Technique · 2 min read
Clarinet Altissimo Register: Fingerings, Voicing and Exercises
How to play clarinet altissimo notes from C♯6 to C7 — the standard fingerings, the voicing and air you need, and exercises for clean, in-tune high notes.
Updated · Tonehole editors
The altissimo register begins at written C♯6 and runs up to C7 and beyond. It uses the clarinet's fifth and seventh harmonics, which is why the fingerings look so different from the lower registers — and why air and voicing matter as much as fingers.
The key idea: the left index finger becomes a vent#
From C♯6 upward, the left index finger lifts (on alto and bass clarinets you press a small half-hole plate instead). Opening that hole helps the upper harmonic speak. Many altissimo fingerings also add the right-pinky A♭/E♭ key for stability and better pitch.
| Written note | Standard fingering | Page |
|---|---|---|
| C♯6 | Thumb, register; left 2-3; right 1-2 | C♯6 |
| D6 | Thumb, register; left 2-3; right 1; A♭/E♭ key | D6 |
| E♭6 | Thumb, register; left 2-3; right 1 + sliver; A♭/E♭ key | E♭6 |
| E6 | Thumb, register; left 2-3; A♭/E♭ key | E6 |
| F6 | Thumb, register; left 2-3 + C♯/G♯ key; A♭/E♭ key | F6 |
| F♯6 | Thumb, register; left 2; A♭/E♭ key | F♯6 |
| G6 | Thumb, register; left 2; right 1-2; A♭/E♭ key | G6 |
| C7 | Thumb, register; G♯ key; left 1; right 1; F♯/C♯ key | C7 |
Every note has alternates for tuning and fast passages — see the full clarinet fingering chart.
Voicing#
Voicing means the shape inside your mouth. For altissimo, raise the back of the tongue towards an "ee" position, keep the throat open and the air fast. A good test: finger a clarion note, and without the register key try to make the next harmonic up sound using only voicing. It feels strange at first — and it is exactly the control the altissimo needs.
Embouchure and reed#
- Keep the corners firm and the chin flat; do not bite — biting closes the reed and the notes go sharp and thin.
- A reed that is too soft will close up in the altissimo. If high notes are always flat and weak, try half a strength harder.
Exercises#
- Long tones on C♯6, D6 and E6 at piano and forte with the tuner.
- Slurred twelfths and sixths: slur A5 → E6 and B5 → F♯6, keeping the air steady.
- Scales to the top: practise C, D and E♭ major scales to the twelfth above the tonic.
- Arpeggio tops: the top note of arpeggios trains you to land on altissimo notes in tune — see the arpeggios on each scale page.
Why are my altissimo notes sharp?#
Biting and a pinched throat are the usual culprits, followed by playing loudly. Relax the jaw, open the throat and use alternate fingerings that add right-hand fingers or the A♭/E♭ key to bring notes down.
What is the highest note on the clarinet?#
The standard written range ends around C7, but advanced players reach written E7–A7 with special fingerings. Composers rarely write above C7.