Sax on the Web Forum

Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Altissimo & Multiphonics / Altissimo message area

Harri
Moderator
User ID: 0262034 Jan 28th 2:47 PM
Per request, a dedicated area for altissimo discussion opened, per favore:

-----
User ID: 0561484 Jan 30th 7:13 AM
Mike
User ID: 2059234
Jan 28th 2:50 PM
Hey all,
I was on Saxgourmet.com doing some altissimo (my first few notes) and i was having
trouble getting them all out. Is there something im doing wrong? IM doing a normal
embouchure and I'm kinda lost. Thanks for reading,
~MIKE~
Harri
User ID: 0262034
Jan 28th 3:01 PM
I am no specialist on the topic. Just speaking based own my own experience. I had
been playing alto for almost ten years before I was introduced to altissimo sounds
by a teacher. I learned that producing altissimo is very muach dependent on your
horn, embouchure and your ability vary it.
I guess there no short-cuts, just keep working on it. I can do G and A pretty fluently,
but above A still needs work.
Cougar Brass
User ID: 0046004
Jan 28th 3:02 PM
First, go here
http://www.bobrk.com/saxfaq/2.5.html
Some good info there.
Then go to my favorite fingering site:
http://www.wfg.sneezy.org/
Just click on Altissimo under saxophone. The layout is a little easier to read than
the one at Saxgourmet.
3saxes
User ID: 1397584
Jan 28th 4:17 PM
To Achieve Altissimo takes more than just knowing the fingering. There are three
good books on the topic that will teach you the theory and technique as well as give
suggested fingering for each note on each horn.
"Top-Tones for the Saxophone" Sigurd M. Rascher/Carl Fischer
"Saxophone ALtissimo" - Robert A. Luckey
"Saxophone High Notes" - Eugene Rousseau
I think these are all available on Amazon.com, or via the Woodwind and Brasswind
in South Bend, IN.
Good Luck!
Harri
Administrator
Jan 28th 4:30 PM
There is a link to
link Rasher's book
on the
link Sax on the Web Store
. Others mentioned by 3saxes I could not locate in Amazon.com.
Paul Coats'es article
link Technique Development for the Student
has some reference books, too.
Andrew
User ID: 7127533
Jan 28th 6:38 PM
What specific mouthpieces can help with getting the notes speak easier? I can get
up to an Altissimo D (D4) with a Selmer Soloist, but every time I try and go higher,
it won't come out. It's real hard. I've become real consistant up to D4 since I've
switched over to a Fibracell, but I'm beginning to think it's my mouthpiece. Any
suggesstions about a good mouthpiece to try? This is my setup :
Selmer Series III Alto
Selmer Short Shank Soloist C* (refaced to about a D)
Fibracell Med Hard Reed
LoneTango
User ID: 1244314
Jan 29th 1:20 AM
I recently got my hands on altissimo playing after a long period of reading about
them. From my own experience, the mouthpiece and reed has a lot to do to get these
notes out. Andrew, I just recently tried the fibracell reeds and it's VERY easy to
play altissimo on these that it's unbelievable. But at the same time, it causes control
problems as the harmonics and altissimo are coming out from the lower register if
you lack a little control.
Some also say you have to work hard to get there. This could be true or false. I've
played for 5 years and when I started to learn altissimo, I hit up to E4 after about
a couple days of practice and that might be due to the 5 years I've been playing.
But my friend was so amazed by the altissimo that he wanted to learn and he's only
just started a few months. So I gave him a fibracell reed and showed him the fingerings
and he can hit just as high as I can. So it could be a myth about long hours of practice
or just some have it and some don't.
Sorry I wrote so much, but I hope this helps.
It's a funny thing because I found hitting the altissimo above A seems a lot easier
than hitting a G, G# or A even. I can now hit up to E4 and what I realized is that
anything from there on up, it's all about lip and jaw control to ease into the higher
notes because if you realize, most fingering charts repeat the same fingerings as
the lower altissimo so it's all up to the mouth to do the work.
About the fingerings, it's not like they are alternate fingerings to a certain note
and you can just finger them and get the altissimo. This is where you have to change
your embouchure a little. I take in a little more mouthpiece and also extend my lower
jaw in a little more than my upper jaw creating something like an "underbite" with
my mouth.
For mouthpiece, the ones that work best with altissmo are the ones with a really
high baffle and a little open on the tip. Especially the Berg Larens's ending in
a 0 or 1 for brightness. Another good piece I've heard about is the SR Technologies
Fusion model for tenor, which is really designed for big sound and altissimo, but
at the same time brings up some control issues too since it's very easy to hit altissimo
with it.
Bootman
User ID: 0136334
Jan 29th 3:17 AM
Fibracells don't quite work properly for altissimo playing unless you bite to hard.
If you do this you loose control of the lower range of the horn. I have tried this
many timeson the fibracell and have found that lack the control and definition that
a cane reed gives in the altissimo. I am talking of playing lines in the extended
range of the altissimo above the C4 range. Unfortunately the fibracell doesn't cut
it here. I suggest having a look for a Rico Jazz Select or La Voz, both of these
are great altissimo reeds. The altissimo notes should slot in without extreme embouchure
changes, a looser embouchure for altissimo notes will give you a fuller more rich
and focused tone up there than a taught, vice like altissimo embouchure.
High baffle mpcs are better for altissimo playing that wide open chamber mpc. The
bigger the tip opening the easier it is too, but be careful there is this point of
no further gain if you go too large. Learn to incorporate it into your regular playing
so that it becomes a part of your normal range.
Hope this helps.
Randy M.
User ID: 0296604
Jan 29th 6:24 PM
A reed where thae tip is fairly thick back to about a 1/4 helps a little. LaVoz is
that kind of flat thick cut. I'm sure there are others. Out of a box you might find
one or two good high note reeds that can help you develop the voicing and air control
that makes this register work better on most any comfortable reed.
I just tried a Runyon Bionix, where the altissimo does work much easier, but that
mps has a very stout bright cutting quality.
At some point control of steady air, voicing and tongue position will give results.
For some people a couple of weeks---others a couple of years. When you get above
D4, you might need to check out a many fingering combinations as you can find. I've
heard that Dr. Luckey's book has many possible fingerings.

