Soprano Sax Fingering Chart
Every written note on the soprano 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 soprano is a B♭ instrument: everything you play sounds a major second lower than written, so written C5 comes out as concert B♭4. The fingerings are the shared saxophone fingerings — identical on alto, tenor and baritone — and each note links to its full note page.
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 (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B♭3 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky B♭ key · right pinky C key. | A♭3 | ||
| B3 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky B key · right pinky C key. | A3 | ||
| C4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky C key. | B♭3 | ||
| C♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky C♯ key · right pinky C key. | B3 | ||
| D4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | C4 | ||
| E♭4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | D♭4 | ||
| E4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | D4 | ||
| F4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | E♭4 | ||
| F♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · alternate F♯ key. |
E4 | ||
| G4 | Left hand 1-2-3. | F4 | ||
| G♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | F♯4 | ||
| A4 | Left hand 1-2. | G4 | ||
| B♭4 | Left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Left hand 1 · bis key. |
A♭4 | ||
| B4 | Left hand 1. | A4 | ||
| C5 | Left hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1 · side C key. |
B♭4 | ||
| C♯5 | No keys pressed at all — a completely open fingering. | B4 |
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. | C5 | ||
| E♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | D♭5 | ||
| E5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | D5 | ||
| F5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | E♭5 | ||
| 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. |
E5 | ||
| G5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3. | F5 | ||
| G♯5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | F♯5 | ||
| A5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2. | G5 | ||
| B♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · bis key. |
A♭5 | ||
| B5 | Octave key · left hand 1. | A5 | ||
| C6 | Octave key · left hand 2. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · side C key. |
B♭5 | ||
| C♯6 | Octave key. | B5 |
High register — the palm-key notes
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6 | Octave key · D palm key. | C6 | ||
| E♭6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key. | D♭6 | ||
| E6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E key. Alternate: Octave key · front F key · left hand 2. |
D6 | ||
| 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. |
E♭6 |
Soprano saxophone transposition, in plain terms
The soprano saxophone is in B♭ and sounds a major second — one whole step — below the written note: written C5 sounds as concert B♭4, and the soprano's lowest written note, B♭3, sounds as concert A♭3. Of the four saxophones it sits closest to its written pitch, which is why soprano parts are sometimes read by clarinetists doubling in a band. The "Sounds as" column in this chart gives the concert pitch for every note, and the note pages list the alto, tenor and baritone pitches for the same fingering as well.
Reading this soprano sax finger chart
The fingerings are the family fingerings, but the soprano makes everything feel closer: the keys sit nearer together, the pinky table is compact, and the palm keys are small — which is why the high register (D6 to F6) rewards a light touch rather than a squeeze. The low register (B♭3 to C♯5) uses no octave key, and the four bell notes are fingered with the right pinky's low C key down as well, exactly as on the bigger saxophones. Soprano players checking a single note — a "soprano sax finger chart C", for instance — will find both Cs in the table below; middle C5, the note fingered with the left middle finger alone, is explained in full on the C5 note page.
The other saxophone charts
- Saxophone fingering chart (all saxophones)
- Alto Saxophone fingering chart
- Tenor 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.
Soprano Saxophone fingering questions
What is the fingering for middle C on soprano sax?
Written C5 — "middle C" in saxophone terms — is fingered with the left-hand middle finger alone, with no octave key. It is one of the simplest fingerings on the instrument. There is also a side-C fingering (left index finger plus the side C key) used in chromatic passages. Both are shown on the C5 note page.
Why does my soprano sax sound a step lower than the note I read?
Because the soprano is a B♭ transposing instrument sounding a major second below written pitch. Written C5 sounds as concert B♭4. The "Sounds as" column in the chart above gives the concert pitch for every note.
What is the lowest note on soprano sax?
Written B♭3, sounding as concert A♭3 — fingered with the full stack down, the left pinky on the low B♭ key and the right pinky on the low C key. A very few professional sopranos have extra keywork, but B♭ is the standard bottom note.
Are soprano sax fingerings different from alto sax fingerings?
No — all four saxophones share one fingering system, and this chart is the same table as the alto chart with soprano concert pitches. The instruments differ in size and transposition, not in which keys the fingers press.
Can I print this soprano 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.