TonalicsOpen Tuner
‹ All instrument ranges

Cornet range

E3–B♭5

Practical range, sounding · 164.81–932.33 Hz · 2.5 octaves · written F♯3–C6

C2D2E2F2G2A2B2C3D3E3F3G3A3B3C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C6D6E6F6G6A6B6C♯2E♭2F♯2A♭2B♭2C♯3E♭3F♯3A♭3B♭3C♯4E♭4F♯4A♭4B♭4C♯5E♭5F♯5A♭5B♭5C♯6E♭6F♯6A♭6B♭6C2C3C4C5C6E3B♭5
  • Practical range
  • Extreme range
  • Press a key to hear it

The cornet’s range in notes and hertz

SoundingWrittenFrequency
Practical lowE3F♯3164.81 Hz
Practical highB♭5C6932.33 Hz
Extreme highF6G61396.9 Hz

Same written range and fingering as a B♭ trumpet. The E♭ soprano cornet of a brass band sits a fourth higher.

Written and sounding pitch

The cornet is a transposing instrument: it sounds a major second lower than written, which makes it a B♭ instrument. So the range on its part is F♯3–C6, while the notes you hear are E3–B♭5. To convert a part, use the concert pitch to B♭ chart. The transposing-instrument tuner reads out the written note as you play.

Instruments with a similar range

The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the cornet’s:

Tune it, play it

Songs that fit the cornet

36 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the cornet’s range, each written out in the notation cornet players read:

All 36 cornet songs ›

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of a cornet?

The cornet’s normal range runs from E3 to B♭5 — 164.81 to 932.33 Hz, about 2.5 octaves. At the extremes it reaches E3–F6. Its part is written F♯3–C6, because it sounds a major second lower than written.

What is the lowest note on a cornet?

E3 (164.81 Hz).

What is the highest note on a cornet?

B♭5 is the top of the normal range, and F6 (1396.9 Hz) is reachable at the extreme.

Sources