G4 French Horn Fingering
How to play G4 on the French horn: F side · thumb trigger off · open — no valves pressed.
Filled valves in the diagram are the ones you press — with your left hand: on the horn, the three valve levers and the thumb trigger are all worked by the left hand, while the right hand rests in the bell and looks after tuning and tone. The small lever marked T at the left of the diagram is the thumb trigger: filled means it is held down, which switches the horn to its B♭ side, and the pill under the valves names the side this fingering uses in words.
Hear G4 and try the fingering
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.
The G4 fingering, step by step
- Leave the thumb trigger alone — this note is played on the F side of the double horn, the longer tubing, with the trigger untouched. The F side carries the standard fingerings up to G4.
- Leave all three valves up — this is an open note. The pitch comes from your lips and air on the harmonic the open horn offers, so hear the note in your head before you play it.
In short: F side · thumb trigger off · open — no valves pressed.
Alternate fingering for G4
B♭ side · thumb trigger pressed · valve 1 pressed.
This version plays G4 on the B♭ side of the double horn, thumb trigger down. It is the version you need on a single B♭ horn, and some players reach for the B♭ side's security and brighter sound in this register even on a double horn — but the F side above is the school standard here, so learn it first.
About G4 on the French horn
The middle register is where the double horn changes sides. It opens on the F side — F♯4 and G4 are still F-side fingerings — and at A♭4 the thumb trigger comes down and the B♭ side carries every standard fingering from there to F5. Expect the response to feel a touch quicker and the sound a touch brighter after the switch; that difference is the shorter tubing, and it is meant to be there.
G4 is the last note whose standard fingering sits on the F side. The very next note up, A♭4, is where the thumb trigger comes down and the B♭ side takes over — G4 and A♭4 are the pair to practise when you are learning the switch.
G4 is note 14 of the 31 in the full french horn fingering chart, sitting between F♯4 below it and A♭4 above it.
Like every fingering on this site, it was checked against the NoteAtlas French horn fingering chart and the First 5 Notes French horn fingering chart before publishing.
Practising G4
Practise the switch itself, not just the notes around it: play G4, then A♭4, back and forth slowly, moving the thumb exactly with the fingers so the side changes inside the note change. Then run the register’s ladder on each side separately — the alternate fingerings on each note page — so both sides feel familiar rather than one feeling like a spare.
Questions about G4
What is the fingering for G4 on French horn?
F side · thumb trigger off · open — no valves pressed. G4 is a middle register note on the French horn, played on the F side of the double horn. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
What does G4 sound like on a French horn?
Concert C4 — the French horn in F sounds a perfect fifth below its written notes, so written G4 sounds as concert C4. When your band director asks for a concert C4, this is the note you finger.
Is there an alternate fingering for G4?
Yes — B♭ side · thumb trigger pressed · valve 1 pressed. This version plays G4 on the B♭ side of the double horn, thumb trigger down. It is the version you need on a single B♭ horn, and some players reach for the B♭ side's security and brighter sound in this register even on a double horn — but the F side above is the school standard here, so learn it first.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.