Randy M.
User ID: 0296604 Jan 30th 8:51 PM
Thanks Harri!

David Mekan
User ID: 8778463 Jan 6th 1:04 PM
Does anyone have some fingerings for above C 5.That was all I could find on the internet so far. Thankyou very much. David Mekan

paulwl
User ID: 0909594 Jan 6th 1:38 PM
Dang, but that's a long post.

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Jan 10th 10:03 AM
DM I use Rascher's fingering for C5. For C#5 add the hi-F key. For D5 let off the key and go back to the C5 fingering. Repeat for Eb5 and E5. That's as high as I can go chromatically. After that I keep the C5 fingering for G5 and beyond.

David Mekan
User ID: 8778463 Jan 10th 6:09 PM
Hey Screech are you talking about the high key on the side or the front key because I have the old mark vi tenor sax that does not have the high f on the side.I don't have Rascher's book. Would you please tell me what the fingering is.The only C5 fingering I have is Robert Luckey.Can you please tell me or am I going to have to get the book.

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Jan 30th 8:02 AM
Wow sorry David I haven't been on this thread for a while. I am talking about the side F, the regular F palm key. Hmm. I have Dr. Luckey's book but I didn't see any C5 fingerings in it. The Rascher one is OK, left hand 1, RH 1 & 2, and low Eb. This seems to work for D,E, and F, too. Swap LH 1 for LH 2 for a more in tune G5. That's it for now. I need to get a good F# fingering to get the series C#5 to G5 completed.

Power Chops May 11th 4:53 PM
There is a guy in Memphis Stan Johnson who sells these card stock charts that can be used as book markers. They have great altissimo tips and fingerings. He also sells a card called Windjammer that offers all of the fake fingers or fingers pros like Bird used to faciliate speed. I found out about them several years ago through the saxophone Journal. They really have work for me! His address is 695 Dickinson St Memphis Tennessee and the cards sell for $2.50 plus 1.00 shipping. They are called altissimo guides and are available for all saxophones!

