BB♭ Sousaphone
C3 on the BB♭ Sousaphone
Written C3. Tap the diagram to hear it.
C3
5th partialBeginner note
C3 is the 5th partial with valve 1, 2 semitones below open D3. The 5th partial sits flat on every valved brass instrument, so keep the air moving and the pitch up. The fifth partial sits flat; keep the air moving so the note does not sag under the band.
About this note
C3 is the 5th partial with valve 1, 2 semitones below open D3. The 5th partial sits flat on every valved brass instrument, so keep the air moving and the pitch up. The fifth partial sits flat; keep the air moving so the note does not sag under the band.
- Primary fingering: Valves 1
- Written pitch: C3
- Sounding frequency: 130.81 Hz
- Harmonic partial: 5 — the valves set the tube length, but your air and embouchure select the partial.
Alternate fingerings for C3
- 1-3: Valves 1 + 3. Reaches C3 from the 6th partial instead of the 5th; useful for avoiding a flat 5th-partial slot.
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.