Piccolo Fingering Chart
Every written note on the piccolo, from C4 to C7 — with a fingering diagram and the fingering written out in words. The piccolo uses exactly the same fingerings as the flute; what changes is the pitch, which sounds one octave higher than written. Each note in the table links to its full note page on the flute chart, where the fingering is explained step by step.
Find a note fast — the piccolo uses the same fingerings
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.
All piccolo notes — written C4 to C7
| Written note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky low C key. | C5 | ||
| C♯4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky low C♯ key. | C♯5 | ||
| D4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | D5 | ||
| E♭4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | E♭5 | ||
| E4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2 · right pinky E♭ key. | E5 | ||
| F4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | F5 | ||
| F♯4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 3 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2 · right pinky E♭ key. |
F♯5 | ||
| G4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | G5 | ||
| G♯4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. | G♯5 | ||
| A4 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb key · left hand 1-2 · right hand 1-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. |
A5 | ||
| B♭4 | Thumb key · left hand 1 · right hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb B♭ lever · left hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. |
B♭5 | ||
| B4 | Thumb on the B lever · left hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | B5 | ||
| C5 | Left hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | C6 | ||
| C♯5 | Right pinky E♭ key. | C♯6 | ||
| D5 | Thumb key · left hand 2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | D6 | ||
| E♭5 | Thumb key · left hand 2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | E♭6 | ||
| E5 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2 · right pinky E♭ key. | E6 | ||
| F5 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | F6 | ||
| F♯5 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 3 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2 · right pinky E♭ key. |
F♯6 | ||
| G5 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | G6 | ||
| G♯5 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. | G♯6 | ||
| A5 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb key · left hand 1-2 · right hand 1-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. |
A6 | ||
| B♭5 | Thumb key · left hand 1 · right hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb B♭ lever · left hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. |
B♭6 | ||
| B5 | Thumb on the B lever · left hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | B6 | ||
| C6 | Left hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | C7 | ||
| C♯6 | Right pinky E♭ key. | C♯7 | ||
| D6 | Thumb key · left hand 2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | D7 | ||
| E♭6 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. | E♭7 | ||
| E6 | Thumb key · left hand 1-2 · right hand 1-2 · right pinky E♭ key. | E7 | ||
| F6 | Thumb key · left hand 1-3 · right hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. | F7 | ||
| F♯6 | Thumb on the B lever · left hand 1-3 · right hand 3 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb on the B lever · left hand 1-3 · right hand 3 · gizmo key. |
F♯7 | ||
| G6 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | G7 | ||
| G♯6 | Left hand 2-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Left hand 2-3 · right hand 2-3 · left pinky G♯ key · right pinky E♭ key. |
G♯7 | ||
| A6 | Thumb key · left hand 2 · right hand 1 · right pinky E♭ key. Alternate: Thumb key · left hand 2 · right hand 1 · gizmo key. |
A7 | ||
| B♭6 | Thumb key · right hand 1 · D trill key. | B♭7 | ||
| B6 | Thumb on the B lever · left hand 1-3 · D# trill key. | B7 | ||
| C7 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · left pinky G♯ key. | C8 |
One set of fingerings, two instruments
The piccolo is not a different fingering system to learn — it is the flute's system at half scale. The standard reference chart used for this page is published for both instruments together, and every one of the 37 fingerings above is identical on flute and piccolo, including the details players trip over: the E♭ key stays down for most notes, it lifts for D4 and D5, B♭ has the one-and-four fingering plus the thumb-B♭ alternate, and the top two notes before C7 (B♭6 and B6) are played with trill keys. The "Sounds as" column shows the pitch you actually hear — always one octave above the written note.
What actually changes when you pick up a piccolo
Three things. Size: the keys sit much closer together, so fingers that feel spacious on the flute can crowd each other — keep fingers curved and close to the keys. Air: the piccolo needs a faster, more focused air stream and a smaller embouchure opening; third-octave notes speak almost too easily and can shriek if you blow them like flute notes. Tuning: the piccolo is less forgiving — notes that run sharp on flute (C♯5 is the famous one) run sharper here, which is why orchestral piccolo parts are exposed in every sense.
Sources
The fingerings on this page are the shared flute-and-piccolo fingerings from the Woodwind Fingering Guide's "Basic Fingering Chart for Flute and Piccolo", cross-checked against Yamaha's official flute fingering chart — the two sources agree on all 37 notes. The full step-by-step for every note lives on the flute fingering chart and its note pages.
Piccolo fingering questions
Are piccolo fingerings really the same as flute fingerings?
Yes — note for note. The piccolo is a Boehm-system instrument built at half the flute’s size, and the standard reference chart is published under the title "Basic Fingering Chart for Flute and Piccolo". If you can finger it on flute, you finger it the same way on piccolo.
Why does the piccolo sound higher than the flute?
The piccolo is half the flute’s length, so it sounds exactly one octave higher than written. Written C4 on piccolo sounds as C5; the full written range C4 to C7 sounds from C5 up to C8. Orchestral parts are written at sounding pitch minus the octave so piccolo players read the same notation as flute players.
What is the piccolo’s lowest note?
Written C4 — the piccolo is made with a C foot joint, so its range starts where the flute’s does, one octave up in sound. A small number of piccolos have a D♭ foot and reach one note lower in writing, but C4 is the standard bottom note.
Why do the same fingerings feel harder on piccolo?
The keys are smaller and closer together, the air stream has to be faster and more focused, and the third octave speaks very easily — small embouchure mistakes that a flute forgives, a piccolo does not. The fingerings are not the hard part; the air is.
Can I print this piccolo 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.