 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Adam
Date: 1999-08-19 01:41
First of all I'm a high school student and I just got a new Yamaha pro line sax. I was trying to play the altissio register stuff and I couldn't get any of the notes to come out. Do I just need to tighten my embouchure or what?
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Author: Russ
Date: 1999-08-21 22:40
I'm in the same boat as Adam here, I've been out of school for a year, and was playing my sax today. I figured out the solo on "Bad to the Bone". The blues band I'm in... they want to play it, I'm the keyboadist, but I've played sax since high school. I got every note *except* the one altissimo note way way way up there (I think it's a C#)
My teacher never bothered showing me that... although he talked about it.
I though "why not look up the fingering on the internet!" well, I found it... except now I know the fingering (multiple fingerings) but that note still refuses to come out. (it's a good thing no one else is home at the moment lol)
I tried tightening my embouchure too. Nothing... I'm convinced there must be a trick to it... held only by the few eliteists ;-)
So, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Russ
PS BTW, I have a Selmer ummm I don't remember what it's called. Does Super Action 80 ring a bell? I don't know
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Author: Justice
Date: 1999-09-27 21:38
The first thing you have to know about altissimo is that no two people do it exactly the same. You will have to work on your own to find out what works for you, on your instrument and with your mouthpeice/reed combination.
However, there are a few generalities that can be made in regards to the extended range. The frist thing you need to have is a solid concept of what the saxophone sound is, how it is produced, and how to control it. You have to be using the proper amount of air, with the right amount of support underneath.
Next, you will need some practices to do. Finger a low Bb and with out changing fingerings, and without using the octave key play middle Bb. then play middle F above that, then high Bb, then high D, the high F, the altissimo Bb above that. Once you can play all the overtone effeciently on Bb, move up to B natural, and so on. The process that you use to play altissimo is the same as playing overtones.
When you play the correct fingerings, and you do the same things with your mouth, tounge, and throat as you did on the overtones, you will produce the altissimo notes.
There are several altissimo method books available which will further explain all of this and will have different excersizes. Some of these include: "Saxophone High Tones" by Eugene Rousseau, "Top Tones" by sigurd Rasher, "Studies in High Harmonics" by Ted Nash, and there is a new book by Don Sinta called something about Voicings for Saxophone.
I would recomend Rousseau's book aver any of the others. His explanations, excersizes, and charts are the highest quality.
Justice C. Bigler
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