Instrument Range Chart — Free Printable PDF
Written range, sounding range and transposition for 35 orchestral and band instruments — strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion — with every range drawn against the 88-key piano compass so you can see where it sits. The B♭ clarinet, E♭ alto sax and F horn are all on it, plus a concert-pitch-to-part table. Hit Print or Download PDF for the whole thing on one page — no signup. Part of the music theory reference set.
Prints on one US Letter page. Set margins to "None" for the sharpest result.
Instrument Range & Transposition Chart
Strings
| Instrument | Written | Sounds | Transposition | C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violin · Treble | G3–A7 | G3–A7 | Concert pitch | |
| Viola · Alto | C3–E6 | C3–E6 | Concert pitch | |
| Cello · Bass / tenor | C2–A5 | C2–A5 | Concert pitch | |
| Double bass · Bass | E2–G4 | E1–G3 | 8ve lower | |
| Harp · Grand staff | C1–G7 | C1–G7 | Concert pitch | |
| Guitar · Treble | E3–B6 | E2–B5 | 8ve lower |
Open strings — violin G3 D4 A4 E5 · viola C3 G3 D4 A4 · cello C2 G2 D3 A3 · bass sounds E1 A1 D2 G2. A low-C extension or a fifth string takes the bass to C1 or B0.
Woodwinds
| Instrument | Written | Sounds | Transposition | C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piccolo · Treble | D4–C7 | D5–C8 | 8ve higher | |
| Flute · Treble | C4–D7 | C4–D7 | Concert pitch | |
| Oboe · Treble | B♭3–A6 | B♭3–A6 | Concert pitch | |
| English horn in F · Treble | B3–A6 | E3–D6 | P5 lower | |
| Clarinet in E♭ · Treble | E3–C7 | G3–E♭7 | m3 higher | |
| Clarinet in B♭ · Treble | E3–C7 | D3–B♭6 | M2 lower | |
| Clarinet in A · Treble | E3–C7 | C♯3–A6 | m3 lower | |
| Bass clarinet in B♭ · Treble | E3–C7 | D2–B♭5 | M9 lower | |
| Bassoon · Bass / tenor | B♭1–E5 | B♭1–E5 | Concert pitch | |
| Contrabassoon · Bass | B♭1–E5 | B♭0–E4 | 8ve lower | |
| Soprano sax in B♭ · Treble | B♭3–F6 | A♭3–E♭6 | M2 lower | |
| Alto sax in E♭ · Treble | B♭3–F6 | D♭3–A♭5 | M6 lower | |
| Tenor sax in B♭ · Treble | B♭3–F6 | A♭2–E♭5 | M9 lower | |
| Baritone sax in E♭ · Treble | B♭3–F6 | D♭2–A♭4 | 8ve + M6 lower |
A B foot joint adds B3 to the flute, a low-C extension takes the bass clarinet to B♭1, a low-A key the bari sax to C2. Saxes are band, not orchestral.
Brass
| Instrument | Written | Sounds | Transposition | C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horn in F · Treble | F♯2–C6 | B1–F5 | P5 lower | |
| Trumpet in B♭ · Treble | F♯3–C6 | E3–B♭5 | M2 lower | |
| Trumpet in C · Treble | F♯3–C6 | F♯3–C6 | Concert pitch | |
| Trombone · Bass / tenor | E2–B♭4 | E2–B♭4 | Concert pitch | |
| Bass trombone · Bass | B♭1–B♭4 | B♭1–B♭4 | Concert pitch | |
| Euphonium · Bass | B♭1–B♭4 | B♭1–B♭4 | Concert pitch | |
| Tuba · Bass | D1–F4 | D1–F4 | Concert pitch |
An F attachment takes the tenor trombone to C2, and pedal tones sit below both trombone ranges. In British brass bands, trombone, euphonium and tuba parts are written in treble clef as B♭ or E♭ transposing instruments.
