Saxophone fingering chart: beginner notes and full reference

Alto, tenor, and bari saxophone all use the same fingerings for the same written notes, so one chart works for all three. This page covers written notes from low B♭ (low A on bari) to high F, with the usual fingerings and a few common alternates. Every note name here is a written note, the one in your saxophone music. Look up a note below, or start with the beginner chart if you're new.

Beginner chart: the first notes

These are notes many band books teach first. Tap a note or fingering to hear a short example of its pitch. Notes with the + octave key tag add the left thumb on the octave key.

Left hand

Add the right hand

With the octave key

Practice these fingerings in Woodwind Trainer, already set to alto sax and the beginner notes.

How to read this chart

Each diagram is the saxophone seen from the front. A filled key is pressed; an open one isn't. The octave key is drawn on the left, where your thumb is. Tap a group below to see where those keys are on your saxophone.

When to add the octave key

With the usual fingerings, use the octave key for D on the 4th line and the notes above it, up to high F. Up to the C♯ above the staff, the fingers are the same as the note an octave lower. C♯ in the third space is the last note without it: no fingers and no octave key. The C♯ above the staff is the same, plus the octave key.

Switching from C♯ to D is tricky: every finger and the thumb move at once. See the saxophone octave key for how to make it smooth, and for other C♯ fingerings some players use for tuning or tone.

Full saxophone fingering chart

Each written note from low B♭ (low A on bari) to high F, grouped by range, with its usual fingering. The printable chart linked at the end goes higher and shows more alternates.

Low notes

Middle notes

Upper notes

Palm keys

Alternate fingerings

Some notes have more than one fingering. Each is meant to sound the same note, so choose by the notes around it: pick the one that keeps your fingers moving least. For example, side B♭ makes A, B♭, A smooth, and bis B♭ is easy coming from G. The chart above shows side B♭ on alto, tenor, and bari. Bis B♭ and 1 and 1 B♭ are also correct, so use whichever fits the music. Start with these:

Written notes and sounding pitch

Every note name on this page is a written note, the one in your saxophone music. Saxophones are transposing instruments, so each one sounds a different concert pitch for the same written note. That's why a tuner or piano can show a different letter.

For why, and how to find your concert note, see concert pitch or use the transposer.

Common fingering mistakes

• Thumb resting on the octave key. Low notes jump up an octave. Keep the thumb on the rest below it.
• Pressing the bis key by accident. B turns into B♭. Keep left 1 on its own pearl.
• Octave key on C♯. C♯ in the third space uses no octave key. With no fingers down, adding it gives you the C♯ an octave higher.
• Bumping palm or side keys. You can get a squeak or a wrong note. Keep your hands relaxed and fingers on the pearls.
• Pinky keys not all the way down. Low notes can squeak or not start. Press them all the way, and keep the other keys for the note fully closed.

Practice these fingerings

In Woodwind Trainer, you see a note and build its fingering, with the beginner notes from this page on your saxophone. Once those are solid, switch to the full range, from the low pinky notes to the palm keys. Then work on your tone with how to get a better sound on saxophone.

For the printable chart, which goes higher than high F and shows more alternates, see the alto sax fingering chart. You can choose what it shows and print it for your folder.