F6 Saxophone Fingering
How to play F6 on the saxophone: Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key + F 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 F6 and try the fingering
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The F6 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 F 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 + F palm key · side E key.
Alternate fingering for F6
Octave key · front F key · left hand 2-3.
The front-F fingering (the Woodwind Fingering Guide marks it "less stable") slurs smoothly up from C6 in fast passages. For held notes, the palm-key fingering above is steadier and better in tune.
About F6 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.
F6 is the top of the standard saxophone range: all three palm keys plus the side E key. Its front-F alternate (front F with left-hand fingers 2 and 3) is there for speed. Notes above F6 are altissimo fingerings, which vary from player to player and are outside the standard charts.
F6 is note 32 of the 32 in the full saxophone fingering chart, sitting between E6 below 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 F6
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 F6
What is the fingering for F6 on saxophone?
Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key + F palm key · side E key. F6 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 F6 sound like on each saxophone?
Written F6 sounds as concert A♭5 on alto saxophone, concert E♭5 on tenor, concert E♭6 on soprano and concert A♭4 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 F6?
Yes — Octave key · front F key · left hand 2-3. The front-F fingering (the Woodwind Fingering Guide marks it "less stable") slurs smoothly up from C6 in fast passages. For held notes, the palm-key fingering above is steadier and better in tune.
Think this fingering is wrong? Report it — every report is checked against the source charts.