B♭ Clarinet
Low E on the B♭ Clarinet
Written E3 — sounds concert D3. Tap the diagram to hear it.
E3
Concert D3Beginner note
The lowest note on the clarinet: keep the air moving and the throat open, because low E turns flat and stuffy the moment the airstream slows. Don't let the bell rest against your leg either — blocking it pulls the pitch down further.
About this note
The lowest note on the clarinet: keep the air moving and the throat open, because low E turns flat and stuffy the moment the airstream slows. Don't let the bell rest against your leg either — blocking it pulls the pitch down further.
- Primary fingering: Thumb hole + Left index (hole 1) + Left middle (hole 2) + Left ring (hole 3) + Left pinky E/B key + Right index (hole 4) + Right middle (hole 5) + Right ring (hole 6)
- Written pitch: E3 · Concert pitch: D3
- Sounding frequency: 146.83 Hz
Alternate fingerings for Low E
- Right little-finger E/B key: Thumb hole + Left index (hole 1) + Left middle (hole 2) + Left ring (hole 3) + Right index (hole 4) + Right middle (hole 5) + Right ring (hole 6) + Right pinky E/B key. Use whichever little finger the surrounding notes leave free — the right one here when the left is needed for low F or low F♯.
B♭ Clarinet fingering data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.