| Trumpet: | 1215 |
| Trombone: | 334 |
| Alto Sax: | 236 |
| Tenor Sax: | 120 |
| Baritone Sax: | 16 |
| Other horns: | 4 |
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catchbigdandthe22manifesto
User |
Posted: 2005-11-30 00:58 CEST | |
| sorry, I've never heard that word before, so if someone could help me, is it kind of a higher octave??? | ||
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Kevin
User |
Posted: 2005-11-30 02:56 CEST | |
| Yeah, it's notes higher than the standard fingerings so everything higher than F or #F [if you have an #F key] It is achieved through overtones. It can basically add another octave to the toprange of your sax and it is amazing. It's really tricky and takes alot of practice, muscle strenth and control to get properly tuned notes. | ||
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widby
User |
Posted: 2005-11-30 21:23 CEST | |
| so it's playing notes higher than those of the palmkeys in your left hand? | ||
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Kevin
User |
Posted: 2005-12-01 00:39 CEST | |
| Yep. Higher than that. It's a crazy technique. I can't really do it. I have some notes I can hit up there but I don't know the notes or anything so it is only good for no key sax offs. | ||
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catchbigdandthe22manifesto
User |
Posted: 2005-12-16 05:21 CEST | |
| Ok....like the intro of if and when we rise again...from SM???cause I'm playing alto sax...I don't know if there are differences.... | ||
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Kevin
User |
Posted: 2005-12-17 03:22 CEST | |
catchbigdandthe22manifesto wrote:Ok....like the intro of if and when we rise again...from SM???cause I'm playing alto sax...I don't know if there are differences.... I don't think that there is any altissimo in that song what-so-ever. I don't think there is any altissimo in Streetlight Manifesto. I haven't heard any. I have heard very little altissimo in ska, the only example I can think of is Bad Mood by the Planet Smashers. It's crazy stuff but you hear it more in Harcore Jazz bands [go to some festivals] and higher end bands [Well, high end Jazz and such] You'll know the difference when the time comes. I figure the only time you will have to play altissimo in a ska song is if you put it in. |
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catchbigdandthe22manifesto
User |
Posted: 2005-12-19 04:13 CEST | |
| okay hh....I don't really understand how it is possible, a lip question??.... | ||
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Kevin
User |
Posted: 2005-12-19 05:21 CEST | |
| Overtones, my friend, overtones. A brass player can play numerous notes on the same position because they reach an overtone that sounds at a specific interval above the original note. So basically an overtone is a note that can be obtained through the same fingering but creating a different note than the fundamental note through a change in vibration, in this case a differnt vibration of the reed. Here's an experiment for you: play a low B or Bb and then without changing the fingering or touching the octave key sound a higher note by changing your embouchure and air stream. If you succeed, you just played an overtone. To obtain altissimo you produce overtone higher than your already existing notes. You have to play around with fingerings and such but with practice, it is possible to have an octave or more of chromatic altissimo notes. Hopefully that made sense. Your going to have to put alot of work in if you plan on doing it correctly and buying a book may be a good idea also. I currenty have some altissimo but I don't know what notes they are and I cannot control them nicely. So, if you can't play them, as so many cannot, don't worry about it, for what you are doing, no one will expect you to be pulling crazy altissimo out of your ass all the time. Maybe if you become a professional sax player you'll be expected to be able to do it and at that you may not even have to do it much at all. But just read up on altissimo, there are numerous articles on the web, and familiarize yourself with overtones. OVertone on low notes help alot with control and consistancy of tone and timbre throughout the full range of your saxophone so they are good things to practice even if you are not shooting for altissimo. The resonance on some of the fat overtones is beutiful and this full resonate tone is one thing you should strive for with everynote you play. Play around and have fun. | ||
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catchbigdandthe22manifesto
User |
Posted: 2005-12-20 03:46 CEST | |
| WOAH!! I wasn't expecting that!! thanks a lot for this very complete and long post, but I think I'll have some work to do, challenge!!! | ||
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rynszky
User |
Posted: 2006-05-23 20:43 CEST | |
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The first note i hit was a high A. which is the 2nd and 3rd keys with ur left hand + octave key. Its probably the easiest note to hit.Umm well..i play Alto so thats for u guys. i can hit it easily with a weak reed(2 1/2 Superial D.C. works for me) bite down like u usually play and tighten your lips around the mouthpiece. smile and lift your bottom lip up on the reed. It is so much easier using a weaker reed. |
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rynszky
User |
Posted: 2006-05-23 20:43 CEST | |
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The first note i hit was a high A. which is the 2nd and 3rd keys with ur left hand + octave key. Its probably the easiest note to hit.Umm well..i play Alto so thats for u guys. i can hit it easily with a weak reed(2 1/2 Superial D.C. works for me) bite down like u usually play and tighten your lips around the mouthpiece. smile and lift your bottom lip up on the reed. It is so much easier using a weaker reed. |
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Silver
User |
Posted: 2006-09-24 12:46 CEST | |
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I used to be able to get up to first altissimo Bb before i got my braces in, and now i cant get past G. What's the best way to develop a good ombachure for playing altissimo, is it just to practice your overtones and high notes until you have a really good tone there? |
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rynszky
User |
Posted: 2006-10-06 20:16 CEST | |
| a better horn, mouthpiece, reeds make a huge difference. try your arpeggio to the altissimo. EX. for A...play C# E A(altissmo note). just keep trying to hit it..until ur frustrated, then do it again. Sing the note in your head while playing. For that A push down 2,3,4,5,6 keys. | ||
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barimaphone
User |
Posted: 2006-10-13 14:30 CEST | |
i personally want to get an aulochrome...two sopranos combined for ultimate soprano goodness 
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Gimpster
User |
Posted: 2006-11-05 10:14 CEST | |
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Hey everyone, I'm new here, but I saw this article about altissimo, and I thought I'd add in my bit. I've been playing sax for a while (some 7 years or something...) and I can sortof do it, like a few of the people said, I can do it, but I don't really know what notes I'm playing. A good way to practice, is play some note without the octave key, then make it go up the octave without pressing the key. Am I right in saying that that's sortof the same thing? Honestly, I probably do that way too much, as I'll start playing something in the upper register (I play bari sax) and it'll start sounding bad, then I'll notice "Oh right, I'm not holding the octave key" But yea, try bringing things up the octave without the octave key. |
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Clayton
User |
Posted: 2006-12-01 21:59 CEST | |
Eugene Rosseau has a book out on altissimo with fingerings for both alto and tenor. You guys could check that out if you wanted to. 
