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11 Tips for Improving Your Altissimo
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TOPICS By Doron Orenstein / Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques, Special Feature / Mouthpieces, Music
Equipment, Practicing, Reeds, Resources, Saxophone Lessons, Saxophone Technique, Video

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Live Performance Today’s post comes in response to a question by reader Chad Lamkin.
Mouthpieces Chad asks:
RECENT COMMENTS
Music business
I play Alto and I really just want to improve and just learn it all Joe Q. on The Saxophonist’s Guide To The Dreaded Art
Music Equipment
at the moment.  I’m trying to get these altissimo notes down but Of Transposition
Music Theory the highest I can get F# and I can’t get it any higher…Would Smitty on The Saxophonist’s Guide To The Dreaded Art
Podcasts you happen to have any tips? Of Transposition

Popular Music Lanny Aplanalp on ReedJuvinate: Another option for

extending your reed longevity?
Practicing Well Chad My Lad, it’s good that you asked, because there are some
great things we can do to add an octave or two or three to our horns – Doron Orenstein on Study with Bob Mintzer, Dave
Recording
not to mention play the sort of sax solos that get people on their feet. Liebman, and Bob Sheppard
Reeds
Woodrow Carter on Study with Bob Mintzer, Dave
Liebman, and Bob Sheppard
Resources
What is the Altissimo Register?
Saxophone Brand
Overviews The altissimo register on the saxophone is comprised of the notes
Saxophone Lessons above F3 (the palm key F). There is no real limit to how high the
Saxophone Parts
altissimo range goes, although D8 is the highest I’ve seen
any fingering chart go up to.
Saxophone Technique

Tone Production Here’s what I suggest we all do to improve our control of this
Transcriptions challenging aspect of saxophone sovereignty.

Video
1. Make sure you develop your tone in
the range below altissimo first.
Altissimo requires a great deal of control over the instrument . While
mastering the instrument is a never-ending process, simply arriving at
the point of being able to eek out an altissimo note is quite a bit more
difficult than playing a single note within the saxophone’s normal
range. If you haven’t got a sold grasp on the basic skills necessary to
get a good tone on the notes below altissimo, forget about it, it ain’t
gonna happen.

2. Make sure that you’re using the
optimal mouthpiece and reed
combination.
Unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all setup that guarantees the
best results for hittin’ those high, high notes, so this is one of those
things you might need to experiment with, especially if you find
yourself struggling to make even the smallest amount of progress. You
really want to make sure that your setup can handle a powerful
airstream without the reed closing down. An overly soft reed, or a
mouthpiece with an overly small chamber can constrict the airflow in a
way that can seriously hamper your efforts.

3. Make sure that your saxophone is
not leaking.
When it comes to the subtle art of  playing in the altissimo register,
every little bit of air makes a difference. So if air is escaping via leaky
pads, it could cause you added frustration as the notes aren’t coming
out. Or worse yet, you could end up establishing bad playing habits to
compensate for that leaky horn.

4. Practice your overtones.
You will not find a single book or tutorial resource of any kind on the
subject of altissimo that doesn’t cover the practice of overtones. In
fact, I would venture to say that the practice of overtones and
altissimo are one and the same. Almost every single tip in this article
applies to the practice of harmonics (aka overtones) as well. In truth,
the altissimo register is nothing more than upper partials (also, aka
overtones) of lower notes, so there really is no distinction.  Altissimo
simply refers to the very top overtones on the saxophone.

For more information on overtones as well as some handy exercises,

check out my 3-part series on the subject here.

5. Make sure you hear your altissimo
notes before you play them.
Just like with overtones, the altissimo notes require non-standard
fingerings. Case in point: let’s say you hand a saxophone to someone
who’s never played the instrument, have them finger a middle F, and
just blow. There’s a pretty good chance that, horrible as it may sound,
they’ll squak out the correct pitch.

Not so when it comes to those altissimo notes.

Altissimo requires very subtle control of the embouchure, shape of the

inner mouth, tongue, and throat. Add to that the fact that each
altissimo note has several different fingerings and you’ll see that there
is no set-it-and-forget-it fingering that’ll get you to those high notes.
The correct manipulation of those hard-to-control muscles must be
guided by your ear, so blindly fingering and blowing is not an option
here.

