Alto Saxophone
Low B♭ on the Alto Saxophone
Written B♭3 — sounds concert D♭3. Tap the diagram to hear it.
The lowest note on the horn: all six fingers, the left-pinky B♭ paddle, and the right pinky still holding the low C key. It answers to warm, unhurried air and a loose jaw — squeezing the reed makes it honk or jump up an octave. A pad leaking anywhere down the bell will kill this note before any other, so it doubles as a quick health check on the instrument.
About this note
The lowest note on the horn: all six fingers, the left-pinky B♭ paddle, and the right pinky still holding the low C key. It answers to warm, unhurried air and a loose jaw — squeezing the reed makes it honk or jump up an octave. A pad leaking anywhere down the bell will kill this note before any other, so it doubles as a quick health check on the instrument.
- Primary fingering: Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key + Left pinky low B♭ key + Right pinky low C key
- Written pitch: B♭3 · Concert pitch: D♭3
- Sounding frequency: 138.59 Hz
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.