Alto Sax Fingering Chart
Every written note on the alto saxophone, from low B♭3 to high F6 — with a fingering diagram, the fingering written out in words, and the concert pitch each note actually sounds. The alto is an E♭ instrument: everything you play sounds a major sixth lower than written, so written C5 comes out as concert E♭4. The fingerings themselves are the shared saxophone fingerings — identical on tenor, soprano and baritone — and each note links to its full note page.
Find a note fast
Pick an instrument and a note and the diagram updates instantly — filled keys are the ones you press. The same finder sits on every note page, pre-set to that note.
Low register — the first octave (no octave key)
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B♭3 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky B♭ key · right pinky C key. | D♭3 | ||
| B3 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky B key · right pinky C key. | D3 | ||
| C4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky C key. | E♭3 | ||
| C♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky C♯ key · right pinky C key. | E3 | ||
| D4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | F3 | ||
| E♭4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | F♯3 | ||
| E4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | G3 | ||
| F4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | A♭3 | ||
| F♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · alternate F♯ key. |
A3 | ||
| G4 | Left hand 1-2-3. | B♭3 | ||
| G♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | B3 | ||
| A4 | Left hand 1-2. | C4 | ||
| B♭4 | Left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Left hand 1 · bis key. |
D♭4 | ||
| B4 | Left hand 1. | D4 | ||
| C5 | Left hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1 · side C key. |
E♭4 | ||
| C♯5 | No keys pressed at all — a completely open fingering. | E4 |
Middle register — the second octave (octave key down)
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | F4 | ||
| E♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | F♯4 | ||
| E5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | G4 | ||
| F5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | A♭4 | ||
| F♯5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · alternate F♯ key. |
A4 | ||
| G5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3. | B♭4 | ||
| G♯5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | B4 | ||
| A5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2. | C5 | ||
| B♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · bis key. |
D♭5 | ||
| B5 | Octave key · left hand 1. | D5 | ||
| C6 | Octave key · left hand 2. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · side C key. |
E♭5 | ||
| C♯6 | Octave key. | E5 |
High register — the palm-key notes
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6 | Octave key · D palm key. | F5 | ||
| E♭6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key. | F♯5 | ||
| E6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E key. Alternate: Octave key · front F key · left hand 2. |
G5 | ||
| F6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key + F palm key · side E key. Alternate: Octave key · front F key · left hand 2-3. |
A♭5 |
Alto saxophone transposition, in plain terms
The alto saxophone is in E♭. When you read and finger a C, the pitch that comes out is the E♭ a major sixth below — that is why the "Sounds as" column in this chart is filled with E♭-family pitches: written B♭3 sounds as concert D♭3, written G4 as concert B♭3, written C5 as concert E♭4. When a band director calls for a concert B♭ scale, alto players finger the G scale. The note pages list the concert pitch for alto alongside tenor, soprano and baritone, so you can always find the written note you need from any concert pitch.
Reading this alto sax finger chart
The low register (B♭3 to C♯5) uses no octave key; from D5 up, the left thumb holds the octave key down and the fingerings mostly repeat the low octave. The top four notes (D6 to F6) are palm-key notes. Watch the four lowest notes: B♭, B, C and C♯ are all fingered with the right pinky's low C key down as well as the left pinky's bell key — both reference charts include it, and leaving it out makes the bell notes stuffy and slow to speak. Alto players searching for a single note — an "alto sax finger chart B flat", for example — will find B♭ in the low and middle registers of the table below, with all three of its standard fingerings explained on the B♭4 note page.
The other saxophone charts
- Saxophone fingering chart (all saxophones)
- Tenor Saxophone fingering chart
- Soprano Saxophone fingering chart
- Baritone Saxophone fingering chart
Sources
Every fingering in this chart was checked against two independent references: Yamaha's official saxophone fingering chart and the Woodwind Fingering Guide's saxophone charts. The two sources agree on all 32 main fingerings — including the easily missed detail that the lowest notes (B♭, B, C and C♯) are fingered with the right pinky's low C key down as well. Where the sources offer more than one standard fingering — the three B♭ fingerings are the famous case — the chart shows the basic one first and the alternatives on the note pages, so nothing is hidden.
Alto Saxophone fingering questions
What is the fingering for B flat on alto sax?
There are three standard B♭ fingerings, and they are the same in both octaves. The main one is the side B♭: fingers 1 and 2 of the left hand plus the side B♭ key, worked by the side of the right index finger. The bis fingering (left index finger covering the B key and bis key together) is faster in flat keys, and one-and-four (left 1, right 1) suits passages moving between B♭ and F. The full diagrams are on the B♭4 and B♭5 note pages.
Why does my alto sax sound lower than the note I read?
Because the alto is an E♭ transposing instrument: the written note sounds a major sixth lower. Written C5 sounds as concert E♭4. The "Sounds as" column in the chart above gives the concert pitch for every note, and it is the column to check when you are playing along with a piano or a concert-pitch instrument.
What is the lowest note on alto sax?
Written B♭3 — fingered with the full stack down, the left pinky on the low B♭ key and the right pinky on the low C key. Unlike the baritone, the alto has no low A key, so B♭ is the bottom of the instrument.
Are alto sax fingerings the same as tenor sax fingerings?
Yes, exactly the same — all saxophones share one fingering system. Only the sounding pitch differs: the tenor is a B♭ instrument and sounds a major ninth below written, the alto an E♭ instrument sounding a major sixth below. The tenor sax fingering chart page shows the same table with tenor concert pitches.
Can I print this alto sax fingering chart?
Yes — use the print button above the chart. The printed version keeps the full table with a small diagram for every note, sized to read at arm’s length on a music stand.