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 tenor saxophone is a B♭ transposing instrument — it sounds a major ninth lower than written. Its standard written range is B♭3–F♯6 (sounding concert A♭2–E5); 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 Ab2
LH 1·2·3 + B♭ pinky | RH 1·2·3 + low C
Lowest note on the tenor sax. ● beginner
B3sounds A2
LH 1·2·3 + B pinky | RH 1·2·3 + low C
Low B. ● beginner
C4sounds Bb2
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3 + low C
Low C. ● beginner
C#4sounds B2
LH 1·2·3 + C# pinky | RH 1·2·3
Low C#. ● beginner
D4sounds C3
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3
Low D — all six fingers down. ● beginner
Eb4sounds Db3
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3 + E♭ pinky
Low E♭. ● beginner
E4sounds D3
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2
Low E. ● beginner
F4sounds Eb3
LH 1·2·3 | RH 1
Low F. ● beginner
F#4sounds E3
LH 1·2·3 | RH 2 only
Low F#. ● beginner
G4sounds F3
LH 1·2·3 | RH open
Low G. ● beginner
G#4sounds F#3
LH 1·2·3 + G# pinky | RH open
Low G#. ● beginner
A4sounds G3
LH 1·2 | RH open
A. ● beginner
Bb4sounds Ab3
LH 1 + bis | RH open
B♭ (bis key). ● beginner
B4sounds A3
LH 1 only | RH open
B. ● beginner
C5sounds Bb3
LH 2 only | RH open
C. ● beginner
C#5sounds B3
All open
C# — all fingers up. ● beginner
D5sounds C4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3
D (2nd octave). ● beginner
Eb5sounds Db4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2·3 + E♭
E♭ (2nd octave). ● beginner
E5sounds D4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1·2
E (2nd octave). ● beginner
F5sounds Eb4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 1
F (2nd octave). ● beginner
F#5sounds E4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH 2
F# (2nd octave). ● beginner
G5sounds F4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 | RH open
G (2nd octave). ● beginner
G#5sounds F#4
Octave + LH 1·2·3 + G# | RH open
G# (2nd octave). ● beginner
A5sounds G4
Octave + LH 1·2 | RH open
A (2nd octave). ● beginner
Bb5sounds Ab4
Octave + LH 1 + bis | RH open
B♭ (2nd octave). ● beginner
B5sounds A4
Octave + LH 1 | RH open
B (2nd octave). ● beginner
C6sounds Bb4
Octave + LH 2 | RH open
C (2nd octave). ● beginner
C#6sounds B4
Octave key only
C# (2nd octave). ● beginner
D6sounds C5
Octave + palm D
High D — palm key. ● intermediate
Eb6sounds Db5
Octave + palm D + E♭
High E♭ — palm keys. ● intermediate
E6sounds D5
Octave + palm D·E♭·E
High E — palm keys. ● intermediate
F6sounds Eb5
Octave + palm D·E♭·E·F
High F — all palm keys. ● intermediate
F#6sounds E5
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 F5
Octave + LH 1·3 | RH 1
Altissimo G — first note above the staff range. ● advanced
G#6sounds F#5
Octave + LH 1·3 | RH 1 + C
Altissimo G#. ● advanced
A6sounds G5
Octave + LH 2·3 | RH 1
Altissimo A. ● advanced
Bb6sounds Ab5
Octave + LH 2·3 | RH 1·3
Altissimo B♭. ● advanced
B6sounds A5
Octave + palm D
Altissimo B. ● advanced
C7sounds Bb5
Octave + palm D·E♭
Altissimo C. ● advanced
Useful alternative fingerings
Faster or smoother options for specific passages.
Bb4 (alt)sounds Ab3
LH 1 + side B♭ | RH open
Side B♭ — for fast passages. ● intermediate
Bb4 (alt)sounds Ab3
LH 1 | RH 1 (one-and-one)
One-and-one B♭. ● intermediate
C5 (alt)sounds Bb3
LH 1 + side C
Side C — useful in fast passages. ● intermediate
F#4 (alt)sounds E3
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 Tenor Saxophone — the 12 scales transpose automatically into the tenor sax's written pitch, with tempo control.
The tenor saxophone's standard written range is B♭3 to F♯6. Because it is a B♭ instrument, that sounds a major ninth lower — concert A♭2 to E5. Notes above written F♯6 are the altissimo (K-register) and need advanced technique.
How does the tenor saxophone transpose?
The tenor saxophone is in B♭, so it sounds a major ninth lower than written. When a tenor sax reads a written C, the concert pitch is B♭. To play a concert-pitch melody, a tenor sax part is written a major ninth 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 Tenor Saxophone, and the scales transpose automatically into the tenor 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.
