[AZAZAZ]

Lenny Pickett Altissimo Fingerings

I've read that several people on here have these. Does anybody have a copy that they are willing to share?

 

[Grumps]

Lenny is a Top Tones guy. So he probably got them from Rascher's book. Bottom line though, altissimo fingerings are relative. What works for one, may not work for another. It's more about how you blow.

 

[swperry1]

Lenny says his altissimo chops come from flute playing and that the fingerings can at times be arbitrary as long as you're singing/ voicing the right partial. I'm pretty sure he uses the G key as a third octave vent and cycles the palm keys a la Jeff Coffin and others. He's different than the other ToP lead tenor players in that he's a finesse player and not a power guy.
Edit: the "cycle" is Octave key plus G=Bb, add palm D=B, add palm Eb=C, et cetera.

 

[littlewailer]

Lenny says his altissimo chops come from flute playing and that the fingerings can at times be arbitrary as long as you're singing/ voicing the right partial. I'm pretty sure he uses the G key as a third octave vent and cycles the palm keys a la Jeff Coffin and others. He's different than the other ToP lead tenor players in that he's a finesse player and not a power guy.

For G4 to C4 I only use 1 fingering.

 

[sandster]

There is an excellent article by Lenny P. on altissimo in Bruce Mishkit's "Master Lessons for the Creative Musicians". You should find answers to your question here.

 

[AZAZAZ]

There is an excellent article by Lenny P. on altissimo in Bruce Mishkit's "Master Lessons for the Creative Musicians". You should find answers to your question here.

Yeah, that is definitely a good resource. Just looking for LP's fingering chart though.

 

[JohnsonPowerSax]

He's different than the other ToP lead tenor players in that he's a finesse player and not a power guy.

Can you clarify that statement? I'm not sure what that means.

 

[whaler]

Lenny is a Top Tones guy. So he probably got them from Rascher's book. Bottom line though, altissimo fingerings are relative. What works for one, may not work for another. It's more about how you blow.

It may be how you blow but you have to have a staring point and Too Tones just works.
That “G key as a third octave key” idea came from a guy they studied with Bert(?).

 

[Nefertiti]

It may be how you blow but you have to have a staring point and Too Tones just works.
That “G key as a third octave key” idea came from a guy they studied with Bert(?).

What are you guys referring to when you say the "G key as a third octave key"?

 

[whaler]

What are you guys referring to when you say the "G key as a third octave key"?

See post #3 above. I’ve tried it, it works but I’m too used too the Top Tones fingerings.

 

[Nefertiti]

Lenny says his altissimo chops come from flute playing and that the fingerings can at times be arbitrary as long as you're singing/ voicing the right partial. I'm pretty sure he uses the G key as a third octave vent and cycles the palm keys a la Jeff Coffin and others. He's different than the other ToP lead tenor players in that he's a finesse player and not a power guy.
Edit: the "cycle" is Octave key plus G=Bb, add palm D=B, add palm Eb=C, et cetera.

I think that's basically the fingerings i use for those notes. I'm not sure I get how the G key acts as a third octave key though........

 

[whaler]

That’s not Top tones fingerings after the G=Bb.
I guess he means a third octave key as far as the palm keys go. Maybe the closing of the octave key on the neck has a lot to do with it.

 

[swperry1]

That’s not Top tones fingerings after the G=Bb.
I guess he means a third octave key as far as the palm keys go. Maybe the closing of the octave key on the neck has a lot to do with it.

Yes, I don’t know the how’s and why’s of it, but that’s it.

Oct+G=Bb, then keep octave and G pressed while moving chromatically through the palm keys:
D=B
Eb=C
E=C#
F=D
F# or back to just Octave + G= Eb
D=E
Eb=F
E=F#
F=G
in theory this can go on indefinitely. I can go higher on alto than I can Tenor even though I’m on tenor >95% of my playing time.

 

[sinkdraiN]

Yes, I don’t know the how’s and why’s of it, but that’s it.

Oct+G=Bb, then keep octave and G pressed while moving chromatically through the palm keys:
D=B
Eb=C
E=C#
F=D
F# or back to just Octave + G= Eb
D=E
Eb=F
E=F#
F=G
in theory this can go on indefinitely. I can go higher on alto than I can Tenor even though I’m on tenor >95% of my playing time.

Ahhh, so this is probably how he played those neverending ascending altissimo glissandos in Tower of Power!

 

[littlewailer]

Yes, I don’t know the how’s and why’s of it, but that’s it.

Oct+G=Bb, then keep octave and G pressed while moving chromatically through the palm keys:
D=B
Eb=C
E=C#
F=D
F# or back to just Octave + G= Eb
D=E
Eb=F
E=F#
F=G
in theory this can go on indefinitely. I can go higher on alto than I can Tenor even though I’m on tenor >95% of my playing time.

I got to check this out when I get a chance.