Every note from low B♭ to the altissimo — written and concert pitch, with a key diagram for each. From the studio of a Henri Selmer Paris artist.
Quick answer. The soprano saxophone is a B♭ transposing instrument — it sounds a major second lower than written. Its standard written range is B♭3–F♯6 (sounding concert A♭3–E6); notes above that are the altissimo / K-register. The full fingering chart is below, grouped by range, each note showing its written name, its concert pitch, and which keys to press.
key pressedkey openaltissimo
Normal range
Written B♭3 to F♯6 — the everyday range of the instrument.
Bb3sounds Ab3
LH 1·2·3 + B♭ pinky | RH 1·2·3 + low C
Lowest note on the soprano sax. ● beginner
B3sounds A3
LH 1·2·3 + B pinky | RH 1·2·3 + low C
Low B. ● beginner
C4sounds Bb3
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3 + low C
Low C. ● beginner
C#4sounds B3
LH 1·2·3 + C# pinky | RH 1·2·3
Low C#. ● beginner
D4sounds C4
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3
Low D — all six fingers down. ● beginner
Eb4sounds Db4
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3 + E♭ pinky
Low E♭. ● beginner
E4sounds D4
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2
Low E. ● beginner
F4sounds Eb4
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1
Low F. ● beginner
F#4sounds E4
LH 1·2·3 | RH 2 only
Low F#. ● beginner
G4sounds F4
LH 1·2·3 | RH open
Low G. ● beginner
G#4sounds F#4
LH 1·2·3 + G# pinky | RH open
Low G#. ● beginner
A4sounds G4
LH 1·2 | RH open
A. ● beginner
Bb4sounds Ab4
LH 1 + bis | RH open
B♭ (bis key). ● beginner
B4sounds A4
LH 1 only | RH open
B. ● beginner
C5sounds Bb4
LH 2 only | RH open
C. ● beginner
C#5sounds B4
All open
C# — all fingers up. ● beginner
D5sounds C5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3
D (2nd octave). ● beginner
Eb5sounds Db5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3 + E♭
E♭ (2nd octave). ● beginner
E5sounds D5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2
E (2nd octave). ● beginner
F5sounds Eb5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1
F (2nd octave). ● beginner
F#5sounds E5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 2
F# (2nd octave). ● beginner
G5sounds F5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH open
G (2nd octave). ● beginner
G#5sounds F#5
Octave + LH 1·2·3 + G# | RH open
G# (2nd octave). ● beginner
A5sounds G5
Octave + LH 1·2 | RH open
A (2nd octave). ● beginner
Bb5sounds Ab5
Octave + LH 1 + bis | RH open
B♭ (2nd octave). ● beginner
B5sounds A5
Octave + LH 1 | RH open
B (2nd octave). ● beginner
C6sounds Bb5
Octave + LH 2 | RH open
C (2nd octave). ● beginner
C#6sounds B5
Octave key only
C# (2nd octave). ● beginner
D6sounds C6
Octave + palm D
High D — palm key. ● intermediate
Eb6sounds Db6
Octave + palm D + E♭
High E♭ — palm keys. ● intermediate
E6sounds D6
Octave + palm D·E♭·E
High E — palm keys. ● intermediate
F6sounds Eb6
Octave + palm D·E♭·E·F
High F — all palm keys. ● intermediate
F#6sounds E6
Octave + all palm keys + RH 2
High F# — highest standard note. ● intermediate
Altissimo · the K-register
Above written F♯6. Overtone fingerings — firm embouchure, fast air. Practice as long tones.
Closing every key turns the saxophone into one long sealed tube — and a sealed tube doesn't ring at just one pitch, it rings at a whole stack of them at once. The lowest of those, the fundamental, is what you normally hear. Reaching the notes hidden above it isn't really a fingering trick — it's voicing: reshaping the mouth and throat to interrupt that low fundamental and let one specific overtone take over. The altissimo fingerings below are vents that help stabilize whichever overtone your throat has already chosen. Practicing them as long tones is really practicing voicing itself.
Watch: how saxophone altissimo actually works
G6sounds F6
Octave + LH 1·3 | RH 1
Altissimo G — first note above the staff range. ● advanced
G#6sounds F#6
Octave + LH 1·3 | RH 1 + C
Altissimo G#. ● advanced
A6sounds G6
Octave + LH 2·3 | RH 1
Altissimo A. ● advanced
Bb6sounds Ab6
Octave + LH 2·3 | RH 1·3
Altissimo B♭. ● advanced
B6sounds A6
Octave + palm D
Altissimo B. ● advanced
C7sounds Bb6
Octave + palm D·E♭
Altissimo C. ● advanced
Useful alternative fingerings
Faster or smoother options for specific passages.
Bb4 (alt)sounds Ab4
LH 1 + side B♭ | RH open
Side B♭ — for fast passages. ● intermediate
Bb4 (alt)sounds Ab4
LH 1 | RH 1 (one-and-one)
One-and-one B♭. ● intermediate
C5 (alt)sounds Bb4
LH 1 + side C
Side C — useful in fast passages. ● intermediate
F#4 (alt)sounds E4
LH 1·2·3 | RH alternate F# key
Alternate F# — a right-hand key near the main keys (not the pinky cluster). ● intermediate
Now play these in every key.
Open The Whole Horn and choose Soprano Saxophone — the 12 scales transpose automatically into the soprano sax's written pitch, with tempo control.
The soprano saxophone's standard written range is B♭3 to F♯6. Because it is a B♭ instrument, that sounds a major second lower — concert A♭3 to E6. Notes above written F♯6 are the altissimo (K-register) and need advanced technique.
How does the soprano saxophone transpose?
The soprano saxophone is in B♭, so it sounds a major second lower than written. When a soprano sax reads a written C, the concert pitch is B♭. To play a concert-pitch melody, a soprano sax part is written a major second higher than it sounds.
What are the palm keys for?
The palm keys (D, E♭, E, F) sit on the upper body of the saxophone and are pressed with the heel/palm of the left hand. They produce the high written D6–F6 at the top of the standard range.
What is the altissimo or K-register?
Altissimo (often called the K-register) is the range above written F♯6. These notes use overtone fingerings and require a firm, focused embouchure and fast air. Practice them as long tones first.
How do I practice these notes in all 12 keys?
Open The Whole Horn app, choose Soprano Saxophone, and the scales transpose automatically into the soprano sax's written pitch — with correct transposition in every key.
References & verification
Every fingering on this page is cross-referenced against standard published sources and compiled for review by Prof. Thomas Hornig — Henri Selmer Paris artist — prior to final verification. Where a modern instrument uses a different fingering than older charts, the modern fingering is preferred.
The Woodwind Fingering Guide — the long-standing standard online reference for saxophone fingerings, alternates, trills, and altissimo.
A fuller annex of authoritative method-book and library references accompanies the complete chart series. Fingerings shown here remain subject to the author's final verification before publication.
