C3 Trombone Position
How to play C3 on the trombone: 6th 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 reaches the stockings, and your arm is nearly straight. The staff is in bass clef, the trombone's home clef, and in bass clef the trombone sounds exactly as written.
Hear C3 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 C3 position, step by step
- Move the slide out to 6th position — the slide brace reaches the stockings, and your arm is nearly straight.
- 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: 6th position.
About C3 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.
C3 is the longest ordinary reach in the low register — 6th position, arm nearly straight. On a trombone with an F attachment it is also the trigger’s party trick: hold the trigger and C3 plays in 1st position, which is why teachers reach for the trigger version with younger players whose arms cannot yet find 6th reliably.
C3 is note 3 of the 32 in the full trombone slide position chart, sitting between B2 below it and D♭3 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 C3
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 C3
What position is C3 on trombone?
6th position. C3 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 C3 sound as written on trombone?
Yes. In bass clef the trombone is a non-transposing instrument, so written C3 sounds as concert C3 — the same pitch a piano plays. Only brass-band treble-clef parts transpose.
Is there an alternate position for C3?
For C3, 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.