Trombone slide positions chart

The seven positions

Position	Slide	Main notes (partials 2–4)
1st	All the way in	B♭, F, B♭
2nd	About 8cm out	A, E, A
3rd	Brace near bell rim	A♭, E♭, A♭
4th	Just past the bell	G, D, G
5th	A comfortable arm's reach	G♭, D♭, G♭
6th	Extended arm	F, C, F
7th	Full stretch	E, B, E

Each position drops the pitch by a semitone. The same position gives several notes depending on how fast your lips vibrate, which is why the chart shows more than one note per position.

How to learn them

Learn landmarks, not measurements. First is in, third is at the bell, sixth is a straight arm. Everything else is relative to those three. Sing before you slide: if you can hear the note, your arm finds it. Practise slow scales watching a tuner, then without it.

A note on B♭ major

The beginner scale: B♭(1) C(6) D(4) E♭(3) F(1) G(4) A(2) B♭(1). It uses five positions and teaches the two big skips, first to sixth and first to fourth, that beginners need most.