D♭3 on the BB♭ Tuba

To play D♭3 on tuba, press valve 2.

Now showingBeginner note

D♭3

Valve 2

Written: D♭3
Sounds: D♭3
Partial: 5th

What’s a partial?

With the same valves down your lips can buzz several notes. Each one is a partial, counted from the lowest. D♭3 is the 5th.

Play along: hear the note for 2 beats, then you play it for 2.

Tip · D♭3

The flatness of the 5th partial is most obvious here — check against a tuner before blaming the slide.

E1Low E F1Low F G♭1Low G♭G1Low G A♭1Low A♭A1Low A B♭1B1 C2 D♭2D2 E♭2E2 F2 G♭2G2 A♭2A2 B♭2B2 C3 D♭3D3 E♭3E3 F3 G♭3G3 A♭3A3 B♭3High B♭

Practice this

Speed72BPM

Tip · D♭3

The flatness of the 5th partial is most obvious here — check against a tuner before blaming the slide.

Sound and display

Next moves

Previous noteC3Valve 1 Next noteD3Open (no valves)Full chartAll 31 tuba notesThe whole fingering chart ScaleConcert B♭ majorWritten B♭ major, fingering under every note TrainerNote trainerRead bass clef notes PrintPrintable PDFLetter · A4 · blank

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Alternate fingerings for D♭3

Each alternate has its own link. Send it to a student and the page opens with that fingering on the big diagram.

Alternate 12-3Valves 2 + 3. A 6th-partial fingering for the same note, a standard substitute when it is approached from above.

Same fingering, different note

Your lips choose between these notes: the fingering stays the same.

A1Low A E23rd partial A24th partial E36th partial A38th partial

More for advanced players

Written and sounding pitch, and how the note works

About this note

D♭3 sounds D♭3 (the tuba reads at concert pitch). It is on the 5th partial.

Fifth partial with valve 2, a semitone below open D3. The flatness of the 5th partial is most obvious here — check against a tuner before blaming the slide.

Primary fingering: Valves 2
Written pitch: D♭3
Sounding frequency: 138.59 Hz
Harmonic partial: 5: the valves set the tube length, but your air and embouchure (the shape of your lips) select the partial.

Alternate fingerings for D♭3

2-3: Valves 2 + 3. A 6th-partial fingering for the same note, a standard substitute when it is approached from above.

Questions

How do you play D♭3 on tuba?

To play D♭3 on tuba, press valve 2. D♭3 sounds D♭3 (the tuba reads at concert pitch). It is on the 5th partial.

Is D♭3 written or concert pitch?

The name on this page is the written note you read. It sounds D♭3.

Is there another fingering for D♭3?

2-3: A 6th-partial fingering for the same note, a standard substitute when it is approached from above.

BB♭ Tuba fingering data last updated 22 October 2026. Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.