Altissimo fingering on baritone (to altissimo G up to double G)

[fabriziodalisera]

After receiving some private messages and emails I decided to share with you the fingerings that I use to play altissimo on baritone.
The range that I play goes from altissimo G up to "double altissimo"(I don't know how to call it...) G.
So you have a full octave of altissimo fingerings here.
I play a Conn12M, but these fingerings work on Selmers too, I tried them on my friend's mark VI.
I think that it could be helpful because we often find many threads on altissimo on tenor and alto, but very few on baritone.
This is NOT cool!...because the altissimo sounds really beautiful on baritone, so I hope that you enjoy this video.
If you like my vlogs you can suggest me other topics that you would like to see on my youtube channel.
So...wet your reed, bring your bari out of your case and start to play altissimo with me! The world needs more baritone players!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MJluqEJrJQ

 

[Greg Strange]

Why not buy a sopranino sax and you can play all the high notes you want on an E-flat instrument...

Greg S.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Why not buy a sopranino sax and you can play all the high notes you want on an E-flat instrument...

Greg S.

Yes, I can see that working in a solo. I fancy a few high notes here so I'll put down the baritone, pick up the 'nino, play the notes, put down the the 'nino, pick up the bari and carry on. 😀

 

[Vetinari]

I"ll be happy if top d to f# sound that good. Nice clean and clear.

 

[rhysonsax]

Yes, I can see that working in a solo. I fancy a few high notes here so I'll put down the baritone, pick up the 'nino, play the notes, put down the the 'nino, pick up the bari and carry on. 😀

I'm sure Roland Kirk could have made that work. He would have probably strapped the 'nino onto the side of the bari pigtail or something. And he could have played them at the same time.

Rhys

 

[EdJ]

the

Unfortunately straight ninos tend not to have a strap hook so some Roland Kirk style metalwork amendments would be needed or you could follow that concerto which dictates a sopranino down the bell of the bari a scary prospect for the saxophone cosmetics obsessive.

 

[Greg Strange]

I'm sure Roland Kirk could have made that work. He would have probably strapped the 'nino onto the side of the bari pigtail or something. And he could have played them at the same time.

Rhys

Obviously my comment was made in jest or firmly planted in cheek Nick, but as Rhys has pointed out there is always a work around and Rahsaan Roland Kirk was probably the man to do it; Tim Price in his book "Hot Rock Sax" covered the altissimo fingering for baritone sax and I have a DVD somewhere with Ronnie Cuber playing altissimo baritone sax...

Greg S.

 

[fabriziodalisera]

Thanks to all of you.
Expanding our register to the altissimo can be good if we integrate it to the "normal" register.
If we learn how to play up there this does not mean that we must abuse that register playing it into a wrong musical context.
Of course Ronnie Cuber made excellent examples of a good altissimo usage.
A good control of the altissimo on baritone (and harmonics in geneal) is harder to achieve than tenor and alto. Baritone is definetly more prone to unwanted harmonics and strange "grunts". Multiphonics are also really nice on baritone, but this is an another story...

 

[Ivan]

Multiphonics are also really nice on baritone, but this is an another story...

...do tell

 

[fabriziodalisera]

Thank you Ivan, I am planning to do that in the future.
Although there are some standard fingerings that work on almost every horn I personally use different fingerings that work better for me and my horn/mouthpiece setup. I am still trying to figure out how to do some "chords" (3 notes at a time) and split tones, some of them are nasty on bari, but they are very good to practice if you hate your neighbours!

 

[Vetinari]

Any chance you can upload drawings of your altissimo fingerings please?

 

[fabriziodalisera]

Hi, Vetinari, ok. I will upload them on my website next week. When they are available I will write here on the forum