All Trumpet Fingerings: A Chart You Can Practice

Looking for all trumpet fingerings? Start with the chart below, then play the short exercises to connect written notes with clean valve changes.

You do not need to memorize the entire chart before making music. First, find written C4, D4, and E4. Play C4–D4–E4–D4–C4, using 0–1+3–1+2–1+3–0. Keep the sound easy and leave a breath between repetitions.

Here, C4 means middle C, one ledger line below the treble staff. These are written pitches for B-flat trumpet, not concert pitches. Written C sounds concert B-flat, a whole step lower.

All trumpet fingerings: the standard playing range

This chart covers standard fingerings from written F-sharp3 through C6. That is low F-sharp below the staff through high C above it. It does not list every alternate fingering, pedal note, or extended-register option.

0 = open. Numbers show which valves to press together. Valve 1 is nearest your mouthpiece; valve 3 is nearest the bell.

| Written note | Valves | |---|---| | F♯3 / G♭3 | 1+2+3 | | G3 | 1+3 | | G♯3 / A♭3 | 2+3 | | A3 | 1+2 | | A♯3 / B♭3 | 1 | | B3 | 2 | | C4 | 0 | | C♯4 / D♭4 | 1+2+3 | | D4 | 1+3 | | D♯4 / E♭4 | 2+3 | | E4 | 1+2 | | F4 | 1 | | F♯4 / G♭4 | 2 | | G4 | 0 | | G♯4 / A♭4 | 2+3 | | A4 | 1+2 | | A♯4 / B♭4 | 1 | | B4 | 2 | | C5 | 0 | | C♯5 / D♭5 | 1+2 | | D5 | 1 | | D♯5 / E♭5 | 2 | | E5 | 0 | | F5 | 1 | | F♯5 / G♭5 | 2 | | G5 | 0 | | G♯5 / A♭5 | 2+3 | | A5 | 1+2 | | A♯5 / B♭5 | 1 | | B5 | 2 | | C6 | 0 |

Notice that C-sharp4 and C-sharp5 use different fingerings. So do D4 and D5. However, many other patterns repeat across octaves.

For more help coordinating your hands, see the Trumpet Fingering Guide: Notes, Valves, and Clean Changes.

Why the right valves can still produce the wrong note

A list of all trumpet fingerings cannot tell your lips which pitch to play. The same valve combination supports several notes in the harmonic series.

For example, written C4, G4, C5, and E5 are all open. Your air and embouchure select the pitch; your valves establish the tubing length.

Try C4–G4–C4 without moving any valves. Hear the G before you play it. If another open note speaks instead, reset gently rather than adding mouthpiece pressure.

On a B-flat trumpet, this slur can feel less secure than a stepwise scale because your fingers provide no new cue. Listen for a centered note, not a squeezed arrival.

Low C-sharp4 and D4 commonly run sharp. If your trumpet has a movable third-valve slide, extend it as needed while checking a tuner. There is no universal slide distance.

Meanwhile, written E5 often tends flat with the open fingering. Alternate fingerings can help in particular situations, but learn your instrument’s response before changing the chart.

Connect the fingerings in small chromatic groups

Set a metronome to 60 bpm. Play one written note per click:

C4–C♯4–D4–D♯4–E4–F4–F♯4–G4

0–1+2+3–1+3–2+3–1+2–1–2–0

Then reverse the sequence. Rest for as long as you played, and repeat twice.

The D4-to-D-sharp4 change deserves special attention. Keep valve 3 down while releasing valve 1 and pressing valve 2. If those movements arrive separately, an unwanted pitch may interrupt the line.

Likewise, F4-to-F-sharp4 swaps valve 1 for valve 2. Keep your fingertips resting on the buttons, because lifting them high adds unnecessary travel.

First, tongue each note lightly. Then slur groups of four. Slurring exposes uneven changes that tonguing can hide.

Do not push this exercise into the upper register yet. A smooth eight-note climb teaches more than a strained two-octave scramble.

Turn the chart into a jazz phrase

Use this original practice phrase in written C:

C4–D4–E4–G4 | B♭4–A4–G4–E4 | C4

0–1+3–1+2–0 | 1–1+2–0–1+2 | 0

Play the first eight notes as quarter notes, then hold the final C for four beats. Next, try the first eight as swung eighth notes.

The B-flat adds the dominant-seventh color. However, keep the descent relaxed rather than accenting every valve change. Let the final C sound like an answer.

For a listening reference, hear Miles Davis play “Freddie Freeloader” on Kind of Blue. Listen for space and phrase endings. This exercise is not a transcription of his solo.

Then explore C Mixolydian Scale Trumpet Fingerings and Practice Drills, which uses the same seven-note collection.

Make the chart useful today

Treat all trumpet fingerings as a reference, not a speed test. Choose a comfortable range, check the octave, and listen for clean connections before increasing tempo.

Open JazzValve Practice for your next round: play C4–C♯4–D4–D♯4–E4–F4–F♯4–G4 and back, one note per beat at 60 bpm. Finish with the written C jazz phrase above, leaving a full breath between takes.