Trumpet Fingering Chart
An interactive trumpet fingering chart for Bb trumpet: tap any written note from low F#3 to high C6 to see which valves to press, the alternate fingerings and the note it really sounds.
Tap a note on the staff or the keys. ← → step, Space plays.
Keys 1 to 4 answer.
How to use the trumpet fingering chart
A trumpet fingering chart shows which valves to press for each written note, and this one covers the Bb trumpet from low F#3 below the staff to high C6 above it, with the alternate fingerings, the slide hints and the concert pitch each note sounds, every fingering checked against the harmonic series. Tap a note on the staff or a key on the piano strip. The big card shows the note name, the diagram shows the three valves (a filled circle is a pressed valve, numbered 1 to 3 from the mouthpiece side), and the line under it gives the note it sounds at concert pitch and the partial it sits on.
Use ← and → to walk up and down chromatically and Space to hear the note again. When a note has an alternate fingering, tap the chips under the diagram to switch. Print chart prints every note on one page, and Quiz shows a valve combination and asks which of four notes it plays (keys 1 to 4 answer). The chip that reads Bb names or A# names swaps which spelling comes first; both are always shown, because trumpet parts are mostly written in flat keys.
All the trumpet notes, with valves
The staff holds the trumpet notes a player reads most, written F#3 to C6, and each one has its valves drawn, so the page also works as a trumpet valve chart. Seven valve combinations cover that whole range, and several notes share one: with no valves down you get C4, G4, C5, E5, G5 and C6. Tap through the notes as a trumpet finger chart while you practice, or print the full Bb trumpet fingering chart with every note and its alternates.
Reading the valve diagram
Valve 1 is nearest your face and is played with the index finger, valve 2 with the middle finger and valve 3 with the ring finger. The standard fingering is the one most teachers start with. The alternates are real options too: the chart this tool follows notes that an alternate can be more in tune on your particular trumpet, and then you should treat it as your main fingering. Alternates also help in fast passages and trills, for example 3 instead of 1-2 for A4.
Some fingerings carry a slide hint. Low D4 and C#4 (1-3 and 1-2-3) come out sharp, so push the third valve slide out with your ring finger; the source chart also marks A3, E4 and A4 (1-2) for a touch of first valve slide.
Why three valves are enough: the harmonic series
With no valves pressed a trumpet can only play the notes of one harmonic series; your lips choose which partial sounds. The table lists the open notes you can buzz on a Bb trumpet. The 7th partial, written Bb5, is noticeably flat (about 31 cents in a pure harmonic series), which is why most charts prefer 1 for Bb5 and list open only as a last resort.
| Partial | Open note (written) | Sounds (concert) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | C4 | Bb3 |
| 3 | G4 | F4 |
| 4 | C5 | Bb4 |
| 5 | E5 | D5 |
| 6 | G5 | F5 |
| 7 | Bb5 | Ab5 |
| 8 | C6 | Bb5 |
Each valve adds tubing and lowers every open note by a fixed amount: valve 2 by a semitone, valve 1 by a whole tone and valve 3 by three semitones. Pressing valves together adds the amounts, so seven combinations cover the six semitones between the widely spaced low partials. That is why 1-2 and 3 play the same notes, and why the same fingering appears on several notes an octave or a fifth apart:
| Valves | Lowers the open note by | Written notes with this standard fingering |
|---|---|---|
| Open | 0 semitones | C4 G4 C5 E5 G5 C6 |
| 2 | 1 semitone | B3 Gb4 B4 Eb5 Gb5 B5 |
| 1 | 2 semitones | Bb3 F4 Bb4 D5 F5 Bb5 |
| 1-2 | 3 semitones | A3 E4 A4 Db5 A5 |
| 2-3 | 4 semitones | Ab3 Eb4 Ab4 Ab5 |
| 1-3 | 5 semitones | G3 D4 |
| 1-2-3 | 6 semitones | Gb3 Db4 |
Every fingering in this tool is checked against that rule: the written note plus the semitones the valves take away must land exactly on one of the open partials.
Written pitch and concert pitch
The Bb trumpet is a transposing instrument. When you play a written C, the note that sounds is Bb, a whole step lower, so the chart shows both. If a pianist or a C instrument gives you a concert note, add a whole step to find what to finger: concert F is your written G, open. So a concert Bb is your written C, played open. For whole keys and parts, the transposition chart does the conversion for Bb trumpet and every other transposing instrument.
Practice tips
Learn the open notes first (C4, G4, C5, E5, G5) and slur between them with no valves; that teaches you to find partials by lip. Then add one valve at a time. Check your low D and C# on a tuner with and without the third slide out to hear the difference, keep long tones steady with the metronome, and if the ledger lines slow you down, drill them on the treble clef notes page. The other brass charts on this site work the same way: trombone slide chart, tuba fingering chart, French horn fingering chart, euphonium fingering chart and mellophone fingering chart.
More for band instruments: Clarinet Fingering Chart · Saxophone Fingering Chart · French Horn Fingering Chart · Euphonium Fingering Chart · Mellophone Fingering Chart · Transposition Chart · Tuner
Questions
What are the three trumpet valves for?
Each one adds a length of tubing that lowers every note: valve 2 by a half step, valve 1 by a whole step and valve 3 by one and a half steps. Combined, they fill the gaps between the notes your lips can play with no valves.
Why do 1-2 and 3 give the same note?
Both lower the open note by three semitones. 1-2 is the usual choice because it is usually better in tune; 3 is a handy alternate, for example A4 and E5 in fast passages.
What is the lowest note on the trumpet?
The standard written range starts at F#3, fingered 1-2-3, which sounds concert E3. Lower notes exist only as pedal tones or with extended slides, so this chart starts there.
Is trumpet music written in concert pitch?
No. Bb trumpet parts are written a whole step higher than they sound. Written C sounds Bb. The chart shows the concert note next to each written note.
Which notes need a slide on trumpet?
Low D4 (1-3) and C#4 (1-2-3) are sharp and usually need the third valve slide pushed out. Many charts also suggest a little first valve slide on some 1-2 notes.