
Similarly, the right-hand pinky should rest on the low C and Eb keys. The left pinky finger must rest on the platform of the low Bb, B, C# and G# keys in preparation for those notes. Many players make the mistake of lifting the finger in the air or resting them on the bell of the instrument. The pinky fingers on both hands should be placed on the “platform” of keys in the same position as the pinky fingers. Now that we have placed the thumbs and three other fingers, what do we do with our pinky fingers? The lower section also has three white buttons the index, middle and ring finger of both hands are to be placed on each of these keys. The upper section has three white buttons (excluding the smaller, bis Bb, button). On most standard saxophones there are white pearl-like buttons in both the upper and lower sections. The thumb should be placed comfortably and close to the octave key (or ‘register’ key) for optimum movement. Similarly, the left-hand thumb is placed on the thumb placement at the back of the saxophone in the upper section of the instrument. The right hand and thumb are used to navigate the instrument to the musicians preferred embouchure aligning. With the right hand, insert the thumb into the hook located at the back of the instrument. The left hand is positioned in the upper section, while the right hand is positioned in the lower section of the saxophone. There is an upper section, closest to the neck and mouthpiece region of the instrument, and there is a lower section, closet to the bell of the saxophone. This ‘combination’ of finger positions is the same on all the popular saxophone ranges from the soprano down to baritone – and beyond.Įssentially, the saxophone can be divided into two sections. It’s a woodwind instrument (despite its brass like outer shell) and, like most woodwind instruments, one must use a combination of finger positions to sound one note. The saxophone is a beautifully crafted instrument with a standard of 23 keys. Through this action, along with embouchure and air pushed through the instrument, sound is produced, and pitch is altered with different finger position combinations. The purpose of the saxophone keys is to close the tone holes on the saxophone through various combinations of finger positions. Whether you’re playing soprano, baritone, tenor or alto sax, we’ve put together everything you need to know about this topic, including the often asked question of how many keys a saxophone has.! What is the purpose of the saxophone keys ? They might not be the most eye-catching part of a saxophone, but those pearly white keys play a vital role in allowing the player to string together a tune!

Read on for everything you need to know about the sax keys and how they are going to help you play any song you want!

So you’re chosen a great beginner instrument and equipped it with a solid saxophone reed and a nice mouthpiece.
