![]() 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. Charts and positions don’t give the full story. If you sound thin, you will have a hard time blending in with the other instruments.Trombone slide positions are usually given to a beginner student without much discussion of how a trombone works. I’ll leave you with a couple of videos I produced of my favorite place to play: outside! If you plan to play alto within the context of a band expecting you to sound close to a tenor, you’ll need to work on your sound. I have never cared to have a trigger on my alto. With a trigger, you can play all those notes directly above pedal Eb. ![]() Of course, I am referring to an alto without a trigger. Unlike the natural notes, the false tones are mostly dependent on your ear. The second reason is to strengthen your ear for hearing pitch on the alto. The first reason is so that you can play notes you might be expected to play from a tenor trombone part. I do recommend that you learn to play those false tones between E and Ab for two reasons. Pedal Eb is in first position and low A is the next natural tone on the horn. In the above chart, I have identified the alternate positions after the “/”.īecause of the physics of the alto trombone, the lowest natural note just above the “false” tones is concert A. Especially if you are a tenor trombone player, you’ll want to learn the alto trombone using the same notation that you are used to.īelow is a comparison of the first position overtone series between alto and tenor. Unless you plan on being a symphonic player where those ancient parts for alto were written in alto clef, learn the instrument in bass clef. ![]() In fact, I think it is pretty silly to learn alto trombone in alto clef. Reading alto clef is NOT required for alto trombone. The second partial on a tenor is Bb at the bottom of the bass clef staff, and the corresponding partial for the alto is the Eb in the middle of the bass clef staff.īefore showing you the position chart, let me make one point. That tells you that the partials on the alto are a fourth higher than tenor. ![]() The fundamental of a tenor trombone is concert Bb and the fundamental for an alto trombone is concert Eb. In case you may not be aware, the slide positions for alto trombone are completely different from tenor trombone.
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