#Alto trombone position chart alto clef how to

There are some trombone parts that are in transposed treble clef mostly used in British Brass Band nowadays, but used much more commonly 125 years ago.

#Alto trombone position chart alto clef how to

(But printed music transposing in this direction doesn't generally exist, so you'll have to learn how to do the former.) you need music that's notated a tone lower in order to 'trick' you into using the necessary fingerings - we want to hear a Bb, so the page says Ab, you depress the 1st valve as you learned on a Bb instrument, Bb sounds. you 'relearn'/recontextualise the fingerings so that Bb is 1st valve, etcī. So, for your example: if you bought a C valve trombone, eitherĪ. (Outside of these notated traditions, you still need to know what note you're actually playing.) In the British brass band tradition, all the instruments (except for the bass trombone, Because History) are notated in treble C, so any player could go from the Eb soprano cornet to BBb tuba without having to think about fingerings. On a natural horn/trumpet, you're only ever thinking about a C harmonic series, and then the length of the instrument and/or its crooks does the rest. The basic advantage of transposing notation is to allow the same (C-based) fingerings to work across multiple instruments of differing sizes. Technically, a valve trombone in 8ft C can be said to be 'in Bb at A=494Hz', but that's conceptually unimportant and practically useless. Once you accept that, you're on your way.ĭon't worry about the pitch reference side of it yet - historically, pitch standards varied (often for extremely practical reasons) but, for now, let's take A=~440Hz as a given. The system is inconsistent and confusing. Bb trumpet (built in Bb) typically plays music in Bb (written a step higher than it sounds). Bb trombone (built in Bb) typically plays music in C (concert pitch). One is the way it is built (what note sounds in first position or open) and the other is how music is typically written for that instrument. There can be two keys associated with an instrument. A C trombone sounds C in 1st position, but music isn't written any different for a C trombone. The Bb trumpet is half the length of the Bb trombone, so it should be written an octave above the trombone, but it's written a 9th above. So for sax, same fingerings for different notes, for tuba, different fingerings for the same notes.

Transposition is used to keep the same fingerings between alto and tenor sax, for example. Sometimes baritone and tuba parts (and sometimes even trombone parts) are transposed and written in treble clef, but it's mostly the Brits that do this. Some instrument players through tradition are taught to read transposed parts. Any key tuba can play a 'tuba' part, just with different fingerings. The player just uses different fingerings for each length tuba. Tuba music is all written in concert pitch, whether Bb, C, Eb or F tuba. The key of the trombone just means what note sounds as the harmonic fundamental - a function of the length of the instrument. Bb and Eb trombone included (Eb alto trombone plays Eb in 1st position, but still reads concert pitch). Strings and piano read music in concert pitch.

And I'm not even sure if I'm making sense with the question.Ĭoncert pitch means you play notes as they sound on piano. I am sorry if this is a dead simple question with an obvious answer, but I am just not getting the connections at this time. But what about a trombone tuned to C or something else? My thought is that if I have an antique or old European made horn, in first position it will be tuned to C (or something else)? If I am understanding that correctly, then how does that translate to reading a modern script? Is it normal fingering, or transposed, or treble clef ? For example, if I have an old pitched instrument, but wanted to play a modern composition along with modern instruments, what do I need to do to make this happen? From my understanding, that means my horn in 1st position blows a Bb at 440 pitch and I play a bass clef composition using common fingerings. I am working on unlocking the mysteries of the Deep Knowledge of music theory and I am having trouble understanding the idea of 'concert pitch' as it relates to the various tunings of the trombone.įor example: All the music I've ever played was written for a trombone tuned to Bb using bass clef.