Staccato altissimo G?

[mizmar]

So, I finally got on top of altissimo G in a real tune, which is nice.

So I was warming up with some staccato scales, ok front E, F, F#.. G? Nothing.
Nor, indeed, G# or A - but Bb, B and C are fine.

Just me? Or is there a technique?
Just practice? Look for alternate fingerings? Lift my eyebrows suddenly?..

Practice, right.

(If it matters, YTS23/Vito, Otto Stink tone edge 6, 2 1/2 Roberto's reeds)

 

[lydian]

Post your G, G# and A fingerings, and I'll try them and report back. Mine are (all include the octave key):
G - front F, side Bb
G# - LH 2, 3
A - LH 3

I have no issues with staccato on the above notes. But I've always had to work hard to sustain a stable G.

 

[mizmar]

G - same
G# - + RH 1.. but I can voice it without
A: oxx xxx (i tried your lh3... and get closer to Bb)

I'm sure it's just practice. I still, kind of, launch the G rather than play it... It does need to be crisper.

 

[lydian]

Yeah, for my A, there's a lot of voicing and embouchure changes to get it in tune. But I've done it for 40 years now, so it's automatic.

 

[jonf]

What sax are you playing? My favourite alt G fingering is front B, 8ve and F# key. Obviously requires an F#. On my Yanagisawa tenor it comes out very easily.

 

[mizmar]

What sax are you playing

Same as lydin above; 8ve, front F, side Bb

I might try yours.

What surprised me was that altissimo G, G# and A just seem to collapse when tongued while the rest are fine.
But I suppose it's that my voicing of those notes isn't solid enough...

 

[mizmar]

My favourite alt G fingering is front B, 8ve and F# key

Just to say, that sounded fine... But the target I was working on is alt G -> E (front F oxx) so, not as convenient in this case, but probably useful in others.

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I read elsewhere that the clarinet fingering was designed by two committees where as the sax was designed by one.
Actually the clarinet had three working groups - and the memo on B♭ got lost. The sax had one committee for two registers and a group of stoned anarchists in charge of altissimo.