BB♭ Sousaphone
C2 on the BB♭ Sousaphone
Written C2. Tap the diagram to hear it.
C2
3rd partialBeginner note
C2 is the 3rd partial with valves 1 and 3, 5 semitones below open F2. Valves 1 and 3 together run sharp, so lip it down — sousaphones have no slide triggers, so the lip is the only fix. Keep the sound full and steady; these notes carry the band's bass line.
About this note
C2 is the 3rd partial with valves 1 and 3, 5 semitones below open F2. Valves 1 and 3 together run sharp, so lip it down — sousaphones have no slide triggers, so the lip is the only fix. Keep the sound full and steady; these notes carry the band's bass line.
- Primary fingering: Valves 1 + 3
- Written pitch: C2
- Sounding frequency: 65.41 Hz
- Harmonic partial: 3 — the valves set the tube length, but your air and embouchure select the partial.
BB♭ Sousaphone 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.