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NoteAtlas

Low B♭ on the Flute

To play Low B♭ (B♭4) on flute: Left hand: B key, 1 · Right hand: 4 + E♭ key.

Full chart
Back / thumbLeft handTrill keysRight handE♭ keyFoot jointThumb B key: pressedBThumb B♭ lever (Briccialdi): openB♭Left index (key 1): pressed1Left middle (key 2): open2Left ring (key 3): open3G♯ key (left little finger): openG♯Right index (key 4): pressed4Right middle (key 5): open5Right ring (key 6): open6First (D) trill key: opent1Second (E♭) trill key: opent2E♭ key (right little finger): pressedE♭Foot C♯ key: openC♯Foot C key: openCFoot B key: openB
Now showingBeginner note
Low B♭B♭4
Left hand: B key, 1 · Right hand: 4 + E♭ key
Written
B♭4
Sounds
B♭4
B♭4 on the treble staff

Play along: hear the note for 2 beats, then you play it for 2.

Press or cover
  • Thumb B key
  • Left index (key 1)
  • Right index (key 4)
  • E♭ key (right little finger)
Tip · Low B♭

Thumb on the B key, your left first finger, your right first finger and your right little finger on the E♭ key. This is the band's tuning note. Blow a gentle, steady stream of air across the hole, like blowing across the top of a bottle.

C4Low CC♯4Low C♯D4Low DE♭4Low E♭E4Low EF4Low FF♯4Low F♯G4Low GA♭4Low A♭A4Low AB♭4Low B♭B4Low BC5C♯5D5E♭5E5F5F♯5G5A♭5A5B♭5B5C6C♯6D6High DE♭6High E♭E6High EF6High FF♯6High F♯G6High GA♭6High A♭A6High AB♭6High B♭B6High BC7High C
Practice this
Speed72BPM
Tip · Low B♭

Thumb on the B key, your left first finger, your right first finger and your right little finger on the E♭ key. This is the band's tuning note. Blow a gentle, steady stream of air across the hole, like blowing across the top of a bottle.

Sound and display

Next moves

Previous noteLow ALeft hand: B key, 1, 2 + E♭ keyNext noteLow BLeft hand: B key, 1 + E♭ keyFull chartAll 37 flute notesThe whole fingering chartScaleConcert B♭ majorWritten B♭ major, fingering under every noteTrainerNote trainerRead treble clef notesPrintPrintable PDFLetter · A4 · blank

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Alternate fingerings for Low B♭

Each alternate has its own link. Send it to a student and the page opens with that fingering on the big diagram.

Same fingering, different note

These notes use the same keys: the air and the register decide which one sounds.

B♭5 

More for advanced players

Written and sounding pitch, and how the note works

About this note

Low B♭ sounds B♭4 (the flute reads at concert pitch).

The method-book B-flat is "one and one": left first finger plus right first finger, thumb still on the B key. Learn this one first — it lets you move freely between B-flat and B natural, and keeping a right-hand finger down balances the flute better than the thumb lever does.

  • Primary fingering: Thumb B key + Left index (key 1) + Right index (key 4) + E♭ key (right little finger)
  • Written pitch: B♭4
  • Sounding frequency: 466.16 Hz

What to press, key by key

  • Thumb B key
  • Left index (key 1)
  • Right index (key 4)
  • E♭ key (right little finger)

Alternate fingerings for Low B♭

  • Thumb B-flat (Briccialdi lever): Thumb B♭ lever (Briccialdi) + Left index (key 1) + E♭ key (right little finger). Use in flat keys and any passage with no B natural in it — the thumb simply lives on the B-flat lever throughout.

Questions

How do you play Low B♭ on flute?

To play Low B♭ (B♭4) on flute: Left hand: B key, 1 · Right hand: 4 + E♭ key. Low B♭ sounds B♭4 (the flute reads at concert pitch). Press: Thumb B key, Left index (key 1), Right index (key 4), E♭ key (right little finger).

Is Low B♭ written or concert pitch?

The name on this page is the written note you read. It sounds B♭4.

Is there another fingering for Low B♭?

Thumb B-flat (Briccialdi lever): Use in flat keys and any passage with no B natural in it — the thumb simply lives on the B-flat lever throughout.

Flute 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.