Alto Saxophone Play-Along and Fingering Chart
Pick a tune and play it on your alto sax: the notes are shown as written for E♭ saxophone, with the concert pitch beside them, and the keys to press for each note.
No microphone is used. Music files you open are read on this device and never uploaded. Nothing you play is recorded or sent.
How it works
Open Starter tunes or type a title or composer in Find a tune. Only tunes that fit this instrument are listed. Press Play: the notes scroll to the left and each one is played as it reaches the green line, while the box on the left shows its name and fingering. A longer box means a longer note. Use Speed to slow down – 50% is a good start.
Wait mode
With wait mode on, the music stops at each note until you press the matching note button, the note’s letter on the computer keyboard (A–G), or Space once you have played it on your instrument. It counts right and wrong presses. The page cannot hear you – there is no microphone – so it is honest practice for reading and fingering, and your teacher or your ears check the sound.
Reading styles
Show the notes as letter names, do re mi (movable do), numbers 1–7 in the key, or color notes (C red, D orange, E yellow, F green, G teal, A blue, B purple). Large print makes everything bigger with more space. Rhythm only shows the rhythm words – ta for a quarter note, ti-ti for two eighth notes, ta-a for a half note – and plays clicks to clap along with.
Written notes and concert pitch
The E♭ alto sax sounds a major 6th lower than written: written A sounds as concert C. The player shows the written notes for your instrument (the ones in your music), with the concert pitch beside them, and plays the sound you should hear. Check “Show concert pitch names” to play from piano or voice parts.
| Concert (piano) note | Written for Alto saxophone in E♭ |
|---|---|
| C4 | A4 |
| D4 | B4 |
| E4 | C♯5 |
| F4 | D5 |
| G4 | E5 |
| A♯4 | G5 |
| D♯4 | C5 |
Notes that are too high or low
Each tune is moved to the octave that suits the instrument best. If some notes are still outside the beginner range, the player says so: check Easier version to move just those notes by an octave, or use Change key.
Reading the key chart
L1–L3 are the left-hand pearl keys, R1–R3 the right-hand ones, and the small box at the top is the octave key (left thumb). Dark boxes are the pinky keys: G♯, low C♯, B and B♭ (left) and E♭ and low C (right). B♭ is shown as L1 + R1; the “bis” key is a common alternative. The same fingerings work on tenor and baritone sax – only the transposition is different.
Fingering chart
Notes in gray are outside the beginner range.
| Written note | Sounds (concert) | Press |
|---|---|---|
| A♯3/B♭3 | C♯3/D♭3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3, B♭ key, C key |
| B3 | D3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3, B key, C key |
| C4 | D♯3/E♭3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3, C key |
| C♯4/D♭4 | E3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3, C♯ key, C key |
| D4 | F3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3 |
| D♯4/E♭4 | F♯3/G♭3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3, E♭ key |
| E4 | G3 | L1, L2, L3, R1, R2 |
| F4 | G♯3/A♭3 | L1, L2, L3, R1 |
| F♯4/G♭4 | A3 | L1, L2, L3, R2 |
| G4 | A♯3/B♭3 | L1, L2, L3 |
| G♯4/A♭4 | B3 | L1, L2, L3, G♯ key |
| A4 | C4 | L1, L2 |
| A♯4/B♭4 | C♯4/D♭4 | L1, R1 |
| B4 | D4 | L1 |
| C5 | D♯4/E♭4 | L2 |
| C♯5/D♭5 | E4 | all open |
| D5 | F4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3 |
| D♯5/E♭5 | F♯4/G♭4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3, E♭ key |
| E5 | G4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3, R1, R2 |
| F5 | G♯4/A♭4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3, R1 |
| F♯5/G♭5 | A4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3, R2 |
| G5 | A♯4/B♭4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3 |
| G♯5/A♭5 | B4 | octave key, L1, L2, L3, G♯ key |
| A5 | C5 | octave key, L1, L2 |
| A♯5/B♭5 | C♯5/D♭5 | octave key, L1, R1 |
| B5 | D5 | octave key, L1 |
| C6 | D♯5/E♭5 | octave key, L2 |
| C♯6/D♭6 | E5 | octave key |
Starter tunes
Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Au Clair de la Lune, Lightly Row and London Bridge are Classfern’s own simple versions of traditional tunes. Ode to Joy, Twinkle Twinkle, Frère Jacques, Jingle Bells and Minuet in G are easy versions too, and the list adds a few pieces from the free library (Silent Night, Brahms’ Lullaby). Each piece shows where it comes from and its license. Where the music comes from.
Good to know
Library pieces were converted by computer, and only the melody line is shown. The fingering charts are Classfern’s own, written from the standard published fingerings; there are often other fingerings for the same note, and your teacher may prefer one of them.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the notes different from the piano?
The E♭ alto sax sounds a major 6th lower than written: written A sounds as concert C. The player shows the written notes for your instrument, with the concert pitch beside them, and plays the sound you should hear.
Does it use the microphone?
No. Wait mode moves on when you press the right note button or letter key (or Space once you have played the note). Nothing is recorded or sent, and the page never asks for the microphone.
Why are some tunes missing?
The search only shows tunes whose melody fits this instrument, or fits after moving it by an octave. The library also has only out-of-copyright music, so modern songs are not in it.
What is the easier version?
It moves any note outside the beginner range up or down an octave, so a beginner can play the whole tune. It changes the shape of the tune a little, so try the real version when you are ready.