Saxophone Fingering Chart
Every written note on the saxophone, from low B♭3 to high F6 — with a fingering diagram, the fingering written out in words, and the sound of each note. All four saxophones — soprano, alto, tenor and baritone — use exactly the same fingerings; what differs is the pitch that comes out, because each size of saxophone transposes differently. This hub chart shows the concert pitch for alto saxophone; each saxophone also has its own chart page below with its own concert pitches.
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 on alto sax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 on alto sax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 on alto sax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
One set of fingerings for the whole saxophone family
The saxophone is a family, not a single instrument: the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone are built to the same key system at four sizes, and a fingering learned on one works unchanged on the others. That is why this site keeps one shared set of 32 note pages for the whole family instead of printing the same pages four times. What changes between the instruments is transposition. The alto and baritone are E♭ instruments — written C sounds as concert E♭ — while the tenor and soprano are B♭ instruments, sounding a major second (soprano) or a major ninth (tenor) below the written note. Each note page lists the concert pitch for all four instruments, and each instrument has its own chart page: alto sax fingering chart, tenor sax fingering chart, soprano sax fingering chart and baritone sax fingering chart.
How the saxophone's registers work
The low register (B♭3 to C♯5) is played without the octave key: the six main fingers work down the stack in a simple ladder, and the lowest four notes add pinky keys — including the right pinky's low C key, which both reference charts include in the B♭, B, C and C♯ fingerings and beginners often leave out. From D5 the left thumb adds the octave key, and the middle register mostly repeats the low fingerings an octave up. The high register (D6 to F6) leaves the stack behind and is played with the palm keys under the left hand, with the side E key joining for E6 and F6 — the two notes that also have front-F alternates for fast passages.
The three B♭ fingerings — learn all of them, in order
B♭ is the one note with three standard fingerings, and each exists for a reason. The side B♭ (shown as the main fingering here) works in any passage. The bis B♭ — left index finger covering the B key and the small bis key together — is the fastest in flat keys with no B natural nearby. The one-and-four B♭ (left 1, right 1) suits passages moving between B♭ and F. The note pages show the side and bis fingerings with diagrams and explain where the one-and-four fits.
The other saxophone charts
- Alto Saxophone fingering chart
- 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.
Saxophone fingering questions
How many notes are in this saxophone fingering chart?
Thirty-two — the complete standard written range shared by all saxophones, from low B♭3 to high F6. Many baritone saxophones have one extra key for a low A below the B♭; that note is covered on the baritone sax fingering chart page.
Do alto, tenor, soprano and baritone saxophones really use the same fingerings?
Yes — note for note. The four instruments are built to the same key system at different sizes, so a fingering learned on alto works unchanged on tenor, soprano or baritone. What differs is the pitch that sounds: the alto and baritone are E♭ instruments, the tenor and soprano are B♭ instruments, so the same written note produces four different concert pitches. Every note page on this site lists all four.
Why does the low B♭ fingering include the low C key?
Because that is how both reference charts — Yamaha’s official chart and the Woodwind Fingering Guide — give it: low B♭, low B, low C and low C♯ are all fingered with the full stack down and the right pinky on the low C key, with the left pinky choosing which bell key to add. Leaving the low C key out is a common beginner habit that makes the lowest notes speak badly.
Which B♭ fingering should I learn first?
The side B♭ — it is the basic fingering in the reference charts and it works in every passage. Add the bis fingering next for flat-key passages, and the one-and-four fingering when your music moves between B♭ and F. All three are shown and explained on the B♭ note pages.
Can I print this 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.