6. Experiment with different fingerings
to discover what works best for you.
As I’ve already mentioned, there are indeed quite a few possible
fingerings for each altissimo note. This is probably one of the most
challenging aspects of playing way way up high. Boy, wouldn’t it be
easy if all we had to do was memorize the fingering for each note and
away we go? No such luck here, since what we’re really playing consists
of overtones of notes in the normal range of the instrument. For this
reason, variables such as your equipment setup and your own physical
makeup make it so that we have to get creative.

Below are a couple of free online altissimo fingering charts that you
can refer to. Go through each fingering, preferably with a tuner, and
see which one plays the most naturally and precisely for you.

https://www.petetracey.com/saxcharts [Sorry(!), but this web

page has disappeared since the original publication of this article]
https://wardbaxter.com/education/sax_altissimo.pdf

7. Avoid biting down excessively.
Although the natural tendency when playing in the upper register of
the saxophone is to bite down and squeeze the notes out, this is really
the opposite of what you should be doing. Just like with your
overtones, getting the altissimo notes requires that the “heavy lifting”
is not done by your bottom jaw, but rather, by the tongue, throat, and
inner mouth. Again, the practicing of overtones will get these muscles
working for you in the right away.

8. Support those altissimo notes with a
solid stream of air.
Really, this tip applies to any note on the saxophone, but in the case of
altissimo it really isn’t optional. Make sure that you’re supporting your
sound with the muscles in your diaphragm, which is located right
below your ribcage.
Increasing the speed of the air in important as well. Speeding up the
air is similar to speeding up the stream of water out of a hose. Ever
step on a hose without completely blocking the water from coming
out? If so, you noticed that the water that does come out travels a lot
further and faster.

On the sax, if you “squeeze” the air with your tongue high into your
soft palette, the air will move faster and cause the reed to pop into
altssimo mode.

9. Experiment with making different
vocal sounds while practicing
altissimo notes.
One intuitive way to guide the the inner mouth, tongue, and throat
into the correct position is by simply attempting to sing certain vowel
and consonant sounds while simultaneously playing the horn. For
example, many sax players have reported success from the
“EEEEEWWWW” vowel sound, while others have benefitted from
imagining making the sound of a cat hissing.  Try a few of these and
see what works best.

10. Include the altissimo range in your
practice of long tones, arpeggios,
scales and improvisation.
This may seem a bit obvious, but I just thought I’d mention it as a
reminder that the goal here is really to extend the natural range of the
instrument. Ideally, we should be able to play anything we would
normally play in the normal saxophone range up an octave, or two, or
even three. This will also help us hear the altissimo notes as mentioned
in tip #5.

11. Grab one of the great books on the
topic of altissimo.
Excellent practice books always make for a great shortcut in musical
improvement as we’re pushed into playing things completely out of
our self-defined comfort zones. Here are 3 classics you may want to
check  out for yourself:

Top Tones for Saxophone – Sigurd Rascher, published by Carl

Fischer

Saxophone High Tones: A Systematic Approach to the Extension

of the Range of All the Saxophones: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and
Baritone

Ted Nash’s Studies in High Harmonics

Altissimo in Action
So now that we’ve taken in some altissimo wisdom, let’s get out there
in break some glass!

In the meantime, check  out the world’s master in altissimo playing, the

man himself, Lenny Picket:

You might also like...

Altissimo the Easy Way 12 Tips for Hitting that It's Indeed Possible to
Altissimo G Like a Pro Master Your Altissimo -
And Here's How

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Doron Orenstein
I've been playing the sax since the late 80's, but my musical
journey has run quite the gamut. The musical rap sheet includes
tours with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and reggae master Half
Pint, center stage at the L.A. Music Center, cozy cafes, raucous
night clubs, gear-drenched studios, and the pinnacle of any musician's career - playing
weddings in New Jersey! (duh). There's a lot of other stuff too, but you should be
reading these blog posts and leaving comments instead. Now off you go!
→ Doron Orenstein

« Lauren Sevian on the Baritone Quick Tip: How to Blow into the »
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29 Comments

REPLY
Jordan
MARCH 7, 2011 @ 7:31 AM

Good post. I was always frustrated with overtones because while I can
reliably sound middle Bb and top-line F while fingering a low Bb, and
switch between them cleanly (reed-dependent) (and similarly for low
B, C, C#, D, and usually Eb) that’s about it.

