The flugelhorn’s range in notes and hertz
Fingered and written like a B♭ trumpet. Its wide bore makes the top of the range harder than on a trumpet, which is why flugelhorn parts usually stay lower.
Written and sounding pitch
The flugelhorn 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 flugelhorn’s:
- Viola · C3–D7 31 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 31 notes shared
- Guitar · E2–B5 31 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 31 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 31 notes shared
- Brazilian 7-string guitar · C2–B5 31 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Flugelhorn tuner — tune by microphone, with the flugelhorn’s own target notes.
- Play a flugelhorn online — the same range, playable in your browser.
Songs that fit the flugelhorn
36 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the flugelhorn’s range, each written out in the notation flugelhorn players read:
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lightly Row
- Going Home (New World Largo)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Happy Birthday
- Ode to Joy
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Jingle Bells
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Yankee Doodle
- Silent Night
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a flugelhorn?
The flugelhorn’s normal range runs from E3 to B♭5 — 164.81 to 932.33 Hz, about 2.5 octaves. Its part is written F♯3–C6, because it sounds a major second lower than written.
What is the lowest note on a flugelhorn?
E3 (164.81 Hz).
What is the highest note on a flugelhorn?
B♭5 (932.33 Hz).
Sources
- The chart behind our playable flugelhorn, itself checked note by note against published charts.