Use this free clarinet fingering chart to see every note from low E3 to C6 at a glance, look up one note in detail and hear its concert pitch. Print all 33 notes or save the chart as a PDF.
Standard Boehm B♭ (B flat) soprano · Written E3–C6 · A4 or US Letter
C4 · Recorded source location: written MIDI 60 / corresponding written-note fingering
Quick start
Choose written pitch
Use the clarinet fingering chart selector to match the letter and octave in your part. Keep concert pitch separate when you compare clarinet notes with another instrument.
Read the full fingering
Check the thumb hole, register key and each hand. The clarinet fingering diagram shows the core holes; read any additional key instructions beside it before you play.
Compare or print
Step through neighboring clarinet notes, choose flats or sharps, or compare the full clarinet notes chart below. The printable clarinet fingering chart includes the same note records.
Clarinet Fingering Chart: All 33 Notes
This clarinet fingering chart lists every written note from low E3 to C6 in order. Each card shows the note on the staff, its fingering diagram and any extra side or little-finger keys to press.
T = thumb hole; R = register key. Filled circles are covered holes; outlined circles stay open. Extra side and little-finger keys are listed under each diagram, not drawn on it.
Print the whole clarinet fingering chart: all 33 notes, including both little-finger choices, in 4 black-and-white pages. The printout always includes the whole range, not just the selected note.
Preview of the 4 printable pages. Select a page to open the full-size image.
Or print it yourself from this page:
In the print dialog, match the paper size, use portrait at 100% scale and turn off browser headers and footers. Choose “Save as PDF” for a file. Both spellings are listed; staff notes use flats.
The print feature supports personal reference. See printable permissions before classroom distribution, republication, modification or commercial reuse.
Clarinet Fingering Chart
B♭ soprano · Standard Boehm · Written E3–C6
US Letter 1 / 4
Cover / press Open / releaseT Thumb holeR Register key1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring
LH = left hand; RH = right hand. Side and little-finger keys are named below, not located on the schematic.
E3
Chalumeau · Concert D3
Either: Press LH pinky E/B key
or: Press RH pinky E/B key
F3
Chalumeau · Concert E♭3
Either: Press LH pinky F/C key
or: Press RH pinky F/C key
F♯3 / G♭3
Chalumeau · Concert F♭3
Either: Press LH pinky F♯/C♯ key
or: Press RH pinky F♯/C♯ key
G3
Chalumeau · Concert F3
No additional keys
G♯3 / A♭3
Chalumeau · Concert G♭3
Press RH pinky G♯/D♯ key
A3
Chalumeau · Concert G3
No additional keys
A♯3 / B♭3
Chalumeau · Concert A♭3
No additional keys
B3
Chalumeau · Concert A3
No additional keys
C4
Chalumeau · Concert B♭3
No additional keys
Clarinet Fingering Chart
B♭ soprano · Standard Boehm · Written E3–C6
US Letter 2 / 4
Cover / press Open / releaseT Thumb holeR Register key1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring
LH = left hand; RH = right hand. Side and little-finger keys are named below, not located on the schematic.
C♯4 / D♭4
Chalumeau · Concert C♭4
Press LH pinky C♯/G♯ key
D4
Chalumeau · Concert C4
No additional keys
D♯4 / E♭4
Chalumeau · Concert D♭4
Press RH lowest side key (E♭/B♭)
E4
Chalumeau · Concert D4
No additional keys
F4
Chalumeau · Concert E♭4
No additional keys
F♯4 / G♭4
Chalumeau · Concert F♭4
No additional keys
G4
Throat tones · Concert F4
No additional keys
G♯4 / A♭4
Throat tones · Concert G♭4
Press LH side G♯/A♭ key
A4
Throat tones · Concert G4
Press Top A key
Clarinet Fingering Chart
B♭ soprano · Standard Boehm · Written E3–C6
US Letter 3 / 4
Cover / press Open / releaseT Thumb holeR Register key1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring
LH = left hand; RH = right hand. Side and little-finger keys are named below, not located on the schematic.
