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How to Play Upper Register B on the Clarinet

The fingerings for upper register B are shown below. Scroll down for explanations of each fingering. To see the fingerings for other pitches, select one of the note images in the chart below.
Purchase the printable versions of these fingering charts.

View the interactive lower register clarinet fingering chart.

View the interactive altissimo register clarinet fingering chart.

Notes on the fingerings
There are several ways to finger the pitch B in the upper register. If you are playing in a key that involves both B and C, it is good to use Fingering #1 or #3 because each one enables you to move quickly between those two pitches.
If you are playing in a key that involves B and C sharp, it is better to use either Fingering #2 or #4.
Fingering #5 is used for trilling from A to B.
Fingering #6 can be used for trilling from B flat to B. Note that fingerings #5 and #6 generally do not produce a good tone, and they can be out of tune. They should typically only be used when trilling from the low register to the upper register.

How to use the fingering charts
Your left hand is represented by pink circles with a number indicating which finger to place on a key or cover a tone hole. Your right hand is represented with blue circles in these fingering charts.

Clarinet Fingerings in the Upper Register

Select a note below to see the fingering for each pitch, hear what it sounds like, and view alternate fingerings.

The Beginning Clarinet Songbook, by Kyle Coughlin
Learn how to play the clarinet with a fun, step-by-step approach to the instrument. The Beginning Clarinet Songbook features many catchy, easy to play songs and duets that can be used as an introductory method or a compliment to your other clarinet books. Visit the Songbook pages for free examples, images, and helpful suggestions.

More Educational Tools from Kyle Coughlin
Learn all about rhythm and improve your sight reading. Rhythm-In-Music.com is an interactive website that teaches all of the fundamental aspects of rhythm, covering beat, tempo, meter, time-signature, and all note values. It is an online version of Kyle Coughlin’s book The Fundamentals of Rhythm, featuring over 450 different rhythm patterns for practice, with audio recordings of each pattern.