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Alto saxophone range

C♯3–A♭5

Practical range, sounding · 138.59–830.61 Hz · 2.6 octaves · written B♭3–F6

C2D2E2F2G2A2B2C3D3E3F3G3A3B3C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C♯2E♭2F♯2A♭2B♭2C♯3E♭3F♯3A♭3B♭3C♯4E♭4F♯4A♭4B♭4C♯5E♭5F♯5A♭5B♭5C2C3C4C5C♯3A♭5
  • Practical range
  • Extreme range
  • Press a key to hear it

The alto saxophone’s range in notes and hertz

SoundingWrittenFrequency
Practical lowC♯3B♭3138.59 Hz
Practical highA♭5F6830.61 Hz
Extreme highA5F♯6880.00 Hz

Written B♭3 to F6, or F♯6 on altos with a high F♯ key; the altissimo register starts above that and has no fixed top.

Written and sounding pitch

The alto saxophone is a transposing instrument: it sounds a major sixth lower than written, which makes it an E♭ instrument. So the range on its part is B♭3–F6, while the notes you hear are C♯3–A♭5. To convert a part, use the concert pitch to E♭ chart. The transposing-instrument tuner reads out the written note as you play.

Instruments with a similar range

The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the alto saxophone’s:

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Songs that fit the alto saxophone

36 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the alto saxophone’s range, each written out in the notation alto saxophone players read:

All 36 alto saxophone songs ›

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of an alto saxophone?

The alto saxophone’s normal range runs from C♯3 to A♭5 — 138.59 to 830.61 Hz, about 2.6 octaves. At the extremes it reaches C♯3–A5. Its part is written B♭3–F6, because it sounds a major sixth lower than written.

What is the lowest note on an alto saxophone?

C♯3 (138.59 Hz).

What is the highest note on an alto saxophone?

A♭5 is the top of the normal range, and A5 (880.00 Hz) is reachable at the extreme.

Sources