Baritone Sax Fingering Chart
Every written note on the baritone 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 baritone is an E♭ instrument that sounds an octave below the alto: written C5 comes out as concert E♭3. The fingerings are the shared saxophone fingerings — identical on soprano, alto and tenor — and the baritone has one note none of the others have: a low A below the B♭, covered below the chart.
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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♭2 | ||
| B3 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky B key · right pinky C key. | D2 | ||
| C4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky C key. | E♭2 | ||
| C♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky C♯ key · right pinky C key. | E2 | ||
| D4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | F2 | ||
| E♭4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | F♯2 | ||
| E4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | G2 | ||
| F4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | A♭2 | ||
| F♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · alternate F♯ key. |
A2 | ||
| G4 | Left hand 1-2-3. | B♭2 | ||
| G♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | B2 | ||
| A4 | Left hand 1-2. | C3 | ||
| B♭4 | Left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Left hand 1 · bis key. |
D♭3 | ||
| B4 | Left hand 1. | D3 | ||
| C5 | Left hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1 · side C key. |
E♭3 | ||
| C♯5 | No keys pressed at all — a completely open fingering. | E3 |
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. | F3 | ||
| E♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | F♯3 | ||
| E5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | G3 | ||
| F5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | A♭3 | ||
| 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. |
A3 | ||
| G5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3. | B♭3 | ||
| G♯5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | B3 | ||
| A5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2. | C4 | ||
| B♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · bis key. |
D♭4 | ||
| B5 | Octave key · left hand 1. | D4 | ||
| C6 | Octave key · left hand 2. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · side C key. |
E♭4 | ||
| C♯6 | Octave key. | E4 |
High register — the palm-key notes
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6 | Octave key · D palm key. | F4 | ||
| E♭6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key. | F♯4 | ||
| E6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E key. Alternate: Octave key · front F key · left hand 2. |
G4 | ||
| 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♭4 |
Baritone saxophone transposition, in plain terms
The baritone saxophone is in E♭, like the alto, but it sounds a full octave lower: written C5 sounds as concert E♭3, and written B♭3 — near the bottom of the chart — sounds as concert D♭2. Bari parts are the foundation of the saxophone section, and they are written in the treble clef at alto pitch, so an alto player can pick up a bari part and read it straight away; only the sound drops the octave. The "Sounds as" column in this chart gives the baritone's concert pitch for every note.
The baritone's extra note: low A
Most baritone saxophones have one key the rest of the family does not: a low A key, worked by the left thumb next to the octave key, which extends the range one note below low B♭, to written A3 (sounding as concert C2). The fingering, as both Yamaha's guide and the Woodwind Fingering Guide give it, is the low C fingering — full stack down with the right pinky on the low C key — plus the low A key. Because it exists only on the baritone, low A has no page in the shared note set; everything from B♭3 upward is fingered exactly as on the other saxophones. Bari players checking the bell notes — a "baritone sax finger chart B flat", say — will find B♭3 at the top of the table below and in full on the B♭3 note page.
Reading this baritone sax finger chart
The low register (B♭3 to C♯5) uses no octave key, and on an instrument this size the bell notes need patient air: keep the right pinky's low C key down for B♭, B, C and C♯, as both reference charts specify. From D5 the left thumb adds the octave key — the same thumb that works the low A key on this instrument, so keep the two touches separate in your mind: octave key for the second register, low A key only for the one extra note.
The other saxophone charts
- Saxophone fingering chart (all saxophones)
- Alto Saxophone fingering chart
- Tenor Saxophone fingering chart
- Soprano 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.
Baritone Saxophone fingering questions
What is the fingering for low B flat on baritone sax?
Written B♭3 is fingered with the full stack down — all six main fingers — plus the left pinky on the low B♭ key and the right pinky on the low C key. Both reference charts include the low C key in this fingering. The full diagram is on the B♭3 note page.
Does the baritone sax really have a low A?
Yes — most baritones have a low A key (a second left-thumb key) that no other saxophone has. Low A is fingered as low C plus the low A key. It sounds as concert C2. Older baritones without the key stop at low B♭, like the rest of the family.
Why does my baritone sax sound an octave below the alto?
Both are E♭ instruments, but the baritone is twice the alto’s size, so it sounds an octave lower: written C5 is concert E♭4 on alto and concert E♭3 on baritone. The written parts are interchangeable; the sound is not.
Are baritone sax fingerings the same as alto sax fingerings?
Yes, from low B♭ upward every fingering is identical across the whole saxophone family — the baritone simply adds the low A below. The alto sax fingering chart page shows this same table with alto concert pitches.
Can I print this baritone 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.