Demystifying Slide Positions for Double Trigger Trombones
If you play a double trigger bass trombone and you’ve gone looking for a slide position chart that actually works, you’ve probably noticed a standard chart doesn’t cut it. Here’s why, and how to actually find your positions.
The core problem. Pressing one trigger lengthens your slide positions compared to no trigger at all; press both together and positions stretch out further still. “2nd position” isn’t one fixed spot — it moves depending on which trigger combination you’re using.
Two ways to nail it. An electronic tuner is the easiest option — let it guide you to the correct position for whatever combination you’re using. The second is understanding the mechanics, covered below.
The physics of it. To drop a note by one semitone, the instrument’s length has to increase by 6% — so slide positions aren’t evenly spaced; the gap widens the further out you go. Extending this pattern past 7th position with both triggers gets you the equivalent of a “12th position,” long enough for a low B natural.
What each trigger actually does. The F trigger adds the equivalent length of a standard 6th position; the G♭ trigger adds the equivalent of a standard 5th position. Together, they add enough for the equivalent of a 9th position — so any given position is a completely different slide length depending on which trigger combination is engaged.
How to find your positions with both triggers engaged. 1st position with both triggers plays a D. For 2nd: play a D♭ (middle of the bass clef staff) using the G♭ trigger in 1st position, then reproduce that pitch with both triggers in an extended 2nd position. For 3rd: play a C a semitone lower using the F trigger in 1st, then match it with both triggers in a long 3rd. For 4th: play a B a semitone lower using the F trigger in 2nd (or 7th with no trigger), then match it with both triggers in a long 4th.
Don’t skip trigger tuning. For the F trigger: play a bass clef F in 1st with no trigger, then replicate it with the F trigger engaged, adjusting the tuning slide until they match.
For the G♭ trigger: play a B♭ above the staff in 1st with no trigger, then again with the G♭ trigger (mirroring 5th position), adjusting until they align.
Once you understand the mechanics and put in deliberate practice, finding accurate positions on a double trigger trombone becomes just as natural as it is without the triggers.