Percussion & Keyboard
| Instrument | Written | Sounds | Transposition | C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timpani (set of 4) · Bass | D2–C4 | D2–C4 | Concert pitch | |
| Glockenspiel · Treble | G3–C6 | G5–C8 | 2 8ves higher | |
| Xylophone · Treble | F4–C7 | F5–C8 | 8ve higher | |
| Marimba (5 octave) · Grand staff | C2–C7 | C2–C7 | Concert pitch | |
| Vibraphone · Treble | F3–F6 | F3–F6 | Concert pitch | |
| Chimes / tubular bells · Treble | C4–F5 | C4–F5 | Concert pitch | |
| Celesta · Grand staff | C3–C7 | C4–C8 | 8ve higher | |
| Piano · Grand staff | A0–C8 | A0–C8 | Concert pitch |
Timpani by drum size — 32″ D2–A2 · 29″ F2–C3 · 26″ B♭2–F3 · 23″ D3–A3 · 20″ F3–C4. Snare, bass drum, cymbals and triangle have no definite pitch — neutral clef.
Transposing Instruments — Concert Pitch to Written Part
| Key | Instruments | Written C sounds | Write the part | Key signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, tuba, strings | C — the same note | Copy it as it sounds | Unchanged |
| B♭ | clarinet, trumpet, soprano & tenor sax | B♭ below | A major 2nd higher | Add 2 sharps |
| E♭ | alto & baritone sax, E♭ clarinet | E♭ | A major 6th higher | Add 3 sharps |
| F | French horn, English horn | F below | A perfect 5th higher | Add 1 sharp |
| A | A clarinet | A below | A minor 3rd higher | Add 3 flats |
The key signature holds for every instrument in a key; the octave does not — a tenor sax is a B♭ instrument like the trumpet but sounds a major 9th down. Take the letter from here and the octave from the chart above. Adding sharps cancels flats first: concert F major (1 flat) is written G major (1 sharp) for a B♭ instrument.
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How to Use This Range Chart
1. Decide which column you need before you write a note
If you are checking whether a player can reach a note, use the written column — that is what appears on their part. If you are checking how the chord will sound, or whether two lines will collide, use the sounding column. Nearly every arranging mistake with transposing instruments comes from reading one column and meaning the other. The music theory basics sheet covers the note names and intervals the two columns are measured in.
2. Transpose the key signature, not just the notes
Moving each note up a major 2nd for a B♭ trumpet and leaving the key signature alone produces a part full of accidentals that is miserable to read. Change the signature first — two sharps up for B♭ instruments, three for E♭, one for F — then write the notes inside it. The key signatures chart lists all fifteen signatures in order, which makes "add two sharps" a lookup rather than arithmetic.
3. Stay off the extremes with student players
The ranges here are what a competent player can produce, not what is comfortable. The top few notes of any wind instrument are loud, tiring and hard to tune, and the bottom of the flute and the clarinet's throat register are weak enough to disappear under a full ensemble. For a school group, keep melodies inside the middle two-thirds of the bar and give the extremes to a soloist you have heard play them.
4. Draft the part, then check the tempo and rhythm
Sketch on blank staff paper with the transposition written at the top of each system so you cannot forget it mid-page. Once the notes sit inside the range, the note values chart and the tempo markings chart cover the rest of what goes on a part — how long each note is held and how fast the whole thing runs. Fast passages in the top octave are far harder than the same notes taken slowly.
Printable PDF
The chart above is the whole thing — one US Letter page, black-and-white friendly, with all four instrument families and the transposition table together. Print as many copies as you need for a band room, orchestra library or composition class. No signup, no watermark.
Orchestration books that go deeper than one page
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- Pocket pick
Essential Dictionary of Orchestration (Alfred pocket reference)
The same information as the chart above in a pocket-sized book, plus the parts a one-page sheet can't hold — range by register with the tone quality of each, trill and tremolo limits, mute types, and the harmonics available on every string. Fits in a score bag.
- Classic, cheap
Rimsky-Korsakov, Principles of Orchestration (Dover)
The book that taught generations how the orchestra actually blends, with musical examples drawn from the author's own scores. Its ranges are period-accurate rather than modern, so read it for how to combine instruments and use this chart for what they can play.
