Transpose Guitar Chords for Bb Trumpet
Type the guitar chords and get them for B♭ trumpet: arpeggios for every chord and scales to improvise, in written pitch with valve fingerings. If the guitarist uses a capo, type the shapes they play and raise the semitones.
Tap any note to hear how your trumpet should sound.
Dm7 → Em7
Arpeggio
Scale to improvise: E minor
G7 → A7
Arpeggio
Scale to improvise: A mixolydian
Cmaj7 → Dmaj7
Arpeggio
Scale to improvise: D major
A7 → B7
Arpeggio
Scale to improvise: B phrygian dominant
Key scale: E minor
How to read the valves
Each circle is a valve (1, 2 and 3 from left to right). Filled = pressed, empty = open. “0” means all open. The small number next to the note is the written octave: C4 is the low open C, C5 the C in the middle of the staff. Watch it, because the fingering depends on the octave: D4 is 1-3, D5 is 1.
Why a whole step higher?
The B♭ trumpet is a transposing instrument: when you read a C, it sounds B♭. To match the guitar, everything is written a major second higher. So a concert F is a G in your part, and F major becomes G major.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transpose guitar chords for Bb trumpet?
Write every note and chord a major second (two semitones) higher. A concert F7 becomes G7 for the trumpet and the key of F major becomes G major. This tool does it for you and shows the arpeggio and valve fingering of every chord.
What if the guitarist uses a capo?
Type the chord shapes the guitarist plays and raise the capo control by the fret number. Capo 2 with G-C-D shapes sounds A-D-E, which is B-E-F# for Bb trumpet.
Which scale should I use to improvise on trumpet over a chord progression?
The tool suggests a scale for each chord based on the key and the next chord, such as mixolydian on dominant chords, dorian on minor ii chords or phrygian dominant on the V of a minor key, plus the scale of the whole key, already transposed with fingerings.