Tenor Sax Fingering Chart

Tap a note to see which keys to press and hear it. Gold (filled) = press the key or cover the hole; half filled = cover half. 33 notes from Low B♭ (B♭3) to High F♯ (F♯6).

Note page

Now showingBeginner note

Low CC4

Left hand: 1, 2, 3 · Right hand: 4, 5, 6 + right little-finger low C key

Written: C4
Sounds: B♭2

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

Press or cover

Left index key
Left middle key
Left ring key
Right index key
Right middle key
Right ring key
Right pinky low C key

Tip · Low C

All six main fingers down, plus your right little finger on the low C key. This is the band's tuning note on tenor. Start it with a soft “doo” and keep the air moving all the way through the note. More about Low C

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Tip · Low C

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Next noteLow C♯Left hand: 1, 2, 3 · Right hand: 4, 5, 6 + left little-finger low C♯ key, right little-finger low C key Top noteHigh F♯ on Tenor SaxWritten F♯6 ScaleConcert B♭ majorWritten C major, fingering under every note TrainerNote trainerRead treble clef notes PrintPrintable PDFLetter · A4 · blank

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Full tenor sax fingering chart — all notes

The complete standard range, written low B♭3 to F♯6, chromatically. Written notes are what you read; the concert column is what a B♭ tenor actually sounds.

Gold (filled): pressed or coveredOpenHas an alternate fingering

Every note has its own page

The same chart, written out

Every fingering in words: handy for copying into lesson notes, and it reads aloud properly on a screen reader.

Complete Tenor Saxophone fingering chart: every written note with its fingering and concert pitch
Written note	Sounds (concert)	Fingering	Beginner
Low B♭ (B♭3)	A♭2	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	—
Low B (B3)	A2	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	—
Low C (C4)	B♭2	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key + Right pinky low C key	Yes
Low C♯ (C♯4)	B2	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key + Left pinky low C♯ key + Right pinky low C key	—
Low D (D4)	C3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key	Yes
Low E♭ (E♭4)	D♭3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key + Right pinky low E♭ key	—
Low E (E4)	D3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key	Yes
Low F (F4)	E♭3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key	Yes
Low F♯ (F♯4)	E3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right middle key	Yes
G4	F3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key	Yes
G♯4	F♯3	Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Left pinky G♯ key	—
A4	G3	Left index key + Left middle key	Yes
B♭4	A♭3	Left index key + Left middle key + Side B♭ key	Yes
B4	A3	Left index key	Yes
C5	B♭3	Left middle key	Yes
C♯5	B3		Yes
D5	C4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key	Yes
E♭5	D♭4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key + Right pinky low E♭ key	—
E5	D4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key	Yes
F5	E♭4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key	Yes
F♯5	E4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right middle key	Yes
G5	F4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key	Yes
G♯5	F♯4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Left pinky G♯ key	—
A5	G4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key	—
B♭5	A♭4	Octave key + Left index key + Left middle key + Side B♭ key	—
B5	A4	Octave key + Left index key	—
C6	B♭4	Octave key + Left middle key	—
C♯6	B4	Octave key	—
High D (D6)	C5	Octave key + Palm D key	—
High E♭ (E♭6)	D♭5	Octave key + Palm D key + Palm E♭ key	—
High E (E6)	D5	Octave key + Palm D key + Palm E♭ key + Side E key	—
High F (F6)	E♭5	Octave key + Palm D key + Palm E♭ key + Palm F key + Side E key	—
High F♯ (F♯6)	E5	Octave key + Palm D key + Palm E♭ key + Palm F key + Side E key + High F♯ key	—

Every note on the B♭ tenor saxophone from low B♭ to high F♯: tap one to see the keys, hear the pitch and check what it sounds in concert pitch. The fingerings are the same as every other saxophone; the concert pitches are the tenor’s own.

How to read this chart

Filled circles are pressed, open circles are not. The diagram runs top to bottom the way the horn hangs: the octave key at the top on the back for the left thumb, the left hand’s three pearls down the center with the small bis key between the first two, then the right hand’s three. Palm keys (D, E♭, F) sit to the left for the heel of the left hand; side keys (E, C, B♭) sit to the right for the right index knuckle; the little-finger clusters are in the bottom corners.

Two conventions to know: the right-hand low C key stays down for low C♯, low C, low B and low B♭ while the left pinky selects which sounds, and the G♯ and low E♭ keys open a pad rather than closing one, so adding those fingers raises the pitch.

Written vs concert pitch on a B♭ tenor

The tenor saxophone is a B♭ instrument sounding a major ninth below what is written: written C5 sounds concert B♭3, the band’s tuning note. Every note in the chart above shows both pitches, and the play button sounds the concert pitch — what a listener actually hears.

In practice: when the director calls a “concert B♭ scale”, a tenor player reads a C scale, exactly as the trumpets and clarinets do — but the tenor sounds it an octave below them. Written D5 sounds middle C; written A4 sounds concert G3.

Tenor and alto: same fingers, different key

Every saxophone is one design at different sizes, so the fingerings on this page are identical to the alto sax chart and to soprano and baritone too. A player who moves from alto to tenor has nothing new to learn in the fingers. What changes is the transposition — alto and baritone are in E♭, tenor and soprano in B♭ — and the feel: the tenor’s pearls sit further apart, its bottom notes need slower, warmer air, and its palm-key notes run sharp in the same way but with more weight behind them.

