BB♭ Sousaphone
F3 on the BB♭ Sousaphone
Written F3. Tap the diagram to hear it.
F3
6th partial
F3 is an open note on the 6th partial: no valves down, so the lip alone picks the slot. The 6th partial tends a little sharp; relax the aperture rather than pushing. Upper register for sousaphone: faster air rather than pressure, and keep the tone wide.
About this note
F3 is an open note on the 6th partial: no valves down, so the lip alone picks the slot. The 6th partial tends a little sharp; relax the aperture rather than pushing. Upper register for sousaphone: faster air rather than pressure, and keep the tone wide.
- Primary fingering: Open (no valves)
- Written pitch: F3
- Sounding frequency: 174.61 Hz
- Harmonic partial: 6 — the valves set the tube length, but your air and embouchure select the partial.
Alternate fingerings for F3
- 1-3: Valves 1 + 3. The same pitch off the 8th partial; a flexibility fingering, sharp like all 1-3 combinations.
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.