B3 Euphonium Fingering
How to play B3 on the euphonium: Valves 1 + 2 pressed. — on the 5th partial, in bass clef, sounding exactly as written. The baritone horn plays this note with exactly the same fingering.
Filled valves in the diagram are the ones you press. Valve 1 is nearest you and is worked by your right index finger, valve 2 by the middle finger, and valve 3 — nearest the bell — by the ring finger. These are three-valve fingerings for the B♭ euphonium; the staff is in bass clef, and in bass clef the euphonium sounds exactly as written. The same fingering serves the baritone horn, and a treble-clef player will find this note written as C♯5.
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
- Press valve 1 with your right index finger — press it straight down, all the way, with the pad of the finger. The three valves sit under the right hand on both euphonium and baritone horn.
- Press valve 2 with your right middle finger — press it straight down, all the way, with the pad of the finger. The three valves sit under the right hand on both euphonium and baritone horn.
- Keep the fingers you are not using curved and resting lightly on their valve caps, ready for the next note.
In short: valves 1 + 2 pressed.
About B3 on the euphonium
The middle register is the instrument’s home territory — the 4th partial’s ladder (G♭3 to B♭3) and the 5th partial’s short ladder (B3 to D4). The 5th partial runs flat, so its notes (B3, C4, D♭4 and the open D4) sit a touch low and reward a tuner check; two of them carry alternates both reference charts list.
B3 is note 14 of the 25 in the full euphonium fingering chart, sitting between B♭3 below it and C4 above it. Like every fingering on this site, it was checked against the NoteAtlas euphonium chart and the University of Mississippi's euphonium and baritone chart before publishing — and the same fingering serves the baritone horn.
Practising B3
Practise this note against a tuner, especially if it belongs to the 5th partial (B3 to D4), which sits flat. Then play it in a phrase at band volume — a note that only tunes alone at a whisper is not learned yet.
Questions about B3
What is the fingering for B3 on euphonium?
Valves 1 + 2 pressed. B3 is played on the 5th partial (harmonic) of the B♭ euphonium in the middle register, with the three-valve fingerings this site charts. The baritone horn uses exactly the same fingering for this note. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
Does B3 sound as written on euphonium?
In bass clef, yes: euphonium and baritone parts are written at concert pitch, so written B3 sounds as concert B3 — the same pitch a piano plays. In a treble-clef (brass band) part the same sounding note is written a major ninth higher, as C♯5. The fingering is identical either way.
Is there an alternate fingering for B3?
For B3, the fingering above is the one to learn. It is the basic fingering both reference charts give for this note, and the one teachers expect to see.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.