What is the fingering for B flat on the trumpet?

Answer 1

The Trumpet is a 'transposing instrument'. This means that each note it produces has two pitch names: the "natural" name and the "Concert pitch" name.

This comes from the history of the instrument: originally, lip-reed instruments (i.e. wind instruments using a cup mouthpiece where the vibrating part, considered the reed, is the player's lips) were made with their fundamental tone on C in the going concert pitch, and the overtones produced by overblowing were all named accordingly. Eventually, the trumpet and some of the larger lip-reeds were manufactured in families based on Bb and Eb. The player learns, for instance, the open pitches (overtones) as C, G, E, etc, even though they do not sound with those pitches in Concert pitch.

For a Bb trumpet, the natural overtones of C, G, and E are Bb, F and D in Concert Pitch. A trumpet player who learns the valve positions as C, G, and E reads transposed music where C is written when the actual concert pitch wanted is Bb. This allows a trumpeter to switch to a different trumpet with a different length tube (or a valve Trombone, baritone, euphonium or tuba) where the fundamental pitch is Eb or Bb at a different octave: when the concert pitch tone desired matches the named pitch (i.e., Bb trumpet, A trumpet, Eb euphonium) the player's music will show C and the player will use the same fingering (all open.)

So, for a trumpet in Bb to play concert Bb, the player will leave the valves open and play the fundamental pitch or one of its octaves. A trumpet in A will require that the player produce a note a half-tone higher, so they will finger for C#. A player of the high trumpet in Eb will want to finger valves for the natural pitch of G.

On the other hand, if the trumpeter is playing a Bb trumpet and is required to play a natural pitch of Bb (which would be Ab in concert pitch), the trumpeter would press down the first valve.

Generally speaking, three-valve instruments are arranged so that the first valve causes the pitch of the instrument to drop by one whole tone; the second valve drops the pitch of the instrument by one half tone; the third valve drops the pitch of the instrument by a minor third (a whole tone plus a half tone). These valves are used in combination to fill in the gaps between the overtones. Often, if you have learned this, you can figure out any fingering for any note. For instance, to lower the natural C to Bb, use the first valve (whole tone down). To get A, use the first and second valves together (adding up to a minor third.) To get G#, use the first and third valves (which add to give a pure fourth down.) This means that valve positions on trumpet make more sense going down than going up!

say the mouthpiece is here - o o o - and the bell is here

then you need the first valve closest to the mouthpiece. you play it with your index finger. :)

Answer 2

Remember that a B# will have the same pitch as a C. So on a Bb trumpet, this will be an open fingering.

Answer 3

On a standard Bb trumpet, the fingering for a low Eb is 23 and the fingering for higher Ebs is 2.

Answer 4

On a standard Bb trumpet, the fingering for Bb is 1.
On most brass instruments, none of the keys are pressed down

Answer 5

Bb is played with first valve if you are using a standard Bb Trumpet.

Answer 6

Same as E-natural.

Answer 7

2