B2 Trombone Position
How to play B2 on the trombone: 7th position. — on the 3rd partial, in bass clef, sounding exactly as written.
The diagram shows the trombone from the side with the slide pointing down: the dark bar is the slide brace, and it stops at the numbered marker for this note's position — the slide brace goes just past the stockings — the longest reach on the instrument, with the arm fully extended. The staff is in bass clef, the trombone's home clef, and in bass clef the trombone sounds exactly as written.
Hear B2 and try the position
Pick an instrument and a note and the diagram updates instantly — filled keys are the ones you press. The same finder sits on every note page, pre-set to that note.
The B2 position, step by step
- Move the slide out to 7th position — the slide brace goes just past the stockings — the longest reach on the instrument, with the arm fully extended.
- Support the slide’s weight from underneath with your right hand and keep the wrist relaxed — a stiff wrist makes the long positions land short, which is why 6th and 7th so often play flat.
- Check the pitch against the harmonic: if the note will not speak cleanly, the slide is usually close and the lips are aiming at the wrong partial — re-centre the buzz before moving the slide further.
In short: 7th position.
About B2 on the trombone
The low register is built from the bottom rungs of the ladder — the 2nd and 3rd partials. Its positions run counter-intuitively (B2 in 7th, C3 in 6th) because every note here is a harmonic lowered by the slide, and the only harmonic low enough to borrow from is F3. These notes want slow, warm air and a relaxed embouchure; forcing them only makes them bark.
B2 is the note that confuses every beginner: it sits one semitone above B♭2, yet it is played with the slide nearly fully out. A slide can only lower a harmonic, so B2 is borrowed from the F3 harmonic above and pulled down six semitones to 7th position. If your trombone has an F attachment, the trigger plays B2 in a comfortable 2nd position instead — the shortcut this note is famous for.
B2 is note 2 of the 32 in the full trombone slide position chart, sitting between B♭2 below it and C3 above it. Like every position on this site, it was checked against Yamaha’s official chart and the NoteAtlas slide position chart before publishing.
Practising B2
Low notes speak with slow air and an open throat — think of fogging a window, not blowing out a candle. For 6th and 7th positions, move early and move smoothly: arriving late and jerking the slide into place is what makes low entrances blare.
Questions about B2
What position is B2 on trombone?
7th position. B2 is played on the 3rd partial (harmonic) of the trombone's tube in the low register. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
Does B2 sound as written on trombone?
Yes. In bass clef the trombone is a non-transposing instrument, so written B2 sounds as concert B2 — the same pitch a piano plays. Only brass-band treble-clef parts transpose.
Is there an alternate position for B2?
For B2, the position above is the one to learn. It is the standard position both reference charts give for this note, and the one teachers expect to see.
Think this position is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.