In this article, I would like to share my quarter-tone fingering chart for baritone saxophone. The chart starts on low C#/D♭ (below this, producing quarter tones with an acceptable result is practically impossible) and ascends in quarter-tone intervals up to high E. Although all notes are shown, fingerings are only provided for the quarter tones, which are the focus of this chart.
Quarter-Tone Fingering Chart
Click on the image to download the fingering chart
This chart grew out of the positive response to the altissimo fingering chart for baritone saxophone I had created in 2015, which also included quarter tones. If I had already brought together the altissimo fingerings I used most frequently in a single document, why not do the same in 2017 with quarter-tone fingerings throughout the rest of the instrument’s range?
How to Read the Fingering Chart
Above each note, already transposed for baritone saxophone, you’ll find the corresponding fingering, represented using the most common numbers and letters. I have also used the most common notation for quarter tones.
I have compiled and reviewed the fingerings I have used on different baritone saxophones throughout my career. You’ll notice that some fingerings are accompanied by a single or double arrow pointing up or down, indicating whether you need to raise or lower the pitch slightly or more significantly. On notes marked with an *, you’ll need to touch the reed lightly with your tongue to prevent upper harmonics or multiphonics from sounding.
One practical point: depending on the preceding or following note, you may find that some fingerings are difficult to connect. Yes, that’s true. These fingerings are intended primarily for passages that are not too fast, where the difference in pitch can be clearly perceived. In faster passages, you can of course omit one of the indicated keys if this makes the transition easier and the resulting difference in pitch is practically imperceptible.
Try them out carefully. I hope you find them as useful as many other baritone saxophonists have told me they have over the years.
Continue Exploring Quarter Tones
As mentioned above, this quarter-tone chart goes up to high E. From there, you can continue with my altissimo fingering chart for baritone saxophone, which begins on exactly the same note and also includes quarter tones.
If you have any questions about quarter tones, would like to comment on any aspect of this chart or share your own experience with the instrument, feel free to contact me.
Joan Martí-Frasquier
Fingering chart compiled and tested through my professional practice as a baritone saxophonist.
Barcelona, March 2017
Updated: August 21, 2026
