Hey,

I have been playing the tenor trombone for 3 years, and for our jazz band, i decided to play the bass trombone since the last one graduated. It is a really old bach (typical school instrument) with an F attachment triggered by the thumb, and im not sure what the other coil is but that is triggered by the pinkey/ring finger along the slide where you grip the trombone. Which notes should i use to tune these? second, does anyone know where i can find a position chart, all of the ones i found on google are really confusing. If you could help me out, i would really appreciate it.

-Andrew

Which notes should i use to tune these? f

tune F valve to 4th line F. That will make your second space C sharp and lower F flat. but that is the standard tuning

the second valve your going to tune to low C. Heres how its done.

after you tune the F your going ot play a first line G in 4th then you are going to depress both the valves and play a Low C(2 ledger lines below bass clef). once you get that in tune you are generally in tune.

this is STANDARD although nobody really uses this setup anymore(i dont).

i suggest YOu figure out the notes. honestly thats the easiest way to go. Start on low F(bottom bass clef) and go down chromatically. you will find that positions arent in the same spot as their respective notes an octave higher.

after you get down all the way down to 7th(low C), you should depress both valves again and go down chromatically starting from D in first position. if that was absolutely confusing, good. i suggest you just do chromatics for a few days in the sequence.

if i confused you im sorry. email me.

This is how I do it. For the first trigger, after tuning the horn normally, I play F on the fourth line, then match it on the trigger. The second trigger gets tricky, cause it depends on what your horn is tuned to. Most bass bones are tuned to D on the third line with both triggers down, but some are something else. I have an old Holton that tunes to Eb, so I have to deal with that.

Just remember one thing while you are tuning your triggers. Normally, playing without triggers, the trombone has 7 positions. With the first trigger down, it only has 6, (since it already has more tubing with the trigger section), so low F below the staff is first, E is flat 2nd, Eb is flat 3rd, and so on down to low C in 7th, or what I call flat 7th. (way out there) Then you add the second trigger, with both triggers down it becomes a 5 position horn. So you have to adjust.

erik i think you like posting just to add on to what i say to make it seem like you know more =)

your probably do.

Yeah we seem to say the same things a lot, don`t we? I guess I should read more, instead of speed-reading and adding my own insight. I doubt I actually know more, I just know different.

If that makes sense....

Either that or I`m just a forum addict, and I have to add my own 2 cents even though it`s already been stated.

Somthin....

i think it may be a combo of them all.

at least its good that we both agree on most things. sometimes makes me feel a little bit better knowing my information has been affirmed

Word.

It also feels good to know that someone out there says the same thing that I spout out to my students all the time, hoping that I`m not completely full of crap.

thank you, you really helped alot!

And another thing to remember is to use as much air as humanly possible. Differences there can cost/add 50 cents to whatever note you`re trying to tune.

Here: http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/5650/positionchart25tv.jpg

I scanned it in...it`s the most useful sheet I`ve ever had for the trombone.

Wow, that is a great possition chart. I wrote one out myself a while back, but that one seems easier to read. I like how they have all (almost) of the alternates as well.

i think thats tottally confusing.. i dont know why.

just me, and i know how to play bass trombone.
then again i learnt bass by just sitting down with a tuner and just pounded the notes out.

thank you for the chart, it is alot better than the one i got! it is alot harder when you have a standard bone mouth piece on a big bore trombone, difficult but playable. my stupid band teacher keeps putting off the call to the music store. once again, thanks guys for all of your help!