Overtone Series for Trombone
Every note on the trombone is in a slightly different place on the horn. Yes, you read that right. As you go higher on the instrument, the notes become more and more out of tune, and you either adjust the slide position or you use an alternate position. I do not typically use 1st position for anything above F, unless quickly and in passing.
Step 1.
Take out your tuner and adjust to your level of playing. We recommend the Tonal Energy Tuner adjusted to Fine tuning. The goal is to consistently get a smiley face while staying within 5 - 7 cents of center pitch.
Step 2.
Tune your horn using 1st position such as Bb. Otherwise, you’ll be practicing in the wrong position!
Step 3.
Once your horn is in tune, play the other notes in open position and note their tuning. You may need to adjust the rest of the notes in that partial accordingly. Do this with the guidance of a good teacher, as you may go in circles with your tuning.
For example, high Eb is sharp, high Ab is flat, etc. You will learn to fine tune each position according to the tendency of the overtone series.
Before you start with long tones, play through the Overtone Series. The key is to become familiar with the locations of each note above the staff, and to start using alternate positions for the notes that are out of tune when played in 1st position.
