The saxophone is a single-reed woodwind instrument, even though it is made of brass. The most common types of saxophone are the alto, tenor, soprano and baritone saxophones. Regardless of which saxophone you play, the fingerings are all the same which means you can use the above interactive fingering chart for any type of sax!
Before using the above interactive fingering chart and playing your first pieces, you need to know where to position your hands on the saxophone.
Let’s start with the left hand: this hand is positioned at the top of the instrument. Look for the black or gold key at the back of the saxophone (closest to your body) - this is where you should rest your thumb. You can then curve the rest of your hand around to the front of the sax and place your three fingers (index, middle and ring) on the three larger key pearls, skipping over the smaller key (see image 1).
Now on to the right hand: it is positioned at the bottom of the instrument and similar to the left hand, there is a place to rest your thumb. Your index, middle and ring fingers curve around to the front of the sax to sit on the three key pearls. Your pinkie finger will rest on the large key slightly behind your other fingers (see image 2).
Once you understand where your hands should be positioned, you can use the interactive fingering chart above to practice the notes and to start playing your first pieces! You can simply click on any note and the fingering will be displayed on the visual saxophone. Don’t forget, you can also download and print the saxophone fingering chart for free.
Image 1: Left-hand position
Image 2: Right-hand position
Your hands are in position and you’re now ready to play your first notes! The interactive fingering chart will help you but first, you’ll need to know where to begin.
The easiest notes to start with are in the middle register and only require you to use the first three fingers of each hand. The great thing about the sax is that each time you ‘add’ another key by pressing down on it, you change the pitch! Let’s take the left hand as an example. If you press down on your index finger, you’ll produce the note B. If you then press down on your index and middle finger, you’ll produce the note A. For beginners, this method of adding a note each time is the easiest way to learn the notes. You can continue learning the other notes by following the fingering chart above.
Please note, there are alternative fingerings and we have included some of the most common examples on the interactive saxophone fingering chart.
We have a large catalogue of saxophone sheet music for all different levels, including beginner level. Our team of professional musicians record the play-along tracks and produce the sheet music for you to play and enjoy! For beginner saxophonists, you’ll be happy to hear that we also provide a visual saxophone - select any note and the visual instrument will light up to show you which keys and levers you need to press!
