[Grud-found]

Hey guys, in the past 2 months I have been wanting to extend my altissimo range since I can only play a high f#. I can play the f# well and can do long tones and articulate with it. But when I try to finger a altissimo G It makes a very ugly sound come out. I have been practicing overtones and can get up to b flat. I know it takes a very long time to extend the altissomo range. Does anyone have any tips or things I can practice to help me get higher. ( I have tried lots of different fingerings for the g as well)

thanks-G

 

[Saxophone Strange]

What fingering are you using for the G? I find 1/3 & 1/3 works well. There are other but you have to get it in your ear. Also make sure you aren’t too loose or closing off your throat. Tongue should be fairly neutral as well.

edit: this is assuming alto. Different fingering son tenor and depending on the tenor.

 

[Grud-found]

What fingering are you using for the G? I find 1/3 & 1/3 works well. There are other but you have to get it in your ear. Also make sure you aren’t too loose or closing off your throat. Tongue should be fairly neutral as well.

edit: this is assuming alto. Different fingering son tenor and depending on the tenor.

I am playing an alto I have been trying for g. Altissimo key, b flat key, the f key and octave key.

 

[noelpaz]

It is easier to get to G# and above than the G which always seems to be problematic in the beginning.

if you have a high F# key you can try B and the F# key. It's a cleaner G not a grunt (but sometimes folks like that grunt that results form the extra resistance of G.

What Saxophone-Strange recommended works also for me. This is a good resource:
Saxophone Fingering Charts - The Woodwind Fingering Guide -- there is an altissimo section from low to high altissimo (so you can over 4 octave range on your horn).Good luck

 

[NO SAX]

I wish I knew how to post a sound clip. I can let you hear my high pitch

 

[Grumps]

I am playing an alto I have been trying for g. Altissimo key, b flat key, the f key and octave key.

Try to get F#3 with that fingering: Octave, Front F, RH 1 (F), Side Bb

Make sure you're raising the back of your tongue up towards the roof of your mouth. Once you get F#3 with the above fingering, release the RH 1 (F) and will it up to G3.

 

[swperry1]

Can you play that G using the low C fingering and hitting the overtones/ partials above the fundamental C…C, G, C, E, G?

 

[saxoclese]

One approach to learning to play altissimo G given by Eugene Rousseau is to adjust the "front F" so that it opens approximately .25 mm. In this way the high F tonehole behaves more like a vent than a traditional tonehole. Once the student learns to "voice" the high G (and G#) the key can then be adjusted back to its normal opening to properly vent "front F" and "front E".

 

[Saxophone Strange]

The site mentioned in post #4 is good. You will find some of the fingers will work for your setup and some do not. I also second what @swperry1 said. Working on the overtones from the lowest will help. Note that the fingerings are just to help but understanding those overtones is definitely key. It’s good practice from the overtone to the fingering you are trying to use making sure you re getting the pitch to match up.

Also, if you don’t have a copy of Top Tones for the Saxophone, get one. There is very useful information in there. I like Ted Nash’s book a lot too but start with the root.

 

[Zasterz]

I am playing an alto I have been trying for g. Altissimo key, b flat key, the f key and octave key.

Front F? (What’s the “altissimo” key?)

 

[swperry1]

I am playing an alto I have been trying for g. Altissimo key, b flat key, the f key and octave key.

Front F (altissimo key?), side Bb plus F (RH 1) is a popular G fingering on alto…F# on tenor.

Can you get the altissimo G using the low C fingering? If not, you’re kind of wasting your time trying to get a solid fingering if you’re not voicing it correctly. Counterproductive. Try overtone scales to get your ears working up there and approaching tones stepwise from 1/2 and whole tones below and above.

 

[Dana in Philly]

Leave the front F key alone. Try this:
Octave key, L1 (B key), and the right-hand F# key (just above the F# trill key).
G should pop right out.

 

[swperry1]

Leave the front F key alone. Try this:
Octave key, L1 (B key), and the right-hand F# key (just above the F# trill key).
G should pop right out.

Sure. But…The high F# key is stupid awkward for getting to any other fingerings for surrounding notes as they all use RH fingerings.

 

[J-Moen]

Sure. But…The high F# key is stupid awkward for getting to any other fingerings for surrounding notes as they all use RH fingerings.

And assuming the horn has a high F# key. (and now this will devolve into the Pros/Cons of the F# key lol).

To the OP - Here's the chart I've been using and its worked well for me, though you've probably already seen here in the thread there are tons of options.

 

[Dana in Philly]

Sure. But…The high F# key is stupid awkward for getting to any other fingerings for surrounding notes as they all use RH fingerings.

That's true. It's a bit awkward to do it that way. You can roll up to G# from it though, using octave, L2, R2.

 

[soybean]

… There are other but you have to get it in your ear…

This is the point that many people miss. For many of the altissimo notes, you need to “hear“ the note before you try to play it. Hear it in your mind’s ear.

 

[Fader]

Try the front F and add your pinky G#. I find that helps me.
Also work on altissimo A and up. They’re almost all easier and get you used to voicing altissimo notes. Good luck!

 

[swperry1]

Try the front F and add your pinky G#. I find that helps me.
Also work on altissimo A and up. They’re almost all easier and get you used to voicing altissimo notes. Good luck!

If you bite or aren’t ‘singing’ the right pitch the front F alone (or with G# and/ or low C) doesn’t work or just jumps up to the D above in most cases. I use Front F plus G# as a staple…alone it works fine, but sometimes I’ll overblow it up to D live with a loud band and I don’t need that. 🤣

 

[Saxophone Strange]

For most part ignoring the F# key is the way to go. It can make a note here or there easier but that is in a vacuum. In actual play you need to feel how they will go into and out of those notes.

Example: F# -> G -> A (on alto)

F#: LH: 1 & 3 RH: 1
G: LH: 1 & 3 RH: 1 & 3
A: LH: 2 & 3

…but again… you have to be able to hear it.

 

[mikewaugh]

Hey guys, in the past 2 months I have been wanting to extend my altissimo range since I can only play a high f#. I can play the f# well and can do long tones and articulate with it. But when I try to finger a altissimo G It makes a very ugly sound come out. I have been practicing overtones and can get up to b flat. I know it takes a very long time to extend the altissomo range. Does anyone have any tips or things I can practice to help me get higher. ( I have tried lots of different fingerings for the g as well)

thanks-G

Not many will agree to this , but I am "blown-away" with this new Discovery ,having been playing
Tenor for 55 years . I have a Yamaha and a 1975 Selmer Mark VI .
I used to struggle with Altissimo F# and G , but upon exploring alternate fingering ,
I discovered that my Selmer hits F# with just the B key , and G with Left hand key C and RH key F
so that LH 2 , RH 1.
I'll attach a standard fingering chart .
Please let me know if this helps you ?