A trumpet has seven valve combinations and 31 notes between low F♯ and high C, so some notes have more than one fingering. The standard fingering in a chart is the one that is usually best in tune. An alternate plays the same written note from a different tube or a different rung, and it earns its place in a trill, a fast run or a lip slur.
01 Same note, different tube
Each valve combination plays its own ladder of notes, the harmonic series of that tube. Near the bottom the ladders are far apart. Higher up they crowd together and overlap, so two ladders can reach the same pitch. Open E5 is the 5th rung of the open horn. The 1-2 tube sits a step and a half lower, and its 6th rung is that same E5.
A4 is the odd one out. Its alternate keeps the rung and swaps the tube: the 3rd-valve loop is about as long as valves 1 and 2 together, so 3 alone can stand in for 1-2.
02 The alternates worth knowing
| Written note | Standard | Alternate | Where the alternate sits | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4second line | open | 1-3 | 4th partial of the 1-3 tube | G–A trill: hold 3, flick valve 1. Runs about 30¢ sharp |
| A4second space | 1-2 | 3 | Same 4th partial; valve 3’s loop replaces 1 and 2 | A♭–A and G–A figures, where fewer fingers move |
| C♯5third space | 1-2 | 1-2-3 | 6th partial | Rarely the better choice: 1-2-3 is the sharpest combination |
| D5fourth line | 1 | 1-3 | 6th partial | Top rung of 1-3 lip slurs. Runs sharp |
| E5top space | open | 1-2 (or 3) | 6th partial | E–F♯ trill: flick valve 1. Also a tuning option |
| C♯6high C♯, above the staff | 1-2 | 2 | 9th partial (the standard is on the 10th) | A fast C–C♯–D run as 0, 2, 0 |
| D6high D, above the staff | 1 | open | 9th partial (the standard is on the 10th) | C–D slurs and lip trills with no valve at all |
Standard fingerings match the B♭ trumpet fingering chart. The cents are textbook values; your horn will differ.
03 When to reach for one
Let one finger do the trill
E5 to F♯5 crosses a partial with the standard fingerings. Play E on 1-2 and F♯ on 2, both on the 6th partial, and the trill is valve 1 going up and down. G4 to A4 works the same way: G on 1-3, A on 3.
Fewer fingers moving
In a quick A♭4–A4–A♭4, going from 2-3 to 3 lifts a single finger; 2-3 to 1-2 swaps two. Above the staff, C6–C♯6–D6 can go 0, 2, 0 instead of 0, 1-2, 1.
Staying on one tube
A slur drill that holds 1-3 climbs G3, D4, G4, B4 and D5. Three of those five are alternates, so the drill teaches them whether you meant it to or not.
When the standard note sits badly
Open E5 leans flat on many horns, and 1-2 on the rung above tends a little sharp. If a long E5 keeps reading flat, hold both against a tuner and keep the one your horn centres.
04 What an alternate costs
Most alternates are less in tune than the standard fingering, and the ones on 1-3 and 1-2-3 are the worst, because they borrow the sharpest combinations on the horn: on paper G4 on 1-3 runs about 30 cents sharp, D5 on 1-3 about 32, and C♯5 on 1-2-3 about 55. They can also speak and sound slightly differently from the notes around them.
A few are close calls. On paper, 3 for A4 and open for high D land nearer the centre than the standard fingerings. Real horns vary enough that only a tuner can say which wins on yours.
A working rule: the standard fingering for anything held, exposed or at the end of a phrase, and alternates for notes that go by quickly. Before you use one in a piece, hold the standard and the alternate for eight counts each against a tuner and write down which way the alternate went. The trumpet tuning table shows which way each standard fingering usually leans.
Related reading
Questions
What is the alternate fingering for E on trumpet?
Top-space E (E5) is normally open. The alternate is 1-2, or 3, which plays the same note on the 6th partial. It turns the E to F♯ trill into a flick of valve 1.
Are alternate trumpet fingerings in tune?
Usually less so than the standard fingering, especially any that use 1-3 or 1-2-3. Keep them for trills and fast notes, and check each one on a tuner before using it on a held note.
Is high D on trumpet fingered 1 or open?
Standard charts teach 1 for high D (D6) and 1-2 for high C♯. Open D and 2 for C♯ play the same notes on the partial below. Both work; which is better in tune varies from horn to horn.