F5 Clarinet Fingering

How to play F5 on the clarinet: Register key · thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1.

RegAG♯ThumbTrillG♯C♯E♭EFF♯Left pinky keysEFF♯Right pinky keys
Written pitch: F5 Sounds as: concert E♭5 Register: Clarion Also written as: E♯5

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 F5 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 F5 fingering, step by step

  1. Press the register key with your left thumb.
  2. Keep the thumb hole covered with your left thumb.
  3. Left hand: cover holes 1, 2, 3.
  4. Right hand: cover hole 1.

In short: register key · thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1.

Alternate fingering for F5

RegAG♯ThumbTrillG♯C♯E♭EFF♯Left pinky keysEFF♯Right pinky keys

Register key · thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky F key.

Adding the full right hand plus the F key darkens and steadies the note — a resonance fingering, useful on long held notes.

About F5 on the clarinet

The clarion is the clarinet’s bright, singing register. Almost every clarion fingering is a low-register fingering plus the register key — which is why the low register is worth learning properly first.

F5 is note 26 of the 42 in the full clarinet fingering chart, sitting between E5 below it and F♯5 above it. Like every fingering on this site, it was checked against Yamaha’s official chart and the Woodwind Fingering Guide before publishing.

Practising F5

If this note squeaks or drops to its low partner, check your left thumb: it must keep the thumb hole covered while its tip presses the register key. Half-covering the hole is the usual culprit.

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E5

Questions about F5

What is the fingering for F5 on clarinet?

Register key · thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. F5 is a clarion register note. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.

What does F5 sound like on a clarinet?

The clarinet is a transposing instrument in B♭, so written F5 sounds one whole step lower, as concert E♭5. When your band director asks for a concert E♭5, this is the note you finger.

Is there an alternate fingering for F5?

Yes — Register key · thumb · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky F key. Adding the full right hand plus the F key darkens and steadies the note — a resonance fingering, useful on long held notes.

Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.