Flute Fingering Chart
Complete C flute fingering chart from C4 to C7 with all key positions.
Select a Note
Octave 4
Octave 5
Octave 6
Fingering
About the Flute Fingering Chart
The concert C flute is one of the most widely played instruments in the world, featured in orchestras, concert bands, chamber music, and solo performance. It is a transverse (side-blown) woodwind instrument that uses a system of keys and tone holes to produce different pitches.
The modern Boehm system flute has approximately 16 keys covering tone holes along the body and foot joint. Players use three fingers on each hand to cover the main tone holes, with additional keys operated by the thumbs and pinky fingers.
The flute's range spans three octaves, from C4 (middle C) on a standard C foot joint to approximately C7. The three octaves are produced by overblowing: the first octave uses the fundamental, the second octave overblows at the octave, and the third octave uses higher harmonics with specialized fingerings.
Many fingerings in the second octave are the same as the first octave — the player produces the higher pitch by increasing air speed and changing the angle of the airstream. Third octave fingerings often differ significantly and may use "harmonic fingerings" or "vent keys" to access the correct overtone.
Beginners typically start with notes in the first octave, building from B4 and A4 downward. The embouchure (lip position and air direction) is the most challenging aspect of starting flute, as the player must direct a focused airstream across the embouchure hole.