Always felt deficient because I can’t get the second octave overtone.
And altissimo is basically out of the question for me. Front high F and E
(which are altissimo-like notes) are fine, as is the modified high F#
(front F with the side Bb key added) but that’s it — I think I’ve squeaked
out an altissimo G at one point in my life — otherwise it’s terra incognita
on my horn.

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
MARCH 7, 2011 @ 8:11 PM

Hey there Jordan,

What’s really helped me with the overtones is

manipulation of the tongue. For example, I was having a
hard time with one overtone interval (can’t remember
which one it was), but I simply practiced moving my
tongue SLOWLY into position for the “K” sound, and
boom, the overtone popped out.

Unfortunately, it can be a challenge to describe precisely

what needs to be done when it comes to saxophone
voicing, but experimenting with the tongue and different
syllables can really help.

All the best,

Doron

REPLY
Bret Pimentel
MARCH 7, 2011 @ 8:30 AM

Nice tips–especially #1 and #8, and the recommendation for the

Rousseau (Saxophone High Tones) book. The Rascher book is popular
and inexpensive, but many saxophonists find Rascher’s fingerings
difficult to use on modern horns.

My additional tip: don’t forget to make your altissimo notes sound

good. Go for a full, resonant, in-tune, non-whiny sound. Even if you’re
interested in screaming, emoting high notes a la Pickett/Sanborn,
you’ll need a solid altissimo core tone to back them up.

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
MARCH 7, 2011 @ 8:13 PM
 Always great to get your insights Bret. Most of us are
content with simply eeking those notes out, but it’s
important to remember to make those notes to carry the
same characteristics of sound as the notes within the
horns’s normal range.

REPLY
Neal | Sax Station
MARCH 7, 2011 @ 6:36 PM

Thanks Doron, that’s a pretty solid set of tips for altissimo. I’m glad you
started the list with the first one….. I tend to get a lot of people who
want to learn altissimo before they’ve mastered the fundamentals of
saxophone.

I would add that sax players ought to search for altissimo charts used
by players that use the same brand/similar setup.

-Neal

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
MARCH 7, 2011 @ 8:14 PM

Seems like tip #1 is striking a chord. And great insight

about the fingerings for particular setups, I never really
thought about that.

Thanks Neal!

Doron

REPLY
chad
MARCH 9, 2011 @ 6:48 PM

Thanks so much for this!!! but i have a question about the G when I go
to play it, it sounds like there are 2 maybe even 3 differnt pitchs?

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
MARCH 9, 2011 @ 8:43 PM

That’s very common. I would practice your overtones

below the altissimo and see if you can gain control of
those pitches first. Once you learn how to control your
overtones, playing altissimo, which is essentially the
same skill, will fall right into place.

You may also want to start incorporating the altissimo

notes in your long-tone practice.

I hope that helps,

Doron

REPLY
chad
MAY 21, 2011 @ 8:18 AM
Thanks so much for these tips! I can finaly play that G lol ive learned up
to B!

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
MAY 21, 2011 @ 8:20 AM

Wow, that’s awesome! I’m always so happy when folks

find these articles helpful.

All the best my friend,

Doron

REPLY
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12 Tips for Hitting that Altissimo G Like a Pro | Best.
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JULY 25, 2011 @ 6:02 AM

[…] to delve into the altissimo register. While there is a great deal of
information out there about the art of altissimo as a whole, I thought
that it would be good to hone in on a specific note in the altissimo
register that seems […]

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Altissimo the Easy Way | Best. Saxophone. Website.
Ever.
SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 @ 6:02 AM

[…] 11 Tips for Improving Your Altissimo […]

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Saxophones: What is the best exercise to play the
altissimo scale on any sax? - Quora
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REPLY
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Tenor, Alto, Soprano And Bariton Mouthpieces For
Saxophone Kit
NOVEMBER 5, 2011 @ 8:50 PM
[…] to delve into the altissimo register. While there is a great deal of
information out there about the art of altissimo as a whole, I thought
that it would be good to hone in on a specific note in the altissimo
register that seems […]

REPLY
Altissimo the Easy Way – Baritone – Alto.
MAY 23, 2012 @ 6:36 AM

[…] 11 Tips for Improving Your Altissimo […]

REPLY
Chazz Pratt
NOVEMBER 19, 2012 @ 7:00 PM

Doron: What role does a mouthpiece’s Facing have into the ease or
difficulty in reaching altissimo?

