Why is tenor altissimo so much harder than alto or soprano?
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Honestly, it is generally easier. Soprano and alto require a traditionally more firm embouchure. I would say to relax your embouchure and work on support along with making sure you are using fingerings which are more conducive to your horn. Additionally, what mouthpiece/reed combo are you using and is your horn in good shape? Just some things to think about.
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Are you practicing the overtone series starting on low Bb?
Not sure this is a rule. I've always found Tenor the easiest as the harmonics are very lively. Alto second but not far behind tenor. Soprano is very difficult as voicing that high takes a lot of practice. Honestly never messed much with Bari Altissimo - the gigs I've played we're about low notes.
Bottom line is practice overtones and find fingers that work and have a logical flow. Good luck.
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Bari was always easier for me than Tenor. A lot of it seems to do with air speed, support, and direction. Throat shape/tongue position and all. Regardless, the key is that a lot of people seem to tighten up the embouchure as they get higher but, when this happens they are closing off the airway into the horn. Instead you need to relax and direct the air. It is especially a problem if you change your embouchure depending on register. One embouchure, better air stream. Long tones do help. Octave jump exercises help the ear if that is part of the problem. I had a teacher in college, Tim Gordon, who helped me immensely with my embouchure by having me practice without my top lip on the mouthpiece. So, no seal; it really makes you respect how much your air can do for you.
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That is unexpected, really. I make the exact opposite experience. On baritone, they are a breeze, on soprano (where I never practised them ...) I can forget them.
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10M, right? Had one of those myself. My G3 on that horn was octave, front F and side Bb. If you're not feeling confident hitting that in stride, try this instead. If you're not using octave, front F, RH 1 and side Bb for F#3, try using it. I always found this fingering the easiest way to hit F#3 on nearly any horn. So what you do is play like you're gonna pop out that F#3, but just as you're hitting it, lay off the RH1 and voila... G3. As you're looking to hit it on climaxes, sliding up from an F#3 should work for you until you make it more seamless over time.
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Thank you for the helpful advice. Out of this list, I am guessing that my embouchure may be too tight, especially since alto and soprano are so much easier. It's not an ear thing, because I'm a singer, and I can hear the pitches clearly in my head. I'm resolving to mess with this stuff and get some progress this week. (I just apologized in advance to my husband. At least I have a padded studio to socially distance my honking and screeching.)
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Thanks, Grumps. I do find that I can hit F#3 this way. I will mess with trying this! I appreciate the advice.
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"Why is tenor altissimo so much harder than alto or soprano?"
That's news to me! I've always found altissimo easier on tenor than on alto or soprano. Then again, these days I only play tenor.
But yes, altissimo G is a bit difficult. I've found that it takes just the right air stream; if you blow too hard or too soft, it won't come out. You have to dial it in. The tendency is to bite or blow too hard, so try backing off a bit until you get the note to sound. Octave key, front F, side Bb seems to work well for me on tenor.
That's news to me! I've always found altissimo easier on tenor than on alto or soprano. Then again, these days I only play tenor.
But yes, altissimo G is a bit difficult. I've found that it takes just the right air stream; if you blow too hard or too soft, it won't come out. You have to dial it in. The tendency is to bite or blow too hard, so try backing off a bit until you get the note to sound. Octave key, front F, side Bb seems to work well for me on tenor.
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If you have a high F# key, there is a great "cheat" to make it speak cleanly. Octave, LH1 (not high F), side Bb and high F#. The only problem with this is it is a bit of an awkward fingering when trying to play it in a lick. If you are just trying to nail that note, it works great. YMMV.
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I tried my Rico Metalite 9, and I can get the G with it, but I don't like the tone on the medium high to high notes. (To me, it sounds like a large man whining, heheh) I wonder if there is any compromise between these that might be worth looking into that isn't super expensive.
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I don't think any good mpc will hold you back from playing in the altissimo range. Mostly it's up to you, not the mpc. No need to compromise. Look for a mpc that plays well, with a tone quality you like. It goes without saying that the tone is largely up to you, but the mpc definitely can have an influence on the tone (some mpcs more than others). One thing I can say for certain, based on my experience anyway, is you don't need a high baffle 'pea-shooter' to play altissimo. I've had an easier time playing altissimo with some mpcs than others, but have noticed no direct correlation between high or low baffles and ease of getting altissimo notes.
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