A♯4 / B♭4
Throat tones · Concert A♭4
Press Top A key
B4
Clarion · Concert A4
Either: Press LH pinky E/B key
or: Press RH pinky E/B key
C5
Clarion · Concert B♭4
Either: Press LH pinky F/C key
or: Press RH pinky F/C key
C♯5 / D♭5
Clarion · Concert C♭5
Either: Press LH pinky F♯/C♯ key
or: Press RH pinky F♯/C♯ key
D5
Clarion · Concert C5
No additional keys
D♯5 / E♭5
Clarion · Concert D♭5
Press RH pinky G♯/D♯ key
E5
Clarion · Concert D5
No additional keys
F5
Clarion · Concert E♭5
No additional keys
F♯5 / G♭5
Clarion · Concert F♭5
No additional keys
Clarinet Fingering Chart
B♭ soprano · Standard Boehm · Written E3–C6
US Letter 4 / 4
Cover / press Open / releaseT Thumb holeR Register key1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring
LH = left hand; RH = right hand. Side and little-finger keys are named below, not located on the schematic.
G5
Clarion · Concert F5
No additional keys
G♯5 / A♭5
Clarion · Concert G♭5
Press LH pinky C♯/G♯ key
A5
Clarion · Concert G5
No additional keys
A♯5 / B♭5
Clarion · Concert A♭5
Press RH lowest side key (E♭/B♭)
B5
Clarion · Concert A5
No additional keys
C6
Clarion · Concert B♭5
No additional keys
Choose a reading topic
Use the quick start for the controls, the topics below for explanations, and the FAQ for individual questions. All chapters remain available on this page.
How to Read a Clarinet Fingering Chart
Read each clarinet fingering symbol
A clarinet fingering chart shows which holes and keys to close for each written note. On this chart, a filled circle means cover the hole and an outlined circle means leave it open. T is the thumb hole on the back of the clarinet and R is the register key beside it; read the two separately.
Include the extra-key instructions
The three circles under Left and Right on each clarinet fingering chart diagram are the index, middle and ring fingers of each hand. Extra throat, side and little-finger keys are listed under each diagram rather than drawn on it, so read the diagram and the key list together.
Clarinet Fingering Chart for Beginners
Start with five written notes
A beginner does not need the whole clarinet fingering chart on day one. Start with open G4: leave the thumb hole and every finger hole open. Then cover only the thumb hole for F4, and add the left index, middle and ring fingers one at a time for E4, D4 and C4. None of these five notes needs the register key or an extra side or little-finger key.
Build toward the complete range
When those notes are steady, move down the chalumeau register toward E3, then learn the throat tones. Print the chart or keep the free PDF on your music stand so the finger chart is in view while you practise.
What Are the Basic Clarinet Notes?
Pitch names and octaves
The basic clarinet notes are the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale: the seven natural notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G, and the five sharps or flats between them. Each one repeats in more than one octave, so this clarinet fingering chart covers 33 written notes from E3 to C6 rather than twelve.
Learn the register groups
Learn them in three groups. The low chalumeau notes come first: from G4 down to C4 each note adds one finger, and the right hand joins below that. Next come the four throat tones, G4 to B♭4. Last are the clarion notes from B4 up, most of which reuse a low fingering with the register key pressed, a twelfth higher. A clarinet fingering chart is easiest to learn in that order.
Clarinet Notes Chart with Letters
Keep the octave number
Clarinet notes use the same letters as every other instrument: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. This clarinet fingering chart labels each note with its letter and an octave number. C4 is middle C, and the same letter in another octave usually needs a different fingering, so keep the number when you look up a note. Sharp and flat spellings such as F♯ and G♭ share one fingering.
Separate written and sounding clarinet notes
Read in order from the bottom, the clarinet notes on this chart run E3, F3, F♯3, G3 and upward by half steps to C6, all on the treble clef staff. The chart uses written pitch: the note printed in your clarinet part. The reference tone plays the concert pitch the clarinet actually sounds; it is a synthetic tone, not a clarinet recording or a tuner.
Is the Clarinet in C?
