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Trombone range

The trombone's range is E2 to F5. For a section you have not worked with, write inside E2 to B♭4. It reads at concert pitch.

BrassNon-transposing, reads at concert pitch

Red notes: practical range. Black: full range only. Middle C = C4.

Sounding pitch
E2
B♭4F5

On the piano

C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8
Sounding In Cubase/Logic MIDI Hz
Lowest E2 E1 40 82.41
Practical high B♭4 B♭3 70 466.2
Highest (full) F5 F4 77 698.5

Type a note or click a key on the piano above.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you play, sing or open here is uploaded anywhere. Music glyphs from Bravura, SIL Open Font License. Published 23 October 2026

The tenor trombone reads at concert pitch in bass clef, with tenor clef for high passages. Its slide gives it a true glissando and also makes some fast passages awkward.

Trombone registers

Register Range How it sounds
Pedal B♭1 and below Pedal notes below the normal range. Rough and loud, used for effect.
Low E2 to B♭2 Firm and dark, blending with tuba and bass trombone.
Middle B♭2 to F4 The trombone's main voice, from a soft chorale to a full-throated blast.
High F4 to B♭4 and up Bright and heroic. Some sources stop the full range at D5.

Writing for the trombone

  • The slide has seven positions. A glissando only works across notes the slide can reach without changing partial.
  • Legato needs a soft tongue between notes, so very fast slurred lines are harder than on a valved instrument.
  • Trombone chords in close position are one of the warmest sounds in the orchestra.

The trombone in sample libraries

Trombone legato patches often smooth over the slide, so they sound easier than real slurs. Check the legato of any library against a fast passage before relying on it.

The full range is every note a professional can produce. The practical range is narrower on purpose, leaving out the notes only strong players produce reliably. The figures here are cross-checked between orchestration references, and where they disagree the practical range takes the more conservative one.

Other brass ranges

See every instrument on one chart, or check a whole MIDI file against these ranges, in the instrument range chart.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the range of the trombone?

The tenor trombone runs from E2 to about F5, with pedal notes from B♭1 down. For section writing, stay between E2 and B♭4. It does not transpose.

Can a trombone play a glissando between any two notes?

No. A true glissando needs the notes to sit on the same partial so the slide can move between them, which limits it to about a tritone. Longer slides need the player to break the glissando.

Is this the trombone range at written or sounding pitch?

It is the same either way, because the trombone reads at concert pitch. Notes use scientific pitch notation, where middle C is C4. Cubase, Logic and Kontakt call that key C3.

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