Hey folks,
Well, I´m planning to start practicing the altissimo range on my alto.
However, every altissimo fingering chart I find uses the high F# key and my sax doesn´t have one.
So, is there an alternative chart of saxophones without the high F# key?
Thanks in advance,
Raf.
Bingo!
More reinforcement to my theory that fingering charts should be ditched for good (oh my god, what do I do without that top F#? Can't do altissimo!!).
Yep...you have a great alternative: chuck away all those fingering charts and focus more on mastering the harmonics - then you'll find at least 60% of the altissimo you need are already there in your harmonics by just using the conventional fingerings (meaning no need to learn new fingerings) and the other 40% it's up to your ability and experimentation (I've already pointed out a very useful trick in one of my previous discussions...(that trick seems to be universal as it work on all my 15 odd saxes...more on request).
In the end you'll succeed in achieving the same (as if you were using the fingering charts) only; you'll have a more productive and streamlined way of accessing an extra octave (and you'll avoid getting cramps in you hands).
Controversial Zannad (don't read if you are easily offended by lateral thinking):
Altissimo fingering charts don't work in an universal way - each sax is different and each has it's own peculiarity - there should be an altissimo fingering chart for each sax and for each setup - and dare to say, for each player (as each of us has different anatomic traits - some resonaces work better in one mouth's cavity and others harmonics for another...).
Fact is that if you go up there in the altissimo range you can easily find 4-5 notes with a single fingering...in fact the higher you go the more notes are there at your disposal (you pick and choose)...
all the fingering charts do is to fool you into thinking that you are doing something right with your fingers to get that note, while in fact you are training your throat to find a note - the fingering here are practically irrelevant -
they are just a gimmick to reinforce an association with your throat (the one that really matter) - Instead, you can find alternative associations which are more fluid and instinctive e.g. normal fingering + harmonics (and a few adjustments) - isn't that more natural?.
Be smart...