PlaysoloistWinds & FlutesTrumpetFingering chart
Free reference · Winds & Flutes
Trumpet Fingering Chart Interactive & Printable (All Notes)
A trumpet's three valves add tubing: valve 2 lowers the open pitch one semitone, valve 1 two, valve 3 three. That yields just seven tube lengths, each producing its own harmonic series — so every note is one of seven valve combinations sounding a numbered partial. On a B♭ trumpet the music is written a whole step above concert pitch: written C sounds concert B♭. From written F♯3 to C6, all 31 chromatic notes use these seven combinations.
Tap or click any row to see the valves and partial. The full chart prints on one page.
The chart, note by note
| Written note | Valves | Partial | Alternate | Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F♯3 / G♭3 | 1-2-3 | 2 | — | very sharp — extend 3rd (and 1st) slide |
| G3 | 1-3 | 2 | — | sharp — extend 3rd slide |
| G♯3 / A♭3 | 2-3 | 2 | — | |
| A3 | 1-2 | 2 | 3 | |
| A♯3 / B♭3 | 1 | 2 | — | |
| B3 | 2 | 2 | — | |
| C4 | open | 2 | — | low C |
| C♯4 / D♭4 | 1-2-3 | 3 | — | very sharp — extend 3rd slide (~2 cm) |
| D4 | 1-3 | 3 | — | sharp — extend 3rd slide (~1 cm) |
| D♯4 / E♭4 | 2-3 | 3 | — | |
| E4 | 1-2 | 3 | 3 | |
| F4 | 1 | 3 | — | |
| F♯4 / G♭4 | 2 | 3 | 1-2-3 (4th partial, sharp) | |
| G4 | open | 3 | 1-3 (4th partial) | |
| G♯4 / A♭4 | 2-3 | 4 | — | |
| A4 | 1-2 | 4 | 3 | |
| A♯4 / B♭4 | 1 | 4 | 1-2-3 (5th partial, sharp — lip-trill fingering) | |
| B4 | 2 | 4 | 1-3 (5th partial) | |
| C5 | open | 4 | 2-3 (5th partial) | middle C (tuning C) |
| C♯5 / D♭5 | 1-2 | 5 | 1-2-3 (6th partial) | 5th partial tends flat |
| D5 | 1 | 5 | 1-3 (6th partial) | 5th partial tends flat |
| D♯5 / E♭5 | 2 | 5 | 2-3 (6th partial) | |
| E5 | open | 5 | 1-2 or 3 (6th partial) | open E often flat — lip up or use alternate |
| F5 | 1 | 6 | — | |
| F♯5 / G♭5 | 2 | 6 | 1-2-3 (8th partial) | |
| G5 | open | 6 | 1-3 (8th partial) | |
| G♯5 / A♭5 | 2-3 | 8 | — | |
| A5 | 1-2 | 8 | 3 | |
| A♯5 / B♭5 | 1 | 8 | — | |
| B5 | 2 | 8 | 1-2 (9th partial) | |
| C6 | open | 8 | 1 (9th partial); 2-3 (10th partial) | high C |
Partial bands (primary fingerings): F♯3–C4 = 2nd partial · C♯4–G4 = 3rd · A♭4–C5 = 4th · C♯5–E5 = 5th · F5–G5 = 6th · A♭5–C6 = 8th. The 7th partial is skipped by convention (≈31 cents flat, unusable).
Every fingering above is cross-checked against the fingering data inside Soloist Trumpet and standard overtone-series charts before publication.
How to read this chart
- Valve numbers: 1 = closest to the mouthpiece (index finger), 2 = middle, 3 = ring finger. “0” = open (no valves).
- “Partial” is the harmonic the note sits on for the primary fingering; higher partials sit closer together, which is why one fingering serves more notes as you ascend.
- Alternate fingerings sound the same written note on a different partial or tube; they are for fast passages and trills — check them against a tuner (most run sharp or flat).
- Valve 3 alone uses roughly the same tubing as 1+2 together; anywhere you see 1-2, valve 3 is the equivalence-based alternate.
- Notes marked “extend 3rd slide” are built sharp on every trumpet; kick the third-valve slide out as marked.
Questions
Why do low C♯4 and D4 sound so sharp even with the right valves?
The 1-2-3 and 1-3 tube combinations are physically too short for those pitches — a design compromise on every three-valve trumpet. Extend the third-valve slide about 1 cm for D4 and 2 cm or more for C♯4 as you play them.
When should I use valve 3 instead of 1-2?
They use nearly the same tubing length, so 3 alone can replace 1-2 (A3, E4, A4, A5) in fast chromatic passages or trills where the finger change is awkward. Check intonation — third-valve-only notes usually need slide adjustment or lipping.
Keep exploring
Put the chart to work
The app listens — and grades every one of these notes.
Soloist Trumpet shows the valve combination and harmonic partial beside every written note, plays the correct concert pitch, and grades what you play through the microphone — free on iPhone, no ads, no account.
Get Trumpet on the App Store