Cornet Fingering Chart
Every written note on the B♭ cornet, from low F♯3 to high C6 — with a valve diagram, the fingering written out in words, and the concert pitch each note actually sounds. The cornet uses exactly the same valve combinations as the trumpet: it is the same three-valve system wrapped in a more compact, conical tube. Each note in the table links to its full note page, where the fingering is explained step by step.
Find a note fast
Pick an instrument and a note and the diagram updates instantly — filled keys are the ones you press. The same finder sits on every note page, pre-set to that note.
Low register — the first octave
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F♯3 | Valves 1 + 2 + 3 pressed. | E3 | ||
| G3 | Valves 1 + 3 pressed. | F3 | ||
| G♯3 | Valves 2 + 3 pressed. | F♯3 | ||
| A3 | Valves 1 + 2 pressed. Alternate: Valve 3 pressed. |
G3 | ||
| B♭3 | Valve 1 pressed. | A♭3 | ||
| B3 | Valve 2 pressed. | A3 | ||
| C4 | Open — no valves pressed at all. | B♭3 | ||
| C♯4 | Valves 1 + 2 + 3 pressed. | B3 | ||
| D4 | Valves 1 + 3 pressed. | C4 | ||
| E♭4 | Valves 2 + 3 pressed. | D♭4 | ||
| E4 | Valves 1 + 2 pressed. Alternate: Valve 3 pressed. |
D4 | ||
| F4 | Valve 1 pressed. | E♭4 |
Middle register — the second octave
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F♯4 | Valve 2 pressed. | E4 | ||
| G4 | Open — no valves pressed at all. Alternate: Valves 1 + 3 pressed. |
F4 | ||
| G♯4 | Valves 2 + 3 pressed. | F♯4 | ||
| A4 | Valves 1 + 2 pressed. Alternate: Valve 3 pressed. |
G4 | ||
| B♭4 | Valve 1 pressed. | A♭4 | ||
| B4 | Valve 2 pressed. | A4 | ||
| C5 | Open — no valves pressed at all. Alternate: Valves 2 + 3 pressed. |
B♭4 | ||
| C♯5 | Valves 1 + 2 pressed. Alternate: Valves 1 + 3 pressed. |
B4 | ||
| D5 | Valve 1 pressed. Alternate: Valves 1 + 3 pressed. |
C5 | ||
| E♭5 | Valve 2 pressed. Alternate: Valves 2 + 3 pressed. |
D♭5 | ||
| E5 | Open — no valves pressed at all. Alternate: Valves 1 + 2 pressed. |
D5 | ||
| F5 | Valve 1 pressed. | E♭5 |
High register — up to high C
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F♯5 | Valve 2 pressed. | E5 | ||
| G5 | Open — no valves pressed at all. Alternate: Valves 1 + 3 pressed. |
F5 | ||
| G♯5 | Valves 2 + 3 pressed. | F♯5 | ||
| A5 | Valves 1 + 2 pressed. Alternate: Valve 3 pressed. |
G5 | ||
| B♭5 | Valve 1 pressed. | A♭5 | ||
| B5 | Valve 2 pressed. | A5 | ||
| C6 | Open — no valves pressed at all. | B♭5 |
One set of fingerings for cornet and trumpet
The cornet and the trumpet are close cousins: both are B♭ instruments with three piston valves, and the valves do the same job in the same order — valve 1 nearest you lowers the pitch a whole step, valve 2 a semitone, valve 3 a step and a half. Every combination in this chart is therefore identical on both instruments, which is why this site keeps one shared set of 31 note pages for the trumpet family instead of printing the same pages three times. What differs is the sound: the cornet's mostly conical tubing gives it a warmer, rounder tone than the trumpet's brighter, mostly cylindrical one — the reason brass bands put cornets, not trumpets, at the front of the band.
Reading this cornet finger chart
The low register (F♯3 to F4) is a clean chromatic ladder of valve combinations. The middle register repeats it — until the top of the staff, where C♯5 becomes 1+2, D5 becomes valve 1 alone, E♭5 valve 2 alone and E5 open, because those notes sit on higher harmonics. Cornet players checking a single note — a "cornet finger chart B flat", for example — will find B♭ in all three registers in the table below: valve 1 every time, with the full explanation on the B♭4 note page. And watch the long combinations: 1+3 and 1+2+3 run sharp on cornet just as on trumpet, so ease the third-valve slide out with your left ring finger for low D, low C♯ and low F♯.
Cornet or trumpet — does the fingering chart change?
No. A player can move between cornet and trumpet mid-concert and keep every fingering. The differences that do exist are physical, not digital: the cornet is shorter and held closer, its mouthpiece has a smaller, deeper cup, and many cornets have a trigger or saddle on the first- and third-valve slides instead of the trumpet's rings — which makes the slide adjustments for the sharp combinations even easier to reach. None of that changes a single valve combination in the chart.
The other trumpet-family charts
Sources
Every fingering in this chart was checked against two independent references: Yamaha's official trumpet fingering chart (Musical Instrument Guide) and the NoteAtlas trumpet fingering chart, with the First 5 Notes educator chart as a further cross-check. The sources agree on all 31 main fingerings — including the top of the staff, where the fingerings stop repeating the low octave: C♯5 is 1+2, D5 is valve 1 alone, E♭5 is valve 2 alone and E5 is open, because those notes sit on higher harmonic partials. Where Yamaha's chart draws a second, alternate fingering under a note, that alternate is shown on the note page, so nothing is hidden.
Cornet fingering questions
What is the fingering for B flat on cornet?
Valve 1 alone — in all three registers. Written B♭3, B♭4 and B♭5 are all fingered with the first valve only, and each sounds a whole step lower than written (concert A♭). The full step-by-step is on the B♭ note pages, linked from the table above.
Are cornet fingerings really the same as trumpet fingerings?
Yes — every one of the 31 notes. Cornet and trumpet share the same B♭ three-valve system, so the combinations are identical; only the tone differs, because the cornet’s tubing is mostly conical and the trumpet’s mostly cylindrical. Anything in the trumpet fingering chart works on cornet exactly as written.
What is the lowest note on cornet?
Written F♯3, fingered with all three valves down — the same bottom note as the trumpet. It sounds as concert E3. Because it uses the 1+2+3 combination it runs sharp, so cornet players ease the third-valve slide out for it.
Why does my cornet sound a whole step lower than the note I read?
Because the cornet is a B♭ transposing instrument: written C sounds as concert B♭. The "Sounds as" column in the chart above gives the concert pitch for every note — the column to check when playing with a piano or a concert-pitch instrument.
Can I print this cornet fingering chart?
Yes — use the print button above the chart. The printed version keeps the full table with a small diagram for every note, sized to read at arm’s length on a music stand.