Tenor Sax Fingering Chart
Every written note on the tenor 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 tenor is a B♭ instrument: everything you play sounds a major ninth lower than written, so written C5 comes out as concert B♭3. The fingerings are the shared saxophone fingerings — identical on alto, soprano 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♭2 | ||
| B3 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky B key · right pinky C key. | A2 | ||
| C4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky C key. | B♭2 | ||
| C♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · left pinky C♯ key · right pinky C key. | B2 | ||
| D4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3. | C3 | ||
| E♭4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | D♭3 | ||
| E4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | D3 | ||
| F4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | E♭3 | ||
| F♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1 · alternate F♯ key. |
E3 | ||
| G4 | Left hand 1-2-3. | F3 | ||
| G♯4 | Left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | F♯3 | ||
| A4 | Left hand 1-2. | G3 | ||
| B♭4 | Left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Left hand 1 · bis key. |
A♭3 | ||
| B4 | Left hand 1. | A3 | ||
| C5 | Left hand 2. Alternate: Left hand 1 · side C key. |
B♭3 | ||
| C♯5 | No keys pressed at all — a completely open fingering. | B3 |
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. | C4 | ||
| E♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2-3 · right pinky E♭ key. | D♭4 | ||
| E5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1-2. | D4 | ||
| F5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · right hand 1. | E♭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. |
E4 | ||
| G5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3. | F4 | ||
| G♯5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2-3 · left pinky G♯ key. | F♯4 | ||
| A5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2. | G4 | ||
| B♭5 | Octave key · left hand 1-2 · side B♭ key. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · bis key. |
A♭4 | ||
| B5 | Octave key · left hand 1. | A4 | ||
| C6 | Octave key · left hand 2. Alternate: Octave key · left hand 1 · side C key. |
B♭4 | ||
| C♯6 | Octave key. | B4 |
High register — the palm-key notes
| Note | On the staff | Fingering | In words | Sounds as (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6 | Octave key · D palm key. | C5 | ||
| E♭6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key. | D♭5 | ||
| E6 | Octave key · D palm key + E♭ palm key · side E key. Alternate: Octave key · front F key · left hand 2. |
D5 | ||
| 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♭5 |
Tenor saxophone transposition, in plain terms
The tenor saxophone is in B♭, and it sounds a major ninth — an octave plus a whole step — below the written note. Written C5 sounds as concert B♭3; written B♭3, the tenor's lowest note, sounds as concert A♭2. That is why tenor parts sit in sharp-friendly written keys while the band plays in flats: when the band is in concert B♭, the tenor reads in C. The "Sounds as" column in this chart gives the concert pitch for every written note, and each note page also lists the alto, soprano and baritone pitches for the same fingering.
Reading this tenor sax finger chart
The low register (B♭3 to C♯5) uses no octave key — the tenor's big bell notes need slow, steady air and the full pinky cluster: B♭, B, C and C♯ are all fingered with the right pinky's low C key down as well as the left pinky's bell key, exactly as both reference charts give them. From D5 the left thumb adds the octave key, and the top four notes (D6 to F6) are palm-key notes. Tenor players looking up a single note — a "tenor sax finger chart F sharp", say — will find F♯ in both octaves in the table below, each with its chromatic alternate fingering explained on the F♯5 note page.
The other saxophone charts
- Saxophone fingering chart (all saxophones)
- Alto 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.
Tenor Saxophone fingering questions
What is the fingering for F sharp on tenor sax?
In both octaves, F♯ is fingered 1-2-3 in the left hand and just the third finger in the right hand — the right hand swaps its first finger for its third compared with F natural. There is also a chromatic F♯ fingering (right-hand first finger plus the alternate F♯ key) for passages moving quickly between F and F♯. Both are shown on the F♯4 and F♯5 note pages.
Why does my tenor sax sound so much lower than the note I read?
Because the tenor is a B♭ transposing instrument that sounds a major ninth below written pitch — more than an octave. Written C5 sounds as concert B♭3. The "Sounds as" column in the chart above converts every note, which is the column to use when playing with a piano or reading a concert-pitch score.
What is the lowest note on tenor sax?
Written B♭3, sounding as concert A♭2 — fingered with the full stack down, the left pinky on the low B♭ key and the right pinky on the low C key. Standard tenors have no low A key; that extra note belongs to the baritone.
Are tenor sax fingerings the same as alto sax fingerings?
Yes — every saxophone uses the same fingerings. Only the sounding pitch differs: the tenor sounds a major ninth below written, the alto a major sixth below. The alto sax fingering chart page shows this same table with alto concert pitches.
Can I print this tenor 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.