BB♭ Tuba

A♭2 on the BB♭ Tuba

Written A♭2. Tap the diagram to hear it.

A♭2
4th partialBeginner note
Written A♭2 on the bass staff

Fourth partial with valve 1 — the note tubas usually set the first-valve slide on. Sounds a whole step under open B♭2.

About this note

Fourth partial with valve 1 — the note tubas usually set the first-valve slide on. Sounds a whole step under open B♭2.

  • Primary fingering: Valves 1
  • Written pitch: A♭2
  • Sounding frequency: 103.83 Hz
  • Harmonic partial: 4 — the valves set the tube length, but your air and embouchure select the partial.

Alternate fingerings for A♭2

  • 1-2-3: Valves 1 + 2 + 3. Reaches the same pitch from the 5th partial; sharp and unwieldy, so a trill fingering only.

BB♭ Tuba 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.