D6 Saxophone Fingering
How to play D6 on the saxophone: Octave key · D palm key. This fingering is the same on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone — only the sounding pitch differs.
Filled keys in the diagram are the ones you press. The small key marked "Oct" is the octave key, worked by the left thumb; the three keys at the top right are the palm keys; the three small keys down the right side are the side keys; and the clusters at the bottom are the pinky keys.
Hear D6 and try the fingering
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.
The D6 fingering, step by step
- Press the octave key with your left thumb — it stays down for the whole middle and high registers.
- Press the D palm key with the palm side of your left hand — the palm keys sit beside the upper stack and are worked by the base of the left index finger and the edge of the palm, not by a fingertip.
In short: octave key · D palm key.
About D6 on the saxophone
The high register leaves the main stack behind. These four notes are played with the palm keys under the left hand (with the side E key helping E6 and F6), and they need focused air and a stable embouchure rather than more finger strength.
D6 is the first palm-key note: the stack is abandoned, the octave key stays down, and the left palm takes over with the D palm key. Every note from here up is built from palm keys rather than the main stack.
D6 is note 29 of the 32 in the full saxophone fingering chart, sitting between C♯6 below it and E♭6 above it. The same fingering serves the whole family — see it with each instrument’s own concert pitches on the alto sax, tenor sax, soprano sax and baritone sax chart pages. Like every fingering on this site, it was checked against Yamaha’s official chart and the Woodwind Fingering Guide before publishing.
Practising D6
Palm-key notes need the palm keys pressed by the base of the fingers and the edge of the palm — keep your fingers off the main stack entirely, support with fast air, and practise these notes in short bursts so the embouchure stays fresh.
Questions about D6
What is the fingering for D6 on saxophone?
Octave key · D palm key. D6 is a high register note, fingered identically on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone. The full step-by-step is on this page, and you can hear the note with the Fingering Finder.
What does D6 sound like on each saxophone?
Written D6 sounds as concert F5 on alto saxophone, concert C5 on tenor, concert C6 on soprano and concert F4 on baritone. The alto and baritone are E♭ instruments; the tenor and soprano are B♭ instruments — the fingering is the same on all four, only the sounding pitch changes.
Is there an alternate fingering for D6?
For D6, the fingering above is the one to learn. It is the basic fingering both reference charts give for this note, and the one teachers expect to see.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.