position chart. Which position offers the best sound, intonation, and secure attack? Try working that out for each of the very high notes.This chart does not align with my internal model, though it seems pretty accurate for someone with a horn that behaves in that way on his own face. I have found the high F on all positions but 2nd! What you should do, is find out what works best on your specific trombone. Note that in the extreme high-range you can play almost any note in any slide position. Want to improve your trombone playing? Start your free trial to the membership section of this site – there are enough high-quality trombone sheet music and content to keep you busy for months and years! Good luck on your journey to get to know your trombone even better! If you have questions or input to the charts, please let me know. Click each chart to download it in full size. This varies from trombone to trombone, so find out what applies to your horn. Watch out for intonation – notes on alternate positions might have to be held slightly up or down. You will find that some are quite useless and mostly of academic interest, but many of them are really useful. Go grab your trombone and try playing all the notes in the charts in all possible positions. As a rule of thumb, I recommend playing Bb on fifth position in keys that has both Cb and Bb (or B and A#) in them.ĭownload the complete alternate positions charts Which solution will result in the smoothest slide operation? Some keys call for specific alternate positions. You want to make your slide movements as smooth and short as possible, and alternate positions can really help you achieve this. And once you get higher than this on the trombone, you can play any not on almost any slide position! If you can play the note in the first place… Why use alternate positions?Īlthough trombone players mostly play a note in its default slide position, alternate positions are quite useful.
![f attachment trombone position chart f attachment trombone position chart](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/39/a4/53/39a4537bf0e037ba43581392085a3317.gif)
Anything beyond this note is not very usable. In the chart, I have included notes up to the very-high F. While a newbie might struggle to play the middle-Bb, you might be able to play 2 octaves higher than that.
![f attachment trombone position chart f attachment trombone position chart](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/ce/6d/d0/ce6dd0ac3d2b0bbef3f0894f330bad29--trombone-music-sheets.jpg)
The range on the trombone depends on your strength and embouchure. This is due to the fact that the intervals between the notes higher up in the harmonic series on the trombone get smaller and smaller. But as the range gets higher, alternate positions get more and more frequent.
![f attachment trombone position chart f attachment trombone position chart](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/37/1c/3c/371c3cd82159b8a0f031ef92fa258391--trombone-music-lessons.jpg)
Higher range = more alternate positionsĪs you can see in the charts, notes in the low range have no or few alternate positions. For example, if the symbol □* is located in the column for 3rd position, this means that you will have to place the slide somewhere in between the 3rd and 2nd position in order to play the note in tune. This means that you will have to place the slide further in than the standard position. Some of the symbols have an asterisk added to them. The symbol □ means you have to use a trigger or F attachment to play the note in that position. The default position is marked with □ and the alternate position is marked with □. In the chart, I have noted both the default slide position for each note and the alternate position(s). But I bet this chart will reveal some alternate positions you hadn’t yet discovered! Trombone alternate positions – the complete slide chartĭid you know that many notes on the trombone can be played on more than one slide position? If you play the trombone, you probably do.