Skip to content
NoteAtlas

B♭4 on the Alto Saxophone

To play B♭4 on alto sax: Left hand: 1, 2 + side B♭ key.

Full chart
BackPalm keysLeft handSide keysL pinky tableRight handR pinkyOctave key: openOctFront F key: openfFPalm D key: openDPalm E♭ key: openE♭Palm F key: openFLeft index key: pressed1Bis key: openbisLeft middle key: pressed2Left ring key: open3Side E key: openESide C key: openCSide B♭ key: pressedB♭Left pinky G♯ key: openG♯Left pinky low C♯ key: openC♯Left pinky low B key: openBLeft pinky low B♭ key: openB♭Right index key: open4Right middle key: open5Right ring key: open6High F♯ key: openF♯Right pinky low E♭ key: openE♭Right pinky low C key: openC
Now showingBeginner note
B♭4
Left hand: 1, 2 + side B♭ key
Written
B♭4
Sounds
D♭4
B♭4 on the treble staff

Play along: hear the note for 2 beats, then you play it for 2.

Press or cover
  • Left index key
  • Left middle key
  • Side B♭ key
Tip · B♭4

Two other B♭s are in constant use — the one-finger bis and the "one-and-one" — and choosing between them by context is what makes flat keys and chromatic runs feel easy.

B♭3Low B♭B3Low BC4Low CC♯4Low C♯D4Low DE♭4Low E♭E4Low EF4Low FF♯4Low F♯G4G♯4A4B♭4B4C5C♯5D5E♭5E5F5F♯5G5G♯5A5B♭5B5C6C♯6D6High DE♭6High E♭E6High EF6High FF♯6High F♯
Practice this
Speed72BPM
Tip · B♭4

Two other B♭s are in constant use — the one-finger bis and the "one-and-one" — and choosing between them by context is what makes flat keys and chromatic runs feel easy.

Sound and display

Next moves

Previous noteA4Left hand: 1, 2Next noteB4Left hand: 1Full chartAll 33 alto sax notesThe whole fingering chartScaleConcert B♭ majorWritten G major, fingering under every noteTrainerNote trainerRead treble clef notesPrintPrintable PDFLetter · A4 · blank

Teaching a class? Class mode keeps Stand mode and Test me on the notes your class is learning.

Alternate fingerings for B♭4

Each alternate has its own link. Send it to a student and the page opens with that fingering on the big diagram.

More for advanced players

Written and sounding pitch, and how the note works

About this note

B♭4 is written B♭4 and sounds concert D♭4.

The standard modern B♭ is left index and middle fingers with the side B♭ key pressed by the knuckle of the right index finger; it moves cleanly to both A and B natural. Two other B♭s are in constant use — the one-finger bis and the "one-and-one" — and choosing between them by context is what makes flat keys and chromatic runs feel easy.

  • Primary fingering: Left index key + Left middle key + Side B♭ key
  • Written pitch: B♭4 · Concert pitch: D♭4
  • Sounding frequency: 277.18 Hz

What to press, key by key

  • Left index key
  • Left middle key
  • Side B♭ key

Alternate fingerings for B♭4

  • Bis B♭ (left index on the B and bis keys): Left index key + Bis key. In flat keys — B♭, E♭ and A♭ major — where the passage has no B natural next to the B♭.
  • One-and-one B♭ (left index + right index): Left index key + Right index key. When the B♭ is next to F, so the right index finger is already down and only the middle and ring fingers move.

Questions

How do you play B♭4 on alto sax?

To play B♭4 on alto sax: Left hand: 1, 2 + side B♭ key. B♭4 is written B♭4 and sounds concert D♭4. Press: Left index key, Left middle key, Side B♭ key.

Is B♭4 written or concert pitch?

The name on this page is the written note you read. On E♭ alto sax it sounds concert D♭4.

Is there another fingering for B♭4?

Bis B♭ (left index on the B and bis keys): In flat keys — B♭, E♭ and A♭ major — where the passage has no B natural next to the B♭. One-and-one B♭ (left index + right index): When the B♭ is next to F, so the right index finger is already down and only the middle and ring fingers move.

Alto Saxophone fingering data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.