Tuba Fingering Chart: BB♭ and E♭ Tuba and Sousaphone
A tuba fingering chart shows which valves to press for each note. Bass clef tuba music is written at concert pitch. On the BB♭ tuba and the sousaphone, B♭1, F2, B♭2, D3 and F3 are played open; on the E♭ tuba the open notes are E♭2, B♭2, E♭3 and G3. Valve 2 lowers a note by a half step, valve 1 by a whole step.
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US music words (measure, half step and staff); the UK version uses bar, semitone, stave. · UK version of this page
Key facts
- BB♭ tuba: open notes B♭1, F2, B♭2, D3, F3 and B♭3, in bass clef at concert pitch.
- E♭ tuba: open notes E♭2, B♭2, E♭3, G3 and B♭3.
- Sousaphone: almost always a BB♭ instrument with 3 valves, so it uses the BB♭ tuba chart.
- Valve 2 lowers a note by a half step, valve 1 by a whole step, valve 3 by a whole step and a half; a 4th valve lowers it by a perfect 4th.
- Treble clef tuba parts use the same valves as the trumpet for each written note.
- This chart: BB♭ tuba E1 to B♭3, E♭ tuba A1 to E♭4. Orchestral players also use CC and F tubas, which are not shown.
Interactive tuba fingering chart
Private by design: this page never uses the microphone. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent – quiz answers stay on this device.
Classfern's free tuba fingering chart on lessonplanner.info: press a note to see the valves and hear how it should sound. Choose the BB♭ or E♭ tuba, or a treble clef part: the valve pattern changes with the instrument.
Keyboard: Tab to the notes, then the arrow keys move from note to note and play each one. The ▶ buttons in the tables below show and play that note.
How do you read a tuba fingering chart?
Find your note in bass clef, then press the valves shown: valve 1 is under your first finger, 2 under your middle finger and 3 under your ring finger. "Open" means no valves. Make sure you use the chart for your tuba: BB♭ and E♭ tubas finger the same note differently.
Most school and band tubas are BB♭ tubas. The table below is for them and for the sousaphone; the E♭ tuba has its own table further down the page.
| Note (bass clef, concert pitch) | Valves |
|---|---|
| E1 | Valves 1 + 2 + 3 |
| F1 | Valves 1 + 3 |
| F♯1/G♭1 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| G1 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| G♯1/A♭1 | Valve 1 |
| A1 | Valve 2 |
| A♯1/B♭1 | Open (no valves) |
| B1 | Valves 1 + 2 + 3 |
| C2 | Valves 1 + 3 |
| C♯2/D♭2 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| D2 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| D♯2/E♭2 | Valve 1 |
| E2 | Valve 2 |
| F2 | Open (no valves) |
| F♯2/G♭2 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| G2 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| G♯2/A♭2 | Valve 1 |
| A2 | Valve 2 |
| A♯2/B♭2 | Open (no valves) |
| B2 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| C3 | Valve 1 |
| C♯3/D♭3 | Valve 2 |
| D3 | Open (no valves) |
| D♯3/E♭3 | Valve 1 |
| E3 | Valve 2 |
| F3 | Open (no valves) |
| F♯3/G♭3 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| G3 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| G♯3/A♭3 | Valve 1 |
| A3 | Valve 2 |
| A♯3/B♭3 | Open (no valves) |
★ marks notes outside the usual beginner range (B♭1 to F3). Low notes played with 1 + 3 and 1 + 2 + 3 are sharp; on a 4-valve tuba use the 4th valve instead (see below).
To keep a printable copy, use your browser's Print and choose "Save as PDF". The tables print without the buttons and pictures.
What is the sousaphone finger chart?
A sousaphone is a BB♭ tuba wrapped around the player's body for marching, with the bell facing forward over the head. So the sousaphone finger chart is the same as the BB♭ tuba chart above. Most sousaphones have three valves, pressed with the right hand.
The sousaphone is named after the American bandmaster John Philip Sousa and was first made in the 1890s. Because the valves are in front of the player at chest height, many players use the right hand with the fingers pointing down; the valve numbers stay the same (1 is nearest the mouthpiece).
Quiz: name the tuba fingering
Eight quick questions on the beginner notes of the instrument chosen in the chart, then a short "I can" checklist.
- Marked by Classfern – the eight fingering questions, checked straight away.
- Self-assessed – the "I can" checklist: you tick it when you have done it.
What is the E♭ tuba fingering chart?
The E♭ tuba is pitched a perfect 4th above the BB♭ tuba. It reads the same bass clef notes at concert pitch, but its open notes are E♭2, B♭2, E♭3 and G3, so most notes need a different fingering from the BB♭ tuba.
| Note (bass clef, concert pitch) | Valves |
|---|---|
| A1 | Valves 1 + 2 + 3 |
| A♯1/B♭1 | Valves 1 + 3 |
| B1 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| C2 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| C♯2/D♭2 | Valve 1 |
| D2 | Valve 2 |
| D♯2/E♭2 | Open (no valves) |
| E2 | Valves 1 + 2 + 3 |
| F2 | Valves 1 + 3 |
| F♯2/G♭2 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| G2 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| G♯2/A♭2 | Valve 1 |
| A2 | Valve 2 |
| A♯2/B♭2 | Open (no valves) |
| B2 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| C3 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| C♯3/D♭3 | Valve 1 |
| D3 | Valve 2 |
| D♯3/E♭3 | Open (no valves) |
| E3 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| F3 | Valve 1 |
| F♯3/G♭3 | Valve 2 |
| G3 | Open (no valves) |
| G♯3/A♭3 | Valve 1 |
| A3 | Valve 2 |
| A♯3/B♭3 | Open (no valves) |
| B3 | Valves 2 + 3 |
| C4 | Valves 1 + 2 |
| C♯4/D♭4 | Valve 1 |
| D4 | Valve 2 |
| D♯4/E♭4 | Open (no valves) |
★ marks notes outside the usual beginner range (E♭2 to B♭3).
Is tuba fingering the same in treble clef?
Yes, for treble clef parts: they are written so that each note uses exactly the same valves as on the trumpet. In bass clef the fingering depends on whether you play a BB♭ or an E♭ tuba.
A treble clef E♭ tuba part written as C sounds as concert E♭, and a treble clef BB♭ part written as C sounds as concert B♭. Choose a treble clef part in the interactive chart, or use the trumpet fingering chart, which has the same valves for every written note.
What does the 4th valve on a tuba do?
The 4th valve lowers a note by a perfect 4th, the same as valves 1 + 3 together but better in tune. On a BB♭ tuba, low C2 can be played 4 instead of 1 + 3, and B1 can be played 2 + 4 instead of 1 + 2 + 3.
The 4th valve also gives the notes below E1 that a 3-valve tuba cannot reach. Beginners can learn the 3-valve chart first; every fingering on it still works on a 4-valve tuba.
More fingering charts and music tools
The charts are Classfern's own, written from the standard published basic fingerings; there are often other fingerings for the same note, and your teacher may prefer one of them. Mr Chopin and Miss Clara Schumann are Classfern's own cartoon characters, named in honour of the composers Frédéric Chopin and Clara Schumann – they are not portraits of the real people.
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