Tenor Saxophone Fingering Chart
B♭ tenor sax · low B♭ up through the two-octave scale · tap a note to see & hear it
How to play
- Tap a note to see which keys to press and hear it. Filled circles are keys held down: the octave key (left thumb, on the back), the three left-hand keys, and the three right-hand keys.
- Going up, you lift one finger at a time from the bottom. To jump to the higher octave, press the same fingering and add the octave key with your left thumb.
- The four lowest notes (B♭3–C♯4) keep all six fingers down and add a little-finger “bell” key — B♭, B and C♯ with the left pinky, C with the right pinky.
- All saxophones share these fingerings, so this chart works for alto, tenor, soprano and bari — only the size and pitch change.
- The tenor is a B♭ instrument: a written C sounds a major ninth lower (concert B♭). Play scale runs the two-octave scale. Vol sets volume. Keyboard — Tab + Enter/Space.
This is a visual way of seeing and hearing how to play a tenor sax over two octaves. Simply click on notes on this interactive chart using your mouse. Or, if you want some fun, try actualy playing them on your computer keyboard. The idea is that the interface brings together the ‘sheet’ of keys and their corresponding physical sounds into one place. In turn, this make it easier for you to learn fingerings as they will stick in your mind without having to hold a saxophone.
These are note button. These are on the main grid and they covers all notes from low B flat to high C at the top of octave. When you click on a note it will sound and immediately change diagram beneath to show you precisely where your fingers need to be on keyboard for that note. It also differentiates between right-hand finger, left-hand finger, pinky keys, and the octave key. This direct connection makes you remember the fingering easier as it links what your hands feel like doing with what you hear.
How to Use the Tenor Saxophone Chart
For a more naturaly feel, the widget also work with your computer keyboard. Simply hit the Tab key to highlight the note grid and then use arrow keys to move around and fire off notes using either the Spacebar or Enter. This means you don’t need to rely on your mouse at all allowing you to play simple melodies and scales in a way that feels closer than performing them. If you’re trying to work on your finger dexterity and would like to hear how smooth transitions sound, this will be especially helpful.
There is a very obvious button called Play Scale that will do all this for you. All you need to do is press it. The application go through the complete octave by octave scale, playing every note along the way and adjusting fingering diagram to match. Not only does this allow you to see how it would be played on instrument but you get to listen to full range of pitches available in one go.
The Master Volume slider allows you to set volume how you like, but it might end up being too quiet or too loud while you are playing with it. To make sense off the chart, the diagram shows which notes is being played; filled circles mean these keys are pressed down, while open circles mean they stay up. This is particularly useful as some of more complex fingering involves pinky stack and octave key in the lower part of instrument. Note that the chart reminds you that the actual pitch of the tenor saxophone is a major ninth below what is written. This is shown on the interface along with written frequency.
Clicking on the How to play button provides an instant reminder of how to decipher the chart (which is what’s in that panel). The help text explains the simple mechanics of fingering. It shows which fingers to use and how the octave key extends your range. It also explains how the pitch change when a finger is lifted. It remains compact, doesn’t clog up your visual field as you practice and can be hidden again by pressing button.
Press the Fullscreen button to fill the screen with the widget, eliminate distractions, and have more room to read the fingering notes. That’s great when practicing intently or presenting the chart on a bigger screen as part of a teaching session. You still has access to all controls from here meaning you don’t need to leave fullscreen mode to keep changing volume levels or run through some scales.
It will also help to develop muscle memory when playing familiar fingerings. This applies especially to subtle techniques, such as combinations of keys using your pinky finger. This would of enhance your technique if you focus on making smooth transitions from one note to another where several fingers need to be lifted simultaneously.
Since the fingering system apply to all saxophones, the widget will work on all saxophones from the baritone right through to the soprano and alto sax. Begin by playing some simple melodies and maybe just some scales to get used to the sound of your chosen instrument.