Harri Moderator User ID: 0262034	Jan 28th 2:47 PM Per request, a dedicated area for altissimo discussion opened, per favore:
----- User ID: 0561484	Jan 30th 7:13 AM Mike User ID: 2059234 Jan 28th 2:50 PM Hey all, I was on Saxgourmet.com doing some altissimo (my first few notes) and i was having trouble getting them all out. Is there something im doing wrong? IM doing a normal embouchure and I'm kinda lost. Thanks for reading, ~MIKE~ Harri User ID: 0262034 Jan 28th 3:01 PM I am no specialist on the topic. Just speaking based own my own experience. I had been playing alto for almost ten years before I was introduced to altissimo sounds by a teacher. I learned that producing altissimo is very muach dependent on your horn, embouchure and your ability vary it. I guess there no short-cuts, just keep working on it. I can do G and A pretty fluently, but above A still needs work. Cougar Brass User ID: 0046004 Jan 28th 3:02 PM First, go here http://www.bobrk.com/saxfaq/2.5.html Some good info there. Then go to my favorite fingering site: http://www.wfg.sneezy.org/ Just click on Altissimo under saxophone. The layout is a little easier to read than the one at Saxgourmet. 3saxes User ID: 1397584 Jan 28th 4:17 PM To Achieve Altissimo takes more than just knowing the fingering. There are three good books on the topic that will teach you the theory and technique as well as give suggested fingering for each note on each horn. "Top-Tones for the Saxophone" Sigurd M. Rascher/Carl Fischer "Saxophone ALtissimo" - Robert A. Luckey "Saxophone High Notes" - Eugene Rousseau I think these are all available on Amazon.com, or via the Woodwind and Brasswind in South Bend, IN. Good Luck! Harri Administrator Jan 28th 4:30 PM There is a link to link Rasher's book on the link Sax on the Web Store . Others mentioned by 3saxes I could not locate in Amazon.com. Paul Coats'es article link Technique Development for the Student has some reference books, too. Andrew User ID: 7127533 Jan 28th 6:38 PM What specific mouthpieces can help with getting the notes speak easier? I can get up to an Altissimo D (D4) with a Selmer Soloist, but every time I try and go higher, it won't come out. It's real hard. I've become real consistant up to D4 since I've switched over to a Fibracell, but I'm beginning to think it's my mouthpiece. Any suggesstions about a good mouthpiece to try? This is my setup : Selmer Series III Alto Selmer Short Shank Soloist C* (refaced to about a D) Fibracell Med Hard Reed LoneTango User ID: 1244314 Jan 29th 1:20 AM I recently got my hands on altissimo playing after a long period of reading about them. From my own experience, the mouthpiece and reed has a lot to do to get these notes out. Andrew, I just recently tried the fibracell reeds and it's VERY easy to play altissimo on these that it's unbelievable. But at the same time, it causes control problems as the harmonics and altissimo are coming out from the lower register if you lack a little control. Some also say you have to work hard to get there. This could be true or false. I've played for 5 years and when I started to learn altissimo, I hit up to E4 after about a couple days of practice and that might be due to the 5 years I've been playing. But my friend was so amazed by the altissimo that he wanted to learn and he's only just started a few months. So I gave him a fibracell reed and showed him the fingerings and he can hit just as high as I can. So it could be a myth about long hours of practice or just some have it and some don't. Sorry I wrote so much, but I hope this helps. It's a funny thing because I found hitting the altissimo above A seems a lot easier than hitting a G, G# or A even. I can now hit up to E4 and what I realized is that anything from there on up, it's all about lip and jaw control to ease into the higher notes because if you realize, most fingering charts repeat the same fingerings as the lower altissimo so it's all up to the mouth to do the work. About the fingerings, it's not like they are alternate fingerings to a certain note and you can just finger them and get the altissimo. This is where you have to change your embouchure a little. I take in a little more mouthpiece and also extend my lower jaw in a little more than my upper jaw creating something like an "underbite" with my mouth. For