Ranges

Tenor Sax registers

Low registerB♭3–C♯5

No octave key. The low little-finger (pinky) keys add the bottom notes.

Octave key registerD5–C♯6

The same fingers as the low register with the octave key added.

Palm keysD6–F♯6

High D and up, played with the left palm keys and the front F key.

For when the standard one is awkward

Alternate tenor saxophone fingerings

Alternates aren’t “better” fingerings: each one earns its place in a specific musical situation, like tuning or a fast passage. The standard fingering is always shown first. Tap one to show it on the chart above; each alternate has its own link to send.

StandardStandard
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♭. Show it big
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. Show it big
StandardStandard
Side C (left index + side C key) (Left index key + Side C key) — In chromatic passages and B–C trills, where it avoids swapping the left index for the middle finger. Show it big
StandardStandard
Bis B♭ (left index on the B and bis keys) (Octave key + Left index key + Bis key) — In flat-key passages with no neighboring B natural, and when the right hand needs to stay free. Show it big
One-and-one B♭ (left index + right index) (Octave key + Left index key + Right index key) — When the B♭ is approached from or resolved to F5. Show it big
StandardStandard
Side C (left index + side C key) (Octave key + Left index key + Side C key) — In chromatic passages and B–C trills in the upper register. Show it big
StandardStandard
C♯6 with the right hand down (Octave key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key) — To steady and darken a note that is otherwise thin and unstable, especially on long or exposed C♯s. Show it big
StandardStandard
Front (fork) E (Octave key + Front F key + Left middle key + Left ring key) — When approaching from C6 or C♯6, or when the surrounding line already uses front F. Less stable than the palm-key fingering. Show it big
StandardStandard
Front (fork) F (Octave key + Front F key + Left middle key) — In F arpeggios, when coming from C6, and as the standard launch fingering for altissimo. Slightly less stable in tone than the palm-key F. Show it big
StandardStandard
Fork (front) F♯ (Octave key + Front F key + Left middle key + High F♯ key) — When the line already uses front F, and when moving on into altissimo G and above. Show it big

Common tenor sax fingering mistakes

Playing F♯ with the right index finger. F♯ is a fork: left hand down, right index up, right middle finger alone. Most tenors also carry an alternate F♯ key beside the right ring finger for fast chromatic runs.
Biting for the low notes. A tenor’s low B♭, B and C want slower, warmer air and a dropped jaw. Pinching the reed makes them honk or jump up an octave.
Lifting the right pinky off the horn. Slide it between the low E♭ and low C keys instead; a floating pinky is why E♭–D and the whole bottom register refuse to connect.
Brushing the octave key. If low D or E keeps cracking up an octave, the left thumb is touching the octave key. Rest the thumb flat and move only the tip when you cross the break.

Frequently asked questions

Are tenor sax fingerings the same as alto?

Yes, exactly the same. Every saxophone — soprano, alto, tenor and baritone — has the same keywork in the same places, so a fingering learned on one works on all of them. What changes is the sounding pitch: the tenor is in B♭ and the alto in E♭, so the same written G sounds F on tenor and B♭ on alto. This chart shows the tenor's concert pitches beside every written note.

What does a tenor sax sound when I play written C?

Concert B♭, a major ninth (an octave plus a whole step, or tone) below the written note. Written C5 sounds B♭3 — the concert-band tuning note — which is why the tenor reads a C when the director asks for concert B♭, just as the trumpet and clarinet do, but an octave lower than they sound.

Why is my low B♭ so hard on tenor?

Low B♭ needs every finger, the left-pinky B♭ paddle and the right pinky holding the low C key, and then it needs slow, warm air with a relaxed jaw — a tenor's long tube speaks late if you rush it or bite. If it will not sound at all the horn is usually to blame: the bottom notes are the first to die from a leaking pad or a bent bell key.

Which B♭ fingering should I use?

Side B♭ (left index and middle plus the side key) is the default because it moves cleanly to both A and B natural. Bis B♭ — the left index finger rolled onto the small bis pearl — is the easiest in flat keys where no B natural is nearby, and the one-and-one (left index plus right index) suits passages around F. All three are in the chart; select B♭4 and switch between Standard and the Alt buttons.

Can I print this free?

Yes. The printable tenor sax chart comes as Letter and A4 PDFs generated from the same data as this interactive chart, and downloads in one click — no email address, no watermark.

Labeled Tenor Saxophone fingering chart diagram showing written C4 (Low C): Left index key + Left middle key + Left ring key + Right index key + Right middle key + Right ring key + Right pinky low C key.

Tenor Saxophone fingering chart: Low B♭ — How to play Low B♭ (written B♭3) on the Tenor Saxophone: 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.

Tenor Saxophone fingering chart: High F♯ — How to play High F♯ (written F♯6) on the Tenor Saxophone: Octave key + Palm D key + Palm E♭ key + Palm F key + Side E key + High F♯ key.

Tenor Saxophone fingering data last updated 8 September 2026. Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.