Mastering the Four B♭ Clarinet Registers & Crossing the Break
Because the B♭ Clarinet overblows at the twelfth rather than the octave, conservatory pedagogy divides its 42-semitone compass into four distinct mechanical and acoustic zones. Printing a register-grouped clarinet fingering chart PDF helps students visualize how left/right pinky clusters mirror one another across the register break between written B♭4 and B4:
| Register Name | Written Compass | Concert Pitch | Keywork & Voicing Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chalumeau | E3 – F4 | D3 – E♭4 | Fundamental tube without register key; warm, dark woody timbre; train L/R pinky alternation on E3–F3–F♯3. |
| Throat Tones | F♯4 – B♭4 | E4 – A♭4 | Index A-key & side/register B♭; keep right-hand fingers hovering or down ("right-hand down") to cross the break cleanly. |
| Clarion | B4 – C6 | A4 – B♭5 | Thumb covers hole + tips open register key (12th harmonic above Chalumeau); singing orchestral projection. |
| Altissimo | C♯6 – A6 | B5 – G6 | LH index half-hole/vented fingerings + RH E♭/A♭ sliver stabilizer key for intonation above High D6. |
Want to transpose concert-pitch piano or guitar chords into B♭ Clarinet parts (up 2 semitones)? Use our Instant Key & Chord Transposer or print clean 10-stave Treble Clef Staff Paper PDF. Directing double-reeds in the same woodwind section? Check specialist conservatoire charts at OboeLib.com and BsnLib.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are the notes on this Clarinet Fingering Chart PDF shown in written pitch or concert pitch?
- Primary pitch headings display standard B♭ Clarinet written pitch (from low Chalumeau E3 up to Altissimo A6), while both the interactive inspector and PDF subtitle line also list the exact Concert Sounding Pitch (sounding a Major 2nd / two semitones lower—for example, written E3 sounds Concert D3).
- How do I decide between left-hand and right-hand pinky keys on E3/F3/F♯3 and B4/C5/C♯5?
- The Boehm 17-key system duplicates low E/B, F/C, F♯/C♯, and G♯/D♯ levers across both little fingers so players never slide a pinky between two keys in succession. Whenever a passage moves E–F♯ or B–C♯, alternate L–R or R–L pinky levers as listed under 'Alternate Fingerings' in the inspector.
- What does 'resonance fingering' mean for Throat Tones G4, G♯4, A4, and B♭4?
- Because open throat tones use a very short acoustic tube length near the barrel, keeping right-hand rings (RH 1-2-3 and F/C pinky) depressed while playing throat A4 or B♭4 stabilizes pitch and darkens tone—while also preparing the right hand to cross the break smoothly into Clarion B4 and C5.
- How many pages is the downloaded Clarinet Fingering Chart PDF?
- With all registers selected, the full chromatic Boehm chart compiles into a clean 2-page vector PDF (7 diagrams × 3 rows per page) in US Letter or A4, or you can filter to a single register (Chalumeau, Throat Tones, Clarion, or Altissimo) before clicking Download for a 1-page focused study sheet.