The bass clarinet’s range in notes and hertz
| Sounding | Written | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical low | D2 | E3 | 73.42 Hz |
| Practical high | B♭4 | C6 | 466.16 Hz |
| Extreme high | B5 | C♯7 | 987.77 Hz |
Written in treble clef a ninth above the sound. Many bass clarinets have keys down to a written E♭ or C, which take the bottom lower than the standard chart.
Written and sounding pitch
The bass clarinet is a transposing instrument: it sounds a major ninth lower than written, which makes it a B♭ instrument. So the range on its part is E3–C6, while the notes you hear are D2–B♭4. To convert a part, use the concert pitch to B♭ chart. The transposing-instrument tuner reads out the written note as you play.
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the bass clarinet’s:
- Cello · C2–A6 33 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 33 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 33 notes shared
- Brazilian 7-string guitar · C2–B5 33 notes shared
- Baritone guitar · B1–B5 33 notes shared
- Harp · C2–A6 33 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Bass clarinet tuner — tune by microphone, with the bass clarinet’s own target notes.
- Play a bass clarinet online — the same range, playable in your browser.
Songs that fit the bass clarinet
36 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the bass clarinet’s range, each written out in the notation bass clarinet players read:
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lightly Row
- Going Home (New World Largo)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Happy Birthday
- Ode to Joy
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Jingle Bells
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Yankee Doodle
- Silent Night
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a bass clarinet?
The bass clarinet’s normal range runs from D2 to B♭4 — 73.42 to 466.16 Hz, about 2.7 octaves. At the extremes it reaches D2–B5. Its part is written E3–C6, because it sounds a major ninth lower than written.
What is the lowest note on a bass clarinet?
D2 (73.42 Hz).
What is the highest note on a bass clarinet?
B♭4 is the top of the normal range, and B5 (987.77 Hz) is reachable at the extreme.
Sources
- The chart behind our playable bass clarinet, itself checked note by note against published charts.
- Wikipedia, Template:Vocal and instrumental pitch ranges