How to Hold a Baritone Saxophone

The baritone sax has one of the deepest pitches of all the saxophones, and it's big. The baritone is an instrument vital to providing a bass melody for bands, orchestras and even marching bands. Playing the instrument requires a knowledge of how to read music and the anticipation of proper notes, as baritone saxophone players are often times the only person playing that instrument in an ensemble. And because of that, a wrong note will stick out like a sore thumb. But a proper holding and fingering technique will help the player be prepared for the notes.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Hook the neck harness onto the baritone saxophone's clip on the back of the body and place the harness around your neck.

2. Place your right thumb beneath the thumb plate to hold up the saxophone and support it.

3. Place your right index, middle and ring fingers on the three lower keys. (The notes are F, E and D.) Below these three keys are two keys that play the lower E-flat and C-flat notes when other keys are pressed down. Keep your right pinky finger near or on one of these keys.

4. Place your left thumb on the thumb rest below the octave key.

5. Place your left index, middle and ring fingers on the three keys, B, A/C and G. (The second key plays C when pressed by itself; when the first two are pressed down, it plays A.) Below these keys are four more keys that help you play G-sharp, C-sharp, low B and the low B-flat notes. Place your left pinky finger on one of these keys.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to have the proper fingerings when holding the baritone saxophone (or any woodwind for that matter) to ensure that you're ready to play each and every note.
• The baritone saxophone is large and cumbersome, and with only a neck strap for support, it gets heavy.