A♭2 on the BB♭ Tuba
To play A♭2 on tuba, press valve 1.
What’s a partial?
With the same valves down your lips can buzz several notes. Each one is a partial, counted from the lowest. A♭2 is the 4th.
Play along: hear the note for 2 beats, then you play it for 2.
Sounds a whole step under open B♭2.
Sounds a whole step under open B♭2.
Sound and display
Next moves
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Alternate fingerings for A♭2
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
Your lips choose between these notes: the fingering stays the same.
More for advanced players
Written and sounding pitch, and how the note works
About this note
A♭2 sounds A♭2 (the tuba reads at concert pitch). It is on the 4th partial.
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 (the shape of your lips) 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.
Questions
How do you play A♭2 on tuba?
To play A♭2 on tuba, press valve 1. A♭2 sounds A♭2 (the tuba reads at concert pitch). It is on the 4th partial.
Is A♭2 written or concert pitch?
The name on this page is the written note you read. It sounds A♭2.
Is there another fingering for A♭2?
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.