mouthpiece, the ones that work best with altissmo are the ones with a really high baffle and a little open on the tip. Especially the Berg Larens's ending in a 0 or 1 for brightness. Another good piece I've heard about is the SR Technologies Fusion model for tenor, which is really designed for big sound and altissimo, but at the same time brings up some control issues too since it's very easy to hit altissimo with it. Bootman User ID: 0136334 Jan 29th 3:17 AM Fibracells don't quite work properly for altissimo playing unless you bite to hard. If you do this you loose control of the lower range of the horn. I have tried this many timeson the fibracell and have found that lack the control and definition that a cane reed gives in the altissimo. I am talking of playing lines in the extended range of the altissimo above the C4 range. Unfortunately the fibracell doesn't cut it here. I suggest having a look for a Rico Jazz Select or La Voz, both of these are great altissimo reeds. The altissimo notes should slot in without extreme embouchure changes, a looser embouchure for altissimo notes will give you a fuller more rich and focused tone up there than a taught, vice like altissimo embouchure. High baffle mpcs are better for altissimo playing that wide open chamber mpc. The bigger the tip opening the easier it is too, but be careful there is this point of no further gain if you go too large. Learn to incorporate it into your regular playing so that it becomes a part of your normal range. Hope this helps. Randy M. User ID: 0296604 Jan 29th 6:24 PM A reed where thae tip is fairly thick back to about a 1/4 helps a little. LaVoz is that kind of flat thick cut. I'm sure there are others. Out of a box you might find one or two good high note reeds that can help you develop the voicing and air control that makes this register work better on most any comfortable reed. I just tried a Runyon Bionix, where the altissimo does work much easier, but that mps has a very stout bright cutting quality. At some point control of steady air, voicing and tongue position will give results. For some people a couple of weeks---others a couple of years. When you get above D4, you might need to check out a many fingering combinations as you can find. I've heard that Dr. Luckey's book has many possible fingerings.
Randy M. User ID: 0296604	Jan 30th 8:51 PM Thanks Harri!
David Mekan User ID: 8778463	Jan 6th 1:04 PM Does anyone have some fingerings for above C 5.That was all I could find on the internet so far. Thankyou very much. David Mekan
paulwl User ID: 0909594	Jan 6th 1:38 PM Dang, but that's a long post.
Screech User ID: 9753653	Jan 10th 10:03 AM DM I use Rascher's fingering for C5. For C#5 add the hi-F key. For D5 let off the key and go back to the C5 fingering. Repeat for Eb5 and E5. That's as high as I can go chromatically. After that I keep the C5 fingering for G5 and beyond.
David Mekan User ID: 8778463	Jan 10th 6:09 PM Hey Screech are you talking about the high key on the side or the front key because I have the old mark vi tenor sax that does not have the high f on the side.I don't have Rascher's book. Would you please tell me what the fingering is.The only C5 fingering I have is Robert Luckey.Can you please tell me or am I going to have to get the book.
Screech User ID: 9753653	Jan 30th 8:02 AM Wow sorry David I haven't been on this thread for a while. I am talking about the side F, the regular F palm key. Hmm. I have Dr. Luckey's book but I didn't see any C5 fingerings in it. The Rascher one is OK, left hand 1, RH 1 & 2, and low Eb. This seems to work for D,E, and F, too. Swap LH 1 for LH 2 for a more in tune G5. That's it for now. I need to get a good F# fingering to get the series C#5 to G5 completed.
Power Chops	May 11th 4:53 PM There is a guy in Memphis Stan Johnson who sells these card stock charts that can be used as book markers. They have great altissimo tips and fingerings. He also sells a card called Windjammer that offers all of the fake fingers or fingers pros like Bird used to faciliate speed. I found out about them several years ago through the saxophone Journal. They really have work for me! His address is 695 Dickinson St Memphis Tennessee and the cards sell for $2.50 plus 1.00 shipping. They are called altissimo guides and are available for all saxophones!