The B♭ transposition
No. The clarinet most people play is a B♭ clarinet, and this clarinet fingering chart is written for it. When you finger written C, the instrument sounds concert B♭, a whole step lower; written C4 sounds as concert B♭3. Yamaha’s instrument guide explains the same written and sounding relationship for the B♭ and A clarinets.
Comparing clarinet and piano parts
That is why a clarinet part and a piano part look different for the same music: a concert B♭ on the piano is written as C for clarinet. Use the written note names on this chart to find the fingering, and the reference tone to hear the concert pitch.
Clarinet Range: Lowest and Highest Notes by Register
The range covered here
This clarinet fingering chart groups the notes into three registers: the low chalumeau register from E3 to F♯4, the throat tones from G4 to B♭4, and the upper clarion register from B4 to C6. The lowest note on a standard B♭ clarinet is written E3, which sounds concert D3.
Crossing the break and the upper limit
Written C6 is the top of the clarion register, not the highest note on the clarinet. The altissimo register continues above it, and how high a player can go depends on the player, reed and instrument; altissimo fingerings are outside this clarinet fingering chart. Moving from the throat tones to B4 or C5 is called crossing the break. The fingering changes by more than the register key, so read each note's diagram instead of guessing from the note below it.
Little-Finger Choices and Alternate Fingerings
Choose a clarinet fingering option
Six notes on this chart have two equal little-finger choices: E3, F3, F♯3, B4, C5 and C♯5. Use one, not both, and pick whichever is easier from the notes before and after.
Basic and specialist alternatives
This clarinet fingering chart shows basic fingerings only. Trill, resonance and intonation fingerings are outside its scope, and an alternative that suits one passage does not mean the basic chart is wrong.
Each basic fingering on this clarinet fingering chart is cross-checked against Yamaha’s Boehm clarinet guide and the Woodwind Fingering Guide. Open the source details in the single-note lookup to see the references for that note. The diagrams are original drawings made from the checked key states, not copies of source artwork.
Evidence and correction boundaries
Source cross-checked describes the evidence behind the data. It does not mean a named expert has approved the whole chart. The methodology page explains the checks and how corrections work.
Connect the fingerings in this clarinet fingering chart: explore clarinet scales in 12 major keys with written and concert labels, reference playback and printing.
Put the notes into a melody
Use this clarinet fingering chart alongside easy clarinet songs with letter notes: three short scores with reference playback and single-song printing.
Clarinet Fingering Chart FAQ
These answers explain the chart’s scope and notation. For source questions, read Methodology. For a suspected error, use Contact.
Is this a B flat clarinet fingering chart?
Yes. This is a B flat (B♭) clarinet fingering chart for the standard Boehm-system soprano clarinet, written E3–C6, the clarinet most beginners and school bands play. It does not cover bass clarinet, German/Oehler systems, extended-key instruments or the altissimo range.
Is this clarinet fingering chart good for beginners?
Yes. It shows one basic fingering for each note and names every extra key in words. Many beginners start with E4, D4 and C4: cover the thumb hole, then add the left index, middle and ring fingers one at a time.
What do the filled and empty circles mean?
On this clarinet fingering chart, filled main-hole circles mean cover the hole; outlined circles mean leave it open. T is the thumb hole and R is the separate register key. Extra keys are named in text.
What does the number in C4 or F5 mean?
It identifies the octave. C4 is middle C. The same letter in another octave is a different pitch and may need a different fingering.
Are these written notes or concert notes?
The clarinet fingering chart, staff and main note name use written pitch. The clarinet sounds a whole step lower, so written C4 sounds as concert B♭3. The reference tone uses concert pitch.
Why do some notes have two little-finger choices?
E3, F3, F♯3, B4, C5 and C♯5 have two equal basic choices. Use one according to the surrounding notes. Neither is always the best choice, and you should not press both.
Why do sharp and flat notes share a fingering?
Spellings such as F♯ and G♭ name the same pitch here. Switching the spelling changes the displayed name and staff notation, while keeping the pitch and fingering consistent.
Can I download this clarinet fingering chart as a PDF?
Yes. Download the free PDF in US Letter or A4 from the top of this page or the printable chart section. Each file has all 33 notes on four pages. You can also print directly from this page in either paper size.