- The standard text
Samuel Adler, The Study of Orchestration
The textbook most university orchestration courses are built on. It gives every instrument a full chapter — range by register, fingering-driven awkward spots, and why a written low D on a bass clarinet does not sound like a written low D on a bassoon. Expensive new; earlier editions cost far less used.
More Printable Music Charts
Music Theory Basics
Notes, keys, intervals & dynamics
🎼Key Signatures Chart
All 15 keys in treble & bass clef
🎶Note Values Chart
Whole to sixteenth notes & beat counts
⏱️Tempo Markings Chart
Tempo terms, BPM ranges & dynamics
🎼Staff Paper
Blank manuscript paper to write on
🎹Piano Scales
Notes & fingering for every key
🎸Guitar Chords
Open chords & barre shapes
🎯Circle of Fifths
All 12 keys & their signatures
FAQ
What is the range of each orchestral instrument?
The chart above lists the practical range of 35 instruments, from the tuba's low D1 to the piccolo's C8. Some landmarks: violin G3–A7, viola C3–E6, cello C2–A5, flute C4–D7, oboe B♭3–A6, clarinet in B♭ sounding D3–B♭6, bassoon B♭1–E5, horn in F sounding B1–F5, trumpet in B♭ sounding E3–B♭5, trombone E2–B♭4. These are working ranges for a competent player — soloists and specialists go higher, and the top few notes of any instrument are loud, effortful and hard to tune.
What is the difference between written and sounding range?
Written range is what the player reads on the page; sounding range is what the audience hears. They are the same for a concert-pitch instrument like the flute or the cello. On a transposing instrument they differ by a fixed interval: a clarinettist reading a written C on a B♭ clarinet produces a concert B♭, a major 2nd lower. Score-reading, tuning and any arranging you do all depend on knowing which of the two a number refers to.
How do you transpose for a B♭ clarinet or B♭ trumpet?
Write the part a major 2nd higher than it should sound, and add two sharps to the key signature. A concert F major line (one flat) becomes G major (one sharp) on the part; concert D major (two sharps) becomes E major (four sharps). Going the other way — reading a B♭ part at concert pitch — you transpose down a major 2nd instead. The bass clarinet and tenor saxophone are B♭ instruments too, but sound a major 9th lower rather than a major 2nd, so the key signature is the same and the octave is not.
Why is the alto saxophone in E♭ and how do I transpose for it?
Adolphe Sax built the saxophone family in alternating B♭ and E♭ sizes so a player could move between them with identical fingerings — the same written note is the same finger pattern on every sax, only the pitch changes. For an E♭ alto, write a major 6th higher than concert pitch and add three sharps: concert C major becomes A major on the part. The baritone sax uses the same key signature but sounds an octave lower still.
Why is the French horn written in F?
Before valves, a horn played only the notes of one harmonic series, and players swapped crooks of tubing to change key. F became the standard length, and the written-in-F convention outlived the crooks. A modern horn part sounds a perfect 5th lower than written, so add one sharp to the key signature when writing it. Older scores complicate this: horn parts in E, E♭ and D are common in classical and romantic repertoire, and low horn parts written in bass clef in some 19th-century editions transpose up a 4th instead of down a 5th.
Which instruments have the highest and lowest ranges?
At the top, the piccolo and the glockenspiel both reach a sounding C8 — the highest note on a piano. At the bottom, the contrabassoon sounds down to B♭0 (A0 on instruments with the extension) and the piano and harp reach A0 and C1. Among the more common instruments the tuba's D1 is the lowest, with the double bass sounding down to E1 — or C1 on a bass with a low-C extension, and B0 on a five-string.
What do C4 and B♭3 mean on this chart?
That is scientific pitch notation: the letter names the note, the number names the octave, and each octave starts at C. Middle C is C4, the A that orchestras tune to is A4 (440 Hz), and the piano runs from A0 to C8. The range bars on the chart are drawn across exactly that 88-key compass, so you can see at a glance where any instrument sits against a piano keyboard.
Is this instrument range chart free to print?
Yes — click Print or Download PDF and you get the full range chart and the transposition table on one US Letter page. No signup, no watermark, and no limit on copies for your band room, orchestra library or composition class.