Altissimo Help

[SaxRebel]

Okay guys, I have been playing saxophone for quite a while and have played altissimo on numbers occasions. I have always had a good bit of trouble with getting G#6-B6. Just that particular group of notes. Does anyone have any suggestions or fingerings that they have found helpful?

 

[Nick Wyver]

It might help to explain what you mean by G#6-B6. Seems a bit high to me.
What sax you play might help too.

 

[SaxRebel]

It is the G# right above the range of the alto saxophone. Sorry, I did forget to mention alto saxophone. I play a Yanigisawa 991 Alto Saxophone on a Vandoren Optimum mouthpiece.

 

[Nick Wyver]

I think we'd normally call that G#3 cos it's the 3rd G# you can get on a sax. The B would be B4.
So you're ok with G3 and C4 and above (to where?).
Usual fingering for G#3 is o-o/o-- add side C.
Easiest A4 is usually -oo/ooo
Bb4 is as A but add high D key
B4 is just high D key (sometimes add 3rd finger lh)
So what do you use for C4 and above?

 

[BigMartin]

I think we'd normally call that G#3 cos it's the 3rd G# you can get on a sax.

Doesn't that system hit a bit of a snag when talking about A's on baritone?

 

[Nick Wyver]

A small snag - easy to overcome. With any other method that relates it to concert pitch you have to specify the sax you're talking about anyway.

 

[BigMartin]

A small snag - easy to overcome. With any other method that relates it to concert pitch you have to specify the sax you're talking about anyway.

A slightly more serious issue would be that it only really works among sax players. If an oboist says A2 to me I'm going to have to look it up (I know, don't talk to oboists...). Or if a flautist says B3 I have to know what sort of foot joint they've got. Isn't there some standard (say, piano-based?) nomenclature?

 

[Nick Wyver]

Yes, there are a number of them (see here for a start), but this is a sax forum so it makes sense to use a system that is applicable to all saxes without having to specify which (apart from low A ones 🙂).
Here's quite fun too.

 

[BigMartin]

Yes, there are a number of them

Ah yes, the great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from...

Thanks for the links