B Flat Blues Scale Trumpet Fingerings Printable

Your b flat blues scale trumpet fingerings printable starts with six written notes: B♭, D♭, E♭, E, F, and A♭. Add the upper B♭ to complete one octave, then use the short exercises below to make those notes sound like music.

All pitches here are written for B-flat trumpet, not concert pitch. Written B♭ sounds concert A♭. If your band calls a concert B♭ blues, you need the written C blues scale instead. Use the C blues scale fingerings and improv drill for that situation.

For this session, start on written B♭ below the staff and finish on B♭ on the third line. You do not need the upper register.

Your b flat blues scale trumpet fingerings printable

Print this section, or copy the table onto one sheet. Use portrait orientation and check print preview before printing.

Instrument: B-flat trumpet Pitch system: Written pitch Scale: B♭ minor blues Formula: 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–♭7–1

Valve 1 is nearest your mouthpiece. Valve 3 is nearest the bell. A plus sign means press those valves together.

| Written note | Staff location | Valves | Scale role | |---|---|---|---| | B♭3 | Space below the staff | 1 | Root | | D♭4 | Space just below the bottom line | 1+2+3 | Minor third | | E♭4 | Bottom line | 2+3 | Fourth | | E4 | Bottom line, natural | 1+2 | Blue note, spelled F♭ theoretically | | F4 | First space | 1 | Fifth | | A♭4 | Second space | 2+3 | Minor seventh | | B♭4 | Third line | 1 | Upper root |

Ascending: B♭3–D♭4–E♭4–E4–F4–A♭4–B♭4 Descending: B♭4–A♭4–F4–E4–E♭4–D♭4–B♭3

The lowered fifth of B♭ is technically F♭. This chart uses its enharmonic equivalent, E natural, because it is easier to read quickly.

Notice that both B♭ notes use valve 1. Your air and lip coordination select the octave; the valves alone cannot do that.

For a broader reference, keep the trumpet valve chart beside this sheet.

First pass: steady air before speed

Set a metronome to 60 beats per minute. Play each ascending note for two beats, taking a comfortable breath whenever needed. Then descend the same way.

Use a light “doo” attack. Aim for the same tone on every note, rather than emphasizing each valve change.

Low D♭, fingered 1+2+3, can feel more resistant than the surrounding notes. Avoid forcing it with extra mouthpiece pressure. Listen for a centered pitch and a clear start.

That valve combination also tends sharp on many trumpets. If your instrument has a movable third-valve slide, adjust it as needed while checking a tuner or drone.

Next, play E♭–E–F–E–E♭ slowly. The move from 2+3 to 1+2 requires several fingers to change together. Keep your fingertips near the buttons, so a stray valve does not briefly create another note.

Use your b flat blues scale trumpet fingerings printable as a quick check between attempts, then look away and repeat from memory.

Turn the chart into a two-bar phrase

These are original practice patterns, not transcriptions. Every note is written pitch, and every note below is a quarter note unless marked otherwise.

Bar 1: B♭3, D♭4, E♭4, E4 Bar 2: F4, A♭4, B♭4 held for two beats

Play the phrase once, then leave two bars of silence. During the silence, sing the rhythm internally. This makes the next entrance deliberate instead of rushed.

Now try a lower answer:

Bar 1: F4, E4, E♭4, D♭4 Bar 2: B♭3 held for two beats, two beats of rest

The E natural creates friction. Moving from E to F lets you hear that tension settle. However, you can also descend through E toward E♭ for a different blues inflection.

Do not bend notes yet. First, make the half steps distinct with clean fingering and steady air. Then experiment with softer attacks and slightly different note lengths.

Listen for phrasing, then practise again

Listen to Lee Morgan on Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ 1958 recording of “Moanin’.” Focus on space, repeated ideas, and contrasting attacks rather than trying to copy every pitch.

This chart is not a transcription of Morgan’s solo. It is a small vocabulary tool for developing your own phrases. Also, a blues scale does not describe every chord tone in a blues progression.

For your next repetition, choose just three notes: B♭, D♭, and F. Make one short statement, pause, and answer it. Then add E♭–E–F as a connecting gesture.

Keep the b flat blues scale trumpet fingerings printable on your stand. Open the JazzValve B♭ blues scale screen and play written B♭–D♭–E♭–E–F–A♭–B♭, ascending and descending. Then play the two-bar phrase above without looking at the chart.