Scale sheets

Alto Sax minor scales

All 12 minor scales (natural, harmonic, or melodic) for alto sax, one octave up and back down and the arpeggio, named by concert pitch and written in your part's key, with the fingering under every note. Pick the keys you want, or print all 12.
Scales
Range
Minor form
Show
Keys to show and print (concert minor)
Spelling (your written key)
Concert B minor
Concert F♯ minor
Concert C♯ minor

The diagram under each note is its fingering. Filled keys are pressed.

Concert A natural minor

Written F♯ natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44F♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯EDC♯BAG♯F♯AC♯F♯C♯AF♯

Concert D natural minor

Written B natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44BC♯DEF♯GABAGF♯EDC♯BDF♯BF♯DB

Concert G natural minor

Written E natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44EF♯GABCDEDCBAGF♯EGBEBGE

Concert C natural minor

Written A natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44ABCDEFGAGFEDCBACEAECA

Concert F natural minor

Written D natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44DEFGAB♭CDCB♭AGFEDFADAFD

Concert B♭ natural minor

Written G natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44GAB♭CDE♭FGFE♭DCB♭AGB♭DGDB♭G

Concert E♭ natural minor

Written C natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44CDE♭FGA♭B♭CB♭A♭GFE♭DCE♭GCGE♭C

Concert E natural minor

Written C♯ natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44C♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯BAG♯F♯ED♯C♯EG♯C♯G♯EC♯

Concert B natural minor

Written G♯ natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯G♯F♯ED♯C♯BA♯G♯BD♯G♯D♯BG♯

Concert F♯ natural minor

Written D♯ natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯C♯BA♯G♯F♯E♯D♯F♯A♯D♯A♯F♯D♯

Concert C♯ natural minor

Written B♭ natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭A♭G♭FE♭D♭CB♭D♭FB♭FD♭B♭

Concert G♯ natural minor

Written F natural minor
Tap a note to hear it
44FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FE♭D♭CB♭A♭GFA♭CFCA♭F
About scale sheets

How each scale is laid out

Each measure of the scale starts with a quarter note on beat one, then eighth notes, up and back down. The arpeggio follows in triplets, and the scale ends on a whole note. With 2 octaves on, a scale that would go past the range on this sheet is printed in one octave and marked "1 octave".

Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor

Natural minor uses only the notes in its key signature. Harmonic minor raises the 7th note, going up and coming down. Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th going up, then comes down as natural minor. Coming down, the 6th and 7th each have a courtesy accidental, a reminder that they're back to the notes in the key signature. Each minor scale shares its key signature with a major scale: A minor with C major, D minor with F major, and so on.

Keys with two names

D♭ and C♯ major sound the same, and so do G♭ and F♯, and B and C♭ (and their relative minors). Use the spelling buttons to print the one your music uses.

Concert pitch and your written key

Band directors name scales by concert pitch, so the whole band plays the same notes together. The alto sax is a transposing instrument: concert B♭ is written as G for you. Each scale is titled by its concert name, with your written key beside it.

Practicing scales

Use a metronome. Start slow enough to play every note clean and in tune, and speed up only once you can play the scale twice in a row without a mistake. Say or think the note names as you play, and learn the fingerings with them, so both are automatic by the time the scale is fast.

Practice them

Play each scale up and back down in the Woodwind Trainer: pick alto sax, then Scales. It checks every fingering, and you can play into your microphone.