Playing the saxophone Tonguing Altissimo notes

[jazzsurfer]

Hi - I am working on altissimo notes at the moment and have managed to play them up to high (tenor) D. I can now do some rudimentary scale exercises and arpeggios etc on these notes. However, I am not tonguing them. I seem to doing it in the same manner that I do the overtone exercises ie. via throat/airstream control. Is this what others do or is there the next level to go through ?

When I start to try and tongue the altissimo notes they become unstable.🙁

 

[Pete Thomas]

When I start to try and tongue the altissimo notes they become unstable.🙁

I would say that ultimately you do need to tongue them.

Sorry bout that!

 

[jazzsurfer]

Hi Pete - Thanks for the quick response. I had the feeling that you would say that. When you play an altissimo (tenor) 'A' - can you nail it straight off by tonguing it ?? Even if you are coming from something like low 'C' ? (I am only trying to gauge the journey here) 🙂
As when I try this move it sounds as if I am strangling a pig.

 

[daveysaxboy]

It sound's bad when you start on your altissimo but all good thing's come to he,her who wait's,keep working on it and not to long you will be doing great.Little step's.

 

[jazzsurfer]

Altissimo Notes

Thanks for the encouragement. I guess that it was not that long ago that I couldn't play any altissimo notes. The neighbours have a little longer to put up with it. 🙂