Using the octave key: the same fingering, one octave up
How to use the saxophone octave key: which notes need it, where to put your thumb, and what to do when high notes drop down.
The octave key is the small key on the back of the sax, just above your left thumb. Press it and the same fingering sounds one octave higher.
Left: low G. Right: high G. The fingers are the same; you just add the small key at the top (the octave key).
The rule
- From low D up to C♯ you do not use the octave key.
- From the next D up to high C♯, it is the same fingering as the low note plus the octave key. If you know low D, high D is just your thumb added.
- In FingerNola pictures, when the small top key is filled black, press the octave key.
Placing your thumb
Rest your left thumb at an angle on the thumb rest and press the octave key by rolling the tip of the thumb. Lifting the whole thumb on and off is slow and breaks the sound.
When it does not work
- High D or E drops to the low note → the octave key is not fully pressed, or a lower finger is not covering its key.
- It is easy to start biting on high notes. Keep your mouth the same and send the air a little faster instead.
How to practice
Go back and forth between low G and high G, pressing and releasing only the octave key. The "Medium" level of the quiz includes octave-key notes.