G4 Trombone Position
How to play G4 on the trombone: 4th position. — on the 8th 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 sits just past the edge of the bell. The staff is in bass clef, the trombone's home clef, and in bass clef the trombone sounds exactly as written.
Hear G4 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 G4 position, step by step
- Move the slide out to 4th position — the slide brace sits just past the edge of the bell.
- Move from the elbow with a relaxed wrist, and place the slide by ear as much as by landmark — positions are places you hear, not marks on the tube.
- 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: 4th position.
Alternate position for G4
6th position.
On the D5 harmonic, this alternate keeps the slide out for high passages around C5 and D5. Yamaha’s chart draws instead a short 2nd position — the "raised 2nd" on the flattened seventh partial — which some players prefer in slurs around B♭4.
About G4 on the trombone
The high register rides the 8th partial and above, where the rungs of the ladder crowd together and the lips do most of the selecting. Positions up here are the short ones — mostly 1st to 5th — and several notes are standard in two positions. Accuracy comes from hearing the exact partial before you play, not from slide athleticism.
G4 has the same story as its neighbour G♭4: the standard position is 4th, on the B♭4 harmonic. Yamaha’s chart draws a short 2nd position instead — the seventh-partial version, which players call a "raised 2nd" because the slide sits noticeably closer in than ordinary 2nd position to make up for the flat partial. Learn 4th first; keep the raised 2nd for slurs that live around A4 and B♭4.
G4 is note 22 of the 32 in the full trombone slide position chart, sitting between G♭4 below it and A♭4 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 G4
High notes need faster air through a smaller aperture, never more mouthpiece pressure. Practise this note in short bursts with rests between, approaching it by slur from the note a third below, and stop while it still feels easy.
Questions about G4
What position is G4 on trombone?
4th position. G4 is played on the 8th partial (harmonic) of the trombone's tube in the high register. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
Does G4 sound as written on trombone?
Yes. In bass clef the trombone is a non-transposing instrument, so written G4 sounds as concert G4 — the same pitch a piano plays. Only brass-band treble-clef parts transpose.
Is there an alternate position for G4?
Yes — 6th position. On the D5 harmonic, this alternate keeps the slide out for high passages around C5 and D5. Yamaha’s chart draws instead a short 2nd position — the "raised 2nd" on the flattened seventh partial — which some players prefer in slurs around B♭4.
Think this position is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.