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NoteAtlas

C5 on the Tenor Saxophone

To play C5 on tenor sax: Left hand: 2.

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: open1Bis key: openbisLeft middle key: pressed2Left ring key: open3Side E key: openESide C key: openCSide B♭ key: openB♭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
C5
Left hand: 2
Written
C5
Sounds
B♭3
C5 on the treble staff

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

Press or cover
  • Left middle key
Tip · C5

C5 can feel airy on tenor; keep the throat open and the air fast rather than pinching to find the center. Sounds concert B♭3, the band's tuning note an octave down.

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♯
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Speed72BPM
Tip · C5

C5 can feel airy on tenor; keep the throat open and the air fast rather than pinching to find the center. Sounds concert B♭3, the band's tuning note an octave down.

Sound and display

Next moves

Previous noteB4Left hand: 1Next noteC♯5Open: no keys pressedFull chartAll 33 tenor sax notesThe whole fingering chartScaleConcert B♭ majorWritten C major, fingering under every noteTrainerNote trainerRead treble clef notesPrintPrintable PDFLetter · A4 · blank

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Alternate fingerings for C5

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

C5 is written C5 and sounds concert B♭3.

Left middle finger alone, index up — the finger swap that catches every beginner. C5 can feel airy on tenor; keep the throat open and the air fast rather than pinching to find the center. Sounds concert B♭3, the band's tuning note an octave down.

  • Primary fingering: Left middle key
  • Written pitch: C5 · Concert pitch: B♭3
  • Sounding frequency: 233.08 Hz

What to press, key by key

  • Left middle key

Alternate fingerings for C5

  • 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.

Questions

How do you play C5 on tenor sax?

To play C5 on tenor sax: Left hand: 2. C5 is written C5 and sounds concert B♭3. Press: Left middle key.

Is C5 written or concert pitch?

The name on this page is the written note you read. On B♭ tenor sax it sounds concert B♭3.

Is there another fingering for C5?

Side C (left index + side C key): In chromatic passages and B–C trills, where it avoids swapping the left index for the middle finger.

Tenor 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.