Mellophone fingering chart: beginner notes and full reference

Mellophone has three valves. They make eight combinations, counting open, but valve 3 alone and 1-2 lower the note by about the same amount, so there are seven main pitch groups. Each fingering plays several notes. Good news for trumpet players: every written note in this chart uses the same fingering as trumpet. This guide shows the beginning fingerings, why one fingering plays several notes, and a full chart from written G♭3 (F♯3) to E6.

The chart is for a mellophone in F, the usual marching mellophone. Notes are written the way they appear in your part, and they sound a perfect 5th lower: the G on the 2nd line (written G4) sounds concert C4.

How to read a mellophone fingering chart

• Valve 1 is closest to you, pressed with your right index finger. Valve 2 uses your middle finger, valve 3 your ring finger.
• Filled circles are pressed. Empty circles stay up. "Open" means no valves.
• Mellophone is in F. A written C sounds as a concert F, a perfect 5th lower, the same as French horn. See concert pitch.

Each valve combination lowers an open note by a set amount. Valve 3 alone and 1-2 are close, but not exactly the same in tune.

The first notes in the band book

Mellophone usually reads the horn part, and many band books start with the first five notes of the concert B♭ scale. On mellophone, that's written F in the 1st space up to C in the 3rd space:

The full concert B♭ scale keeps going up to written F on the top line: D on the 4th line is 1, E in the 4th space is open, and F is 1. Many books add the notes below next:

Same as trumpet, different sound

For every written note in this chart, mellophone uses the same fingering as B♭ trumpet, but the note sounds a perfect 4th lower on mellophone. Tap both rows: same valves, different pitch.

Notes that share a fingering

Each fingering plays a family of notes, called partials. Mellophone uses the same partials as trumpet, so the open notes are the same written notes. They're farther apart than on French horn, but hearing the note first still helps.

Mellophone fingering chart

Every written note from G♭3 (F♯3) to E6, low to high. Tap a note or fingering to hear it.

For alternates and a printable copy, see the mellophone fingering chart.

Fingerings that run out of tune

• 1-3 and 1-2-3 tend to run sharp. Low D (1-3) and low C♯ (1-2-3) are the usual ones. Check them with a tuner. Lip the note down, or push out the 3rd valve slide if your mellophone lets you move it while you play.
• 1-2 vs. 3. Both lower a note about a step and a half, but they aren't exactly the same in tune. 1-2 is the usual choice.
• Loud playing can go sharp. On the field, check your tuning at full volume, not just soft.

Practice these fingerings

Then drill them in Brass Trainer.