B♭4 Clarinet Fingering
How to play B♭4 on the clarinet: Register key · A throat key.
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 B♭4 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 B♭4 fingering, step by step
- Press the register key with your left thumb.
- Press the A throat key — one of the two small keys at the top of the upper joint, worked by the left hand.
In short: register key · A throat key.
Alternate fingering for B♭4
A throat key · trill key 2.
This is a trill fingering, used when moving quickly between A4 and B♭4.
About B♭4 on the clarinet
The throat tones are played at the top of the upper joint with very few fingers down. They are easy to finger and hard to make beautiful — with so little of the instrument involved, air support does most of the work.
B♭4 is the highest of the throat tones, and the note immediately before the famous break. The step from here up to B4 is the one beginners practise more than any other.
B♭4 is note 19 of the 42 in the full clarinet fingering chart, sitting between A4 below it and B4 above it. Like every fingering on this site, it was checked against Yamaha’s official chart and the Woodwind Fingering Guide before publishing.
Practising B♭4
Practise this note long and slow. Throat tones need firm air support and a stable embouchure to stay in tune, because so few fingers are helping.
Questions about B♭4
What is the fingering for B♭4 on clarinet?
Register key · A throat key. B♭4 is a throat register note. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
What does B♭4 sound like on a clarinet?
The clarinet is a transposing instrument in B♭, so written B♭4 sounds one whole step lower, as concert A♭4. When your band director asks for a concert A♭4, this is the note you finger.
Is there an alternate fingering for B♭4?
Yes — A throat key · trill key 2. This is a trill fingering, used when moving quickly between A4 and B♭4.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.