BB♭ Tuba

B2 on the BB♭ Tuba

Written B2. Tap the diagram to hear it.

B2
5th partial
Written B2 on the bass staff

Fifth partial with 1-2, or 3 alone. The 5th partial is flat on most tubas, so support the pitch from underneath rather than letting it settle.

About this note

Fifth partial with 1-2, or 3 alone. The 5th partial is flat on most tubas, so support the pitch from underneath rather than letting it settle.

  • Primary fingering: Valves 1 + 2
  • Written pitch: B2
  • Sounding frequency: 123.47 Hz
  • Harmonic partial: 5 — the valves set the tube length, but your air and embouchure select the partial.

Alternate fingerings for B2

  • 3: Valves 3. The common substitute for 1-2 in this register; often easier to slur into and out of.

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.