Alto Sax Chromatic Scale Finger Chart

The entire scale of all twelve notes in an octave for the alto saxophone are represented in this interactive chart of fingerings. Simply click on any note in the grid, or use your computer keyboard to move through the notes until you reach the one you want (low B flat, high F sharp). By doing so, you will hear each note while also having a visual representation of where that note fall on your instrument. It’s an excellent tool to help link your eyes to physical keys on your instrument.

First, tap any of the notes in big grid on the left side of the widget. A note block corresponds to one pitch in range you’ve written, and as soon as you tap it, the corresponding diagram on the right update to display exactly which keys to play. The filled-in orange circles represent closed, or pressed keys; the white ones, open keys. That way, with a glance you can check your fingerings without taking eyes off the screen.

How to Use the Alto Saxophone Chart

The play note button at bottom of the diagram panel allows you to hear pitch of any note you select. It’s great if you need to check the sound of a particular fingering or even train your ear to identify intervals. For this, just click on the play all button in control bar and the widget will sound out whole scale from bottom to top, one note after another. You can then follow along as the diagrams changes.

On the right-hand side of the control bar, there’s a volume slider which allows you to reduce the sound level based off the surrounding environment. For example, the default volume might be too loud if you are practicing in a quiet space, but it might work well through your speakers. Alternatively, rather than using your mouse, you can use your keyboard to work with widget. Use the Tab key to move the cursor around the control buttons as well as the note blocks. Then press Space or Enter to activate whatever you’ve highlighted.

Below the note name are the words concert pitch which show you what the actual sound produced on the instrument will be. Because the alto saxophone is an E flat instrument, it means that when you read a note on the score it is not the pitch that you hear coming from the instrument. The concert pitch is shown in bold orange text below large note name as this is calculated by the widget and displayed for you, so there’s no more hand transposition. It clarifies the link between the sheet music and the end result.

To view this in full screen (ideal for a better view on smaller screens), look at the top right hand corner of the widget and click the fullscreen button. The widget will then expand to take up whole browser window with the finger diagram larger and easier to see. Clicking on the button again or hitting the exit fullscreen option within your browser will revert back to standard view. This full screen option really comes into its own if you just wish to focus on the fingering details and are not distracted by other elements of the page.

To see a full explanation of the workings of the instrument simply hit the how to play button which will show the help screen in detail including how to play using alternate fingerings such as the one for B flat, how the octave key functions, what are called the special palm keys for playing the highest notes and more importantly how the lowest C key work with other pinky keys. Hit the button again to remove the screen leaving your work space clean.

Try applying it yourself to ensure correct trickier fingerings and to practise moving through tricky passages. Try playing just the notes of a melody one at a time, then refer back to the diagram to follow path of the octave key… For example, when it moves around the note of D. Keep in mind the G sharp and B flat keys on the side, which can cause confusion for learners. It will also show you that repeated fingerings occurs in following octaves making it easier to learn higher register.

This is pretty comprehensive in terms of what you’d expect to find on an average, moddern alto saxophone. The unusual high F sharp fingering also exists, which is used when the side key is needed but not always present on certain student models. Getting to grips with such extra notes will allow you access to more advanced pieces that extend your range comfortabley out of the norm into higher registers of an alto sax up as far as high F sharp if desired. You’ll notice that fingerings for the tricky high register palm keys change from those used in lower register. Listen carefully to the change in pitch from one note to the other and take your time working through it.

Don’t feel rushed into learning all the fingering in one go, you should of practiced more. Play them all and use the play all feature to get a sense of full range before drilling down on specific parts that prove tricky. This gives you a double benefit. It helps you develop muscle memory and train your ear using audio feedback and visual diagram.

Now is the time to begin clicking around the notes of this chart. This chart will tell you instantly which keys move together. This works whether you are new to playing the instrument or have been around for a while and want to check out a funky fingered note. Leave it open while practising on your real saxophone so that there is reinforcement of where your fingers go in the screen.