Fingering for Alto Saxophone

Low Fingering
C on a Bb saxophone (tenor/soprano) is a Bb on piano.
C on an Eb saxophone (alto/bari) is Eb on a piano.
C# and Db are enharmonic e!i"alents # the$%re &ritten differentl$' b!t
so!nd the same.
D is !s!all$ (!st &ritten as )D%' technicall$ it co!ld be E do!ble flat or C
do!ble sharp' b!t generall$ not.
*o& Eb and D# on the saxophone.
E is generall$ +no&n as )E%' b!t E and F are a half step apart and $o!%ll
occasionall$ see Fb.
F is also commonl$ +no&n as )F%' occasionall$ $o!%ll see it as E#.
Middle Fingering
*o& F# has t&o possible fingerings on saxophone' b!t the first so!nds a
lot better. ,he other one sho!ld onl$ be !sed if it ma+es $o!r exec!tion
of the m!sic cleaner. For faster tempos' it becomes more !sef!l and the
so!nd that isn%t !ite as good becomes less noticeable.
- on the staff on saxophone is act!all$ one of the easier notes to pla$.
,he &hole middle change comes o!t a little easier than the "er$ lo& or
"er$ high notes.
Ab or -# has
a lot of
options. ,here%s the main -# +e$' b!t $o! can !se an$ of those table
+e$s in its place. .a+es going bet&een the lo& notes and -#/Ab a bit
easier.
A is +no&n as )A%' the notes - do!ble sharp and B do!ble flat &o!ld
so!nd the same' b!t the$%re not too common.
Bb on saxophone has a n!mber of possible fingerings. /e tend to fa"or
one or the other' b!t ha"ing fac!lt$ o"er all of them &ill ma+e $o!r
pla$ing more smooth.
B on the staff or )middle B% for saxophone.
/hen $o! pla$ )C% on saxophone' on piano it%s Bb for tenor/soprano and
Eb for alto/bari.
C# and Db are both commonl$ &ritten in m!sic.
D can be a bit st!ff$ on saxophone0. so be a&are and sometimes also
!sing the D palm +e$ can help ma+e it more clear.
Adding this one +e$ to go !p a half step from D ma+es Eb a lot less st!ff$
on saxophone for some reason0..
1!st one &a$ to pla$ middle E on saxophone' not exciting alternates
here.
High (top of staff and up):
,he F top of the staff. 2ere%s ho& to pla$ it on sax.
An octa"e belo& the top of the normal range of Saxophone3
- on tenor/soprano is concert F and - on alto/bari is concert Bb # &hich
is often !sed as a t!ning note.
-ot a fe& possibilities here3 B!t generall$ the reg!lar one is fine.
A abo"e the staff on sax.
*i+e an octa"e belo&' this Bb on sax has a fe& possibilities.
B abo"e the staff on sax. 1!st one fingering here.
4ne main fingering and an alternate for C on sax' li+e an octa"e belo&
b!t &ith the octa"e +e$.
4ne fingering here' onl$ +e$ pressed on the saxophone is the octa"e +e$.
,he first note on saxophone that !ses the palm +e$s.
,he transition from high Eb to high F on sax is diffic!lt to exec!te cleanl$
!sing the reg!lar F fingering &ith the palm +e$s' so $o! !s!all$ &ant to
go from Eb to F !sing the alternate fingering for F.
Dealing &ith the palm +e$s can seem !ncomfortable' especiall$ at first.
4ne reason is that &e don%t pla$ the extreme ends of the saxophone all
that m!ch. 1!st practice slo&l$ and things &ill get better.
,&o options' depending on context $o! pic+. Both so!nd fine on sax.
,&o options for high F# on saxophone. 4ne !ses the )high F# +e$% and
the other doesn%t. 5f $o!r saxophone doesn%t ha"e a high F# +e$0.
$o!%"e got one option' b!t it &or+s fine' so don%t &orr$ abo!t it.