Baritone saxophone range

The baritone saxophone’s range in notes and hertz

Written B♭3 to F6, sounding an octave and a sixth lower. Most baritones also have a low A key, which reaches a sounding C2.

Written and sounding pitch

The baritone saxophone is a transposing instrument: it sounds an octave and 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♯2–A♭4. 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 baritone saxophone’s:

• Cello · C2–A6 32 notes shared
• 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 32 notes shared
• 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 32 notes shared
• Brazilian 7-string guitar · C2–B5 32 notes shared
• Baritone guitar · B1–B5 32 notes shared
• Harp · C2–A6 32 notes shared

Tune it, play it

• Baritone sax tuner — tune by microphone, with the baritone saxophone’s own target notes.
• Play a baritone saxophone online — the same range, playable in your browser.

Songs that fit the baritone saxophone

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

• Hot Cross Buns
• Lightly Row
• Going Home (New World Largo)
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Happy Birthday
• Ode to Joy
• Mary Had a Little Lamb
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Jingle Bells
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• Yankee Doodle
• Silent Night

All 36 baritone saxophone songs ›

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• The chart behind our playable baritone saxophone, itself checked note by note against published charts.