B3 Clarinet Fingering
How to play B3 on the clarinet: Thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2.
Filled keys and holes in the diagram are the ones you press or cover. The thumb hole is on the back of the clarinet, so it is drawn to the left; the small cluster at the bottom is the pinky keys.
Hear B3 and try the fingering
Pick an instrument and a note and the diagram updates instantly — filled keys are the ones you press. The same finder sits on every note page, pre-set to that note.
The B3 fingering, step by step
- Cover the thumb hole with your left thumb.
- Left hand: cover holes 1, 2, 3.
- Right hand: cover hole 2.
In short: thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2.
Alternate fingering for B3
Thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · B/F♯ sliver key.
The sliver-key version keeps the right middle finger up, which helps in chromatic passages moving between B♭ and B — there is no fork to undo.
About B3 on the clarinet
The chalumeau is the clarinet’s low register — dark, warm and woody. These fingerings are the foundation of everything above them: add the register key to most of them and the same fingers produce the clarion register a twelfth higher.
B3 is the last note of the low (chalumeau) register. Its main fingering is a fork — the right middle finger covers its hole while its neighbours stay up — which feels strange for a day or two and then becomes automatic.
B3 is note 8 of the 42 in the full clarinet fingering chart, sitting between B♭3 below it and C4 above it. Like every fingering on this site, it was checked against Yamaha’s official chart and the Woodwind Fingering Guide before publishing.
Practising B3
Low notes speak best with steady, warm air and a relaxed throat. If this note cracks or feels stuffy, check first that every finger is sealing its hole completely — low notes forgive nothing.
Questions about B3
What is the fingering for B3 on clarinet?
Thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2. B3 is a chalumeau register note. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
What does B3 sound like on a clarinet?
The clarinet is a transposing instrument in B♭, so written B3 sounds one whole step lower, as concert A3. When your band director asks for a concert A3, this is the note you finger.
Is there an alternate fingering for B3?
Yes — Thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · B/F♯ sliver key. The sliver-key version keeps the right middle finger up, which helps in chromatic passages moving between B♭ and B — there is no fork to undo.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.