Flugelhorn Fingering Chart
Every written note on the B♭ flugelhorn, 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 flugelhorn uses exactly the same valve combinations as the trumpet and cornet: the same three valves, in the same order, doing the same job. 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 |
The trumpet's fingerings on a darker instrument
The flugelhorn is the mellow member of the B♭ brass family — a wide, mostly conical bore and a deep, funnel-shaped mouthpiece give it the dark, soft sound jazz players love for ballads. Under the fingers, though, it is pure trumpet family: three piston valves (a few flugelhorns add a rotary trigger, but the three main valves are universal), valve 1 lowering the pitch a whole step, valve 2 a semitone, valve 3 a step and a half. That is why this site keeps one shared set of 31 note pages for trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn rather than triplicating them: every combination in this chart is identical on all three instruments.
Reading this flugelhorn finger chart
The low register (F♯3 to F4) steps down chromatically from each open note through the seven valve combinations. The middle register repeats the ladder until the top of the staff, where the harmonics take over: C♯5 is 1+2, D5 is valve 1 alone, E♭5 is valve 2 alone and E5 is open. Flugelhorn players looking up one note — a "flugelhorn finger chart for D", say — will find D in both octaves in the table: D4 is valves 1+3, D5 is valve 1 alone, and both are explained in full on the D5 note page and the D4 note page. One flugelhorn habit worth building early: most flugelhorns have a movable third-valve slide with a trigger or saddle, made for the sharp 1+3 and 1+2+3 combinations — low D, low C♯ and low F♯ all want it eased out.
Where the flugelhorn's range really lives
The chart runs to high C6 because the standard range does, and the fingerings up there are the standard ones. But the flugelhorn earns its living lower down: its conical bore speaks most beautifully in the low and middle registers, and its high register takes more effort and sounds thinner than a trumpet's. Learn the whole chart, by all means — just know that if a ballad sits between F♯3 and C5, you are in the instrument's home territory.
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.
Flugelhorn fingering questions
What is the fingering for D on flugelhorn?
It depends on the octave — and this is the pair that catches players out. Low D4 is fingered with valves 1+3, but D5, at the top of the staff, is valve 1 alone, because it sits on a higher harmonic. Both fingerings are in the table above, with full explanations on the D4 and D5 note pages.
Are flugelhorn fingerings the same as trumpet fingerings?
Yes — all 31 notes, combination for combination. Flugelhorn, trumpet and cornet are all B♭ three-valve instruments, so one fingering chart serves the whole family. Only the tone differs: the flugelhorn’s conical bore and deep mouthpiece make it darker and softer than the trumpet.
What is the lowest note on flugelhorn?
Written F♯3, with all three valves down, sounding as concert E3 — the same bottom note as trumpet and cornet. It uses the longest valve combination, so it runs sharp; ease the third-valve slide (most flugelhorns have a trigger for it) out while it plays.
Why does the flugelhorn have a third-valve trigger?
Because the combinations that include valve 3 — 1+3 and 1+2+3 especially — play sharp: combined valve tubing is always a little too short. The trigger lets your left hand push the third slide out while you play those notes and pull it back for the next one. Low D, low C♯ and low F♯ are the notes that need it most.
Can I print this flugelhorn 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.