Printable chart
Trumpet valve chart
Which valves to press for every note on a B♭ trumpet, from F♯3 to C6, as a printable chart with the pressed valves marked.
Fits on one page.
Notes are written pitch for a B♭ trumpet; it sounds a major second lower than written (a written C sounds as B♭). Valves are numbered 1, 2, 3 starting from the one nearest the mouthpiece. A filled circle means the valve is pressed.
| Written note | Valves | Fingering |
|---|---|---|
| F♯3 / G♭3 | 123 | 123 |
| G3 | 123 | 13 |
| G♯3 / A♭3 | 123 | 23 |
| A3 | 123 | 12 |
| A♯3 / B♭3 | 123 | 1 |
| B3 | 123 | 2 |
| C4 (middle C) | 123 | Open |
| C♯4 / D♭4 | 123 | 123 |
| D4 | 123 | 13 |
| D♯4 / E♭4 | 123 | 23 |
| E4 | 123 | 12 |
| F4 | 123 | 1 |
| F♯4 / G♭4 | 123 | 2 |
| G4 | 123 | Open |
| G♯4 / A♭4 | 123 | 23 |
| A4 | 123 | 12 |
| A♯4 / B♭4 | 123 | 1 |
| B4 | 123 | 2 |
| C5 | 123 | Open |
| C♯5 / D♭5 | 123 | 12 |
| D5 | 123 | 1 |
| D♯5 / E♭5 | 123 | 2 |
| E5 | 123 | Open |
| F5 | 123 | 1 |
| F♯5 / G♭5 | 123 | 2 |
| G5 | 123 | Open |
| G♯5 / A♭5 | 123 | 23 |
| A5 | 123 | 12 |
| A♯5 / B♭5 | 123 | 1 |
| B5 | 123 | 2 |
| C6 | 123 | Open |
How the valves work#
Without any valve pressed, a trumpet can only play the notes of its harmonic series: for a B♭ trumpet, written C, G, C, E, G and the C above. Each valve adds a length of tubing that lowers the pitch, and combinations lower it further:
| Valve | Lowers the pitch by |
|---|---|
| 2nd | one semitone (half step) |
| 1st | two semitones (a whole step) |
| 3rd | three semitones (a step and a half) |
So every note between two open notes is reached by pressing the valves that add up to the right number of semitones. For example, D4 sits five semitones below G4: valve 1 (two) plus valve 3 (three), written 1-3.
Things worth knowing#
- Notes with the same fingering (such as C4, G4, C5 and E5, all open) are told apart by how tightly you buzz your lips, not by the valves.
- Some notes have more than one possible fingering. This chart lists the standard one; teachers will show you alternatives for tuning and fast passages.
- The trumpet reads treble clef.
Sources: Wikipedia: Trumpet.