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SongsAway in a Manger
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  1. 5
  2. 5
  3. 4
  4. 3
  5. 3
  6. 2
  7. 1
  8. 1
  9. 7,
  10. 6,
  11. 5,
  12. 5,
  13. 5,
  14. 6,
  15. 5,
  16. 5,
  17. 2
  18. 7,
  19. 6,
  20. 5,
  21. 1
  22. 3
  23. 5
  24. 5
  25. 4
  26. 3
  27. 3
  28. 2
  29. 1
  30. 1
  31. 7,
  32. 6,
  33. 5,
  34. 5,
  35. 4
  36. 3
  37. 2
  38. 3
  39. 2
  40. 1
  41. 2
  42. 6,
  43. 7,
  44. 1

The tune “Mueller”, James R. Murray, 1887. Public domain.

38 notes · E2–F5 · the pedal B♭1 on the ladder · 38 notes · The B♭ tenor trombone: nine feet of tube and seven positions — the one in every band.

Tap a note, or slide along them to play legato, from note to note in one breath. On a keyboard the letters on the notes are the ones to press — Q is the low F in 6th position, and they climb a semitone at a time.

TromboneFree · printable · plays in your browser

Away in a Manger — Trombone Notes

Away in a Manger, written out for the trombone as every note with its slide position and set up above on the Tenor. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the trombone waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes44, 8 pitches
  • RangeF3–F4
  • Key hereB♭ major
  • Tempo100 bpm · about 29 s
  • LevelEasy

Can a trombone play Away in a Manger?

Yes — every one on this page plays it. The check is made note by note against what each one can actually sound. Where the tune does not fit as the library writes it, another key or octave is tried, and the table says which; where nothing fits, it names the notes that are missing.

  • Tenor✓ Plays as writtenIn B♭ major, F3–F4 · loaded above
  • Tenor + F trigger✓ Plays as writtenIn B♭ major, F3–F4 · load it
  • Alto in E♭✓ Plays as writtenIn B♭ major, F3–F4 · load it

Away in a Manger: trombone notes

The large line is the note; the small line under it is the slide position — T means with the F trigger held. A dash holds the note another beat, an underline is half a beat, and a dot beside a note makes it half as long again. Each line is one phrase.

▶ Play it above

Away in a Manger — trombone notes (Tenor) · tonalics.com

The 8 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 8 and you can play the whole tune.

  • F1st×8
  • G4th×5
  • A2nd×4
  • B♭1st×7
  • C3rd×6
  • D1st×7
  • E♭3rd×3
  • F1st×4

What to expect on a trombone

  • It runs from F3 to F4, an octave, using 8 different notes. That leaves 13 semitones unused below and 12 above.
  • 84% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor seventh, F3 to E♭4, at note 35.
  • It uses 4 slide positions: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
  • The longest move between two neighbouring notes is 3 positions.

About the tune

An American carol of the 1880s that was long, and wrongly, said to be by Martin Luther. This is the tune called “Mueller”, published by James R. Murray in 1887 and the one sung in North America. In Britain the same words go to a different melody, William J. Kirkpatrick’s “Cradle Song” of 1895.

The tune “Mueller”, James R. Murray, 1887. Public domain. The notes follow Wikipedia, “Away in a Manger” (engraved score), cross-checked against 1 other transcription. More about Away in a Manger →

Away in a Manger on other instruments

The same melody, in each instrument’s own notation. It is not offered for the guzheng, handpan or ocarina, which do not have the notes.

More songs for the trombone

All 36 trombone songs · Christmas songs for trombone · The online trombone on its own

Playing it on a real trombone?

If it sounds wrong, check the instrument before the notes. The trombone tuner listens through your microphone and names what each note is actually sounding.

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