Trumpet Blues Scales Finger Chart: C, F, and G

This trumpet blues scales finger chart gives you written notes and valve combinations for C, F, and G minor blues scales. Start with C, play each note slowly, then turn four notes into a short jazz phrase.

All pitches below are written for B-flat trumpet, not concert pitch. Written C sounds concert B-flat, so use the C chart when playing with a concert B-flat blues backing track.

You only need six different notes for each scale. However, the goal is not simply to climb through them. Listen for a steady sound, clean valve changes, and phrases that finish deliberately.

Trumpet blues scales finger chart: three useful keys

The minor blues formula is 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–♭7, followed by the octave. Here, “blues scale” means this six-note minor blues scale, not the major blues scale.

Fingering key: 0 = open; 1, 2, and 3 identify valves. A combination such as 1–3 means press both valves together.

Octave numbers make the register clear: C4 is middle C, one ledger line below the treble staff. G3 sits below that C. These are standard fingerings for the listed register.

| Scale step | C blues: note / valves | F blues: note / valves | G blues: note / valves | |---|---|---|---| | Root | C4 / 0 | F4 / 1 | G3 / 1–3 | | ♭3 | E♭4 / 2–3 | A♭4 / 2–3 | B♭3 / 1 | | 4 | F4 / 1 | B♭4 / 1 | C4 / 0 | | ♭5 | G♭4 / 2–3 | C♭5 / 2 | D♭4 / 1–2–3 | | 5 | G4 / 0 | C5 / 0 | D4 / 1–3 | | ♭7 | B♭4 / 1 | E♭5 / 2 | F4 / 1 | | Octave | C5 / 0 | F5 / 1 | G4 / 0 |

C♭5 sounds like B4 and uses the same fingering. Likewise, G♭ and F♯ are enharmonic equivalents, but G♭ shows the flattened fifth in C.

The G version starts low to avoid requiring G5. However, low G and D can run sharp with 1–3. Listen carefully and use your third-valve slide as needed.

For more help reading combinations, see Fingering for the Trumpet: A Practical Jazz Guide.

Play C blues before changing keys

Set a metronome to 60 bpm. Play this written C blues scale in quarter notes:

C4 – E♭4 – F4 – G♭4 – G4 – B♭4 – C5, then rest for one beat.

Next, descend through the same notes. Breathe before each run rather than squeezing the last two notes out of an empty breath.

On trumpet, F4–G♭4–G4 is the revealing spot. Your fingers move from 1 to 2–3, then open. If they arrive unevenly, an unwanted pitch can briefly interrupt the line.

First, loop F4–G♭4–G4–G♭4 with a light tongue on each note. Then slur the pattern while keeping the air moving. Avoid punching G♭ with extra pressure just because the fingering changes.

The open C5 can also crack onto another partial if the pitch is unclear. Hear the upper C before playing it, and keep your volume comfortable.

Use the trumpet blues scales finger chart as a reference, then look away for one repetition. Connecting the sound to the valve movement matters more than memorizing numbers alone.

Turn the scale into a two-bar phrase

Try this original practice phrase. It is an exercise, not a transcription from a recording.

• Bar 1: C4 quarter note, E♭4 quarter note, F4 eighth note, G♭4 eighth note, G4 quarter note.
• Bar 2: B♭4 quarter note, G4 quarter note, C4 quarter note, quarter rest.

First, use even eighth notes. Once the valve changes are clean, give the eighth-note pair a relaxed swing feel. Keep the pulse steady rather than forcing an exaggerated long-short rhythm.

Notice how G♭ creates tension before G. Then notice how the final C gives the phrase a clear stopping point.

For a listening reference, hear Miles Davis on *“Freddie Freeloader” from Kind of Blue***. Listen to his space and phrase endings. The solo is not restricted to this scale, so treat the recording as a phrasing lesson, not a six-note rulebook.

Move to another key, then return to C

After three clean C repetitions, try the low G version. The G blues scale trumpet guide provides another focused practice step. Save F blues for when F5 feels comfortable; range should not dictate your air pressure.

Keep this trumpet blues scales finger chart nearby, but finish by playing rather than reading. Open JazzValve’s C blues scale screen and play C–E♭–F–G♭–G–B♭–C up and down. Then repeat F–G♭–G four times at 60 bpm, listening for clean arrivals on G.