E6 Saxophone Fingering
How to play E6 on the saxophone: Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E 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 E6 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 E6 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.
- Press the E♭ 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.
- Press the side E key with the side of your right index finger — the side keys are the levers along the right side of the upper stack.
In short: octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E key.
Alternate fingering for E6
Octave key · front F key · left hand 2.
The front-F fingering (the Woodwind Fingering Guide marks it "less stable") comes into its own in fast passages arriving from C6 and C♯6, where reaching the side E key would break the line.
About E6 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.
E6 keeps both palm keys and adds the side E key, worked by the side of the right index finger. Its front-F alternate — front F key plus left-hand finger 2 — is the version fast passages often use, because it avoids the side key entirely.
E6 is note 31 of the 32 in the full saxophone fingering chart, sitting between E♭6 below it and F6 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 E6
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 E6
What is the fingering for E6 on saxophone?
Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E key. E6 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 E6 sound like on each saxophone?
Written E6 sounds as concert G5 on alto saxophone, concert D5 on tenor, concert D6 on soprano and concert G4 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 E6?
Yes — Octave key · front F key · left hand 2. The front-F fingering (the Woodwind Fingering Guide marks it "less stable") comes into its own in fast passages arriving from C6 and C♯6, where reaching the side E key would break the line.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.