I usually play guitar -- by note and by tab and chord letters.
I rarely pick up the alto sax, sooo -- since I find it way too
painful to remember the fingering -- I devised a tab method.
There may be one already out there but here's what I use for:

A#/Bb B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A

v6v >6v 6v <6v 6 6^ 5 4 3% 3 ^3 2

11 1 % 0 '6 '6^ '5 '4 '3% '3 '^3 '2

'11 '1 '% '0 xxx xxx xxx xxx

where you are looking through the instrument such that
v before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 7
> before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 6
< before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 5
^ before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 4

' = right hand thump down

6 = lh fingers 1, 2, and 3 down plus rh fingers 1, 2, and 3 down
5 = like 6 but no rh finger 3
etc for 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0
11 = lh finger 1 and rh finger 1 down
% = lh finder 2 down
3% = lh finders 1, 2, and 3 down plus rh finger 2 down
xxx = I never use these, make something up, same goes for when
your instrument has different buttons.

Good luck. BTW, I find that this helps in learning to read notes
on ledger lines. Also, you may want to change 6 to 33, 5 to 32,
and so on; I've marked up too much music to change now.






<Added>

Sorry, kerning (the spacing) messed things up.
Copy the text to a fixed-size font on Notepad.
Also, I forgot to put down that ^ or v after
a number is rh pinky down on that half-button.

<Added>

Drat, "' = right hand thump down" should read
' = left hand thumb down. Sorry.

ii play a little guitar and i play flute- but i was intrigued by this, it sounds like a very good idea but a little complex i find it is better to read it of the music and just have a fingering chart nearby (i write the fingerings to a new note at the top of the sheet if i am having trouble with it) but tabs are meant to be a simple why for guitar players to document a piece of music for either finger picking or for a learner who can not do chords i feel that you need to device a simpler way of doing it (like giving it a number so you could have all 4 fingers on the left hand down and button 4 for the pinky by just putting 44 then when you have all the fingers down but the pinky you use the number 8(or with the number button that the pinky is on after) but if you have all the buttons down with both pinkys you put 4(left pinky button no)4(right pinky button no) for example 4347

I understand what you are saying; that would work too. Tabs, like notes, and like all notations, are just a way of communicating what the composer intended. Your method would work. As for me, I've already marked up a lot of my songs with my method -- it was quite an effort, but worth it (for me). But, I would encourage you to post your method. I will take this opportunity to repost mine (hopefully it will display well this way).

A#/Bb_B_____C_____C#/Db_D_____D#/Eb_E_____F_____F#/Gb_G_____G#/Ab_A_____

v6v___>6v___6v____<6v___6_____6^____5_____4_____3%____3_____^3____2_____

11____1_____%_____0_____'6____'6^___'5____'4____'3%___'3____'^3___'2____

'11___'1___'%_____'0____xxx___xxx___xxx___xxx___

where you are looking through the instrument such that
v before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 7
> before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 6
< before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 5
^ before a number is the left hand's pinky down on button 4

' = left hand thumb down

6 = lh fingers 1, 2, and 3 down plus rh fingers 1, 2, and 3 down
5 = like 6 but no rh finger 3
etc for 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0
11 = lh finger 1 and rh finger 1 down
% = lh finder 2 down
3% = lh finders 1, 2, and 3 down plus rh finger 2 down
xxx = I never use these, make something up, same goes for when
your instrument has different buttons.

v or ^ after a number is the rh's pinky down on that half-moon button

Good luck. BTW, I find that this helps in learning to read notes
on ledger lines. Also, you may want to change 6 to 33, 5 to 32,
4 to 31, 3 to 30, 2 to 20, 1 to 10, and 0 to 00; I've marked up
too much music using the tabs above to change now.

There is a use for tablature staves in guitar music, but not for other instruments. Guitars strings are tuned closely enough together, and there are six of them, so there are many different ways to play the same note, i.e., on different strings. So they came up with a tablature system in which they could explicitly notate which strings and which frets to use to find the notes. While this system works for the guitar, there is really no need to come up with any kind of tablature for woodwind instruments like the saxophone. If you can't read music, you're really just limiting yourself. Learn what the notes on the staff are, and learn the fingerings for them - it really won't take that long to learn, trust me. If you go by your system, you're going to have to go through your system every time somebody sets a sheet of music in front of you. Anybody can easily learn to translate instructions on the staff directly into correct fingerings and breathing on an instrument, don't be afraid to put a little effort into it.

<Added>

Check out this site - Woodwind Fingering Guide - for all the fingerings you need. Stick to the ones marked "basic" for the time being.

http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/sax/

i don't actually play saxophone i just thought your method was a little complicated, i too would encourage you to learn sheet music and fingerings, it is easier in the long run.

No Problem and thanks for the input. My situation is this: I pick up the "plumbing job from hell" -- I mean, saxophone -- about once every 3 months. By then, I have mentally archived the fingering for each note. By picking up the pieces (no pun intended) that I have transcribed, I can start to remember the fingering after playing a few songs. After that, I can read the notes on the ledger lines. It works for me, and I'm sure I don't have a monopoly on anything. Thanks again.

Well, why don't you take a week or so, and practice on the sax for about 10-15 minutes, or more, each day that week. Or as long as you need to until you have those fingerings drilled into your skull. Work on scales, as many as you can play, and try to get them so you can play them at a comfortable speed. Once you get all this in your head, it's not hard to forget it - it's like riding a bike. It'll take less effort the next time you take a stab at the thing. So work hard on them and they'll hopefully stick for you.

<Added>

correction -> Once you get all this in your head, __it's hard to forget it__