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Clarinet Chromatic

Posted by Art Vandelay on 2/12/2026, 10:23 am

So I work with a band director whose main instrument is clarinet and his chromatic fingerings are different.

He does:

Lowest E - Left Pinky
F - right
F# - left

B 1235

D#Eb 12Side

F# open and 2sides

Is that correct?

Re: Clarinet Chromatic

Posted by Pretzel Guy on 2/18/2026, 11:50 am, in reply to "Clarinet Chromatic"

These are the chromatic fingerings, except for the exclusion of fork B. Also assuming thumb down for F# as just the 2 side keys are not an actual note.

Re: Clarinet Chromatic

Posted by R on 2/16/2026, 4:10 pm, in reply to "Clarinet Chromatic"

If its chromatic B should be 1234 banana key

Re: Clarinet Chromatic

Posted by Count Bubba on 2/12/2026, 7:35 pm, in reply to "Clarinet Chromatic"

For chromatic, the only thing I disagree with is the B fingering instead of "fork" fingering.

And I'm assuming for F# you mean to have the thumb down too.

Re: Clarinet Chromatic

Posted by Me on 2/14/2026, 1:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Clarinet Chromatic"

Talked to many clarinetists about this over the years. They go Bb/Bn first-middle so often it’s just common practice.

Re: Clarinet Chromatic

Posted by Agree on 2/16/2026, 8:11 am, in reply to "Re: Clarinet Chromatic"

I had someone tell me one time that learning to move fingers chromatically is part of learning to play the clarinet. Over the years, I have shifted to teaching the students both fingerings, but the primary one they know is the one that is friendliest to intonation. But they know the other(s) as well. If they can play Bb to B without flubbing...well, then great, keep doing it.

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