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widby
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Posted: 2006-12-02 12:56 CEST | |
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gimpster, do u mean harmonics? yea i used to do that, but it messed my embouchure too much, and i did it willy-nilly. altissimo isn't all that hard, all you need is a hard reed, strong embouchure and some fingerings. there's loads on the internet, i think i got mine from 8notes and those fingerings are pretty comprehensive.
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Altosaxest92
User |
Posted: 2007-04-09 20:53 CEST | |
altissimo is extremly easy..............because well im 12 and i play trombone trumpet clairnet flute alto sax tenor sax and concert percussion.......and im in a beginer band but i whould be in my scholes chamber band jazz band and symphonic band and im in my schools ska band trilpleing on trombone tenor and alto sax.........just type in altissimo on google and this site called sax on the web shows your EVERY THING! you need to know on sax from sound affects altissimo transposing absalutly EVERY THING so i hope that helps you mate =) from your fellow skanker bye  
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Hi-iH
User |
Posted: 2007-04-17 23:33 CEST | |
| is you school ska band an organized activity, or just something on the side? that might be kinda sweet | ||
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Altosaxest92
User |
Posted: 2007-04-19 05:10 CEST | |
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actually i started it =0 my band director that i would be kinda cool, so yeah im lead any thing except guitar but i tune every one warm up very one and direct every one =)
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Savage
User |
Posted: 2007-06-22 18:50 CEST | |
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Pretty reliable altissimo fingerings for alto and tenor here: http://www.cannonballmusic.com/tips.php I can play altissimo, and do know what notes I'm hitting, and the best way to get there without cheating (because that will ruin your embochure) is to start like kevin said finger a low Bb and try to play the mid-range one, but once you have that try playing the mid-range F (123 on left hand 1 on right and the octave key) with the low Bb fingering. It may take a while, it may not. Once you can switch between that low Bb and mid F without changing the fingering, you're ready to try your first altissimo note. Start going chromatically up from a high comfortable note, maybe high C or D, when you get to F#, use the G altissimo fingering (even after being able to play between Bb and F it may take a couple of weeks before you can hit the G, don't be discouraged, it takes time and IS NOT easy, as for Altosaxest, he's is one of 3 things: a prodigy, a liar, or a very lucky kid, those results are not typical) just keep at it, and once you get the G, move on to Ab, and up and up until you can out play the trumpets. Another thing to do is practise playing notes that are already in your range with alternate altissimo fingerings. This is basically just E F and maybe F#. I'm sure you've all noticed that for you index finger on your left hand, there are 3 keys it can hit, the one you use to play B, another smaller one beneath it called the bis that is used to play Bb (one of 4 alternate Bb fingerings) and another one above the B key that you seem to never use (for some of you it may be another circular finger key, for others just a mis-shapen piece of metal that curls above the B key). This key will finally be used for the altissimo fingerings I am about to teach you. I assume you all know how to play E (back 2 palm keys left, top palm key right), well try to get the same exact tone out of this fingering: key above the B (let's call this the altissimo key for now) 2nd and 3rd left hand fingers and octave key (so basically like your high G but with your top finger on the alt key instead of the B), try this same thing with F and an A fingering with the alt key, and F# (you may have trouble hitting this one at first) A fingering with alt key and bottom palm key on the right hand. All these fingerings are listed on the site above. Since it is a long and fruitless journey to altissimo, I am going to teach you some tricks to playing altissimo improperly (I do not stand behind them and you should DEFINITELY learn to play it properly, but hey, not all of us here are great musicians, not all of us have the time, and some of us just want to hear ourselves play altissimo. So here is how you cheat a few altissimos out (you've probably all done this by accident or can do it, but aren't sure what notes you're hitting). the easiest note to play is actually the C above high C, it is fingered like an Eb without your 2 middle fingers (like you're flipping someone off kus you can play altissimo and he can't). Just overblow, and it will normally come out, try playing all 4 C's in a row if you can't quite get it (low, mid, high, alt). To hear this listen to Jump Jive an' Wail any version, but I have the one apparently done by the Cherry Poppin' Daddies (I'm a little sceptical of that source), wait for the first solo, it's a tenor sax and it starts out doing what I just described. If you are having trouble getting this sound it pains me to say this and as a rule you should never do it, but put your teeth on the reed (NOTE: I know I mentioned this before, but NEVER PUT YOUR TEETH ON THE REED!!). Start with them where you would normally put your lips to play, and move them closer to the ligature (put more mouthpiece in your mouth) until you find that place where you make the right sound. this can be used for a lot of higher notes, play normal fingerings and use a very firm embochure or your teeth to bring them up the harmonic series. This will work for almost all notes, but it is very unreliable, out of tune, and horrible for your reed, embochure, and just about everything else, but as kevin said, it's good for no key sax offs. |
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