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
NOVEMBER 19, 2012 @ 10:58 PM

From what I understand, being that shorter facings make

for a more open tip, and a more open tip creates a bit
more resistance, and more resistance makes for easier
altissimo.

That said, it’s really your practice of overtones and voicing

that is going to get you solid altissimo chops, but the
shorter facing might help a bit as well. I would suggest
experimenting at a local music store and seeing what
works best for you.

I hope that helps!

REPLY
Chazz Pratt
NOVEMBER 20, 2012 @ 5:31 PM

Thanks Doron!

REPLY
Heath Watts
APRIL 3, 2013 @ 9:15 AM

Doron, this was a great article.

Has anyone written an altissimo exercise book that goes up to high Bb

(Bb on the eighth ledger line above the G-clef)? Rosemary Lang’s book
“Beginning Studies in the Altissimo Register for Saxophone” (revised
and edited by G.B. Levinsky) has exercise up to high F (the seventh
ledger line above the G-clef), and Paul Cohen’s book “The Altissimo
Primer” has exercises up to high D (the sixth ledger line above the G-
clef), but I’ve not found a book that has exercises up to the high Bb.

I could just transpose the exercises in the other books, but if someone
already wrote a book that incorporates the additional five notes
beyond those presented in Lang’s book, I’d like to buy the book. Thanks
for your help.
Best,
Heath

REPLY
Pete
AUGUST 11, 2013 @ 8:49 AM

The Saxophone Altissimo charts repository – which is more than just a

resource for charts but actually lets you create your own charts of
fingerings that work well for your make/model/setup – has moved to
[Sorry(!), but this web page has disappeared since the original
publication of this comment]

Hoping the link in the article will be updated.

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
AUGUST 12, 2013 @ 10:08 AM

Very cool, thanks, link is fixed!

REPLY
Jabu
JULY 10, 2015 @ 2:26 AM

Hi, i am a Jabu from RSA, learner saxophonist. Well we are learners

forever. lol…Iv been playing for 4 years now.

TENOR – Hard rubber Ottolink 7 with vandoren size 3 on tenor.

SOPRANO – Hard rubber ottolink 5 with size 3 vandoren.

1. My question is, what is the right route of practise to a professional

player. This is after u know all 12 major, minor 1; 2 & 3, Blues,
pentatonic etc.

2. How do we utilize all these scales we learnt for years.

3. Is there a syllabus to follow. Please supply us.

***I thank you***

REPLY
Vassilis
MAY 4, 2016 @ 4:53 AM

Hello Doron, thank you for that useful article!

Do you have any advice about how to play in tune in the altissimo
register? I can play the 3 first notes of altissimo. G sounds great, but
G# and A sound really sharp. Should I search for another fingering?

Vassilis

REPLY
Ronaldo
MAY 20, 2016 @ 6:10 AM

I was challenged to pick up sax again recently because of the

altissimos. I gave up multiple times playing high registers. But this time
since there are so many info on the internet, and of course persistent
practice, I finally able to play comfortably up to D. That’s exactly 3
weeks after picking up the saxophone back again. Now, I started
practicing sax everyday and very slowly improving my overall playing.
This site gave me lots of info about sax playing. Long overtones is the
key. Thanks Doron… Btw, I’m a pro guitar player not sax. :)

REPLY
James f
MAY 24, 2016 @ 2:03 PM

For me, the employment of diaphragm , it’s awareness , breathing

powerfully from it, like panting,is the topmost thing to grasp.
Then after is how to do careful research in very organised and scientific
manner. Get many blank charts for entering fingerings . Get all , many
of the Internet fingerings. Try all, all. Go not with a loaded belly. Speed
great r and d in the woodshed. Keep water for throat.
Suck in your belly to pressure the air, and give it speed.
Something must happen. Guaranteed .

REPLY
James f
MAY 24, 2016 @ 2:10 PM

S. Series 3. Alto
Vandoren mpc V16 A7M
Vandoren leather ligature.
Reeds: Vandoren Java 2 , green box
Range: 4 octaves and a few.
Genre: hymns and anthems to God.

REPLY
olotu ifeoluwa enoch
MARCH 6, 2017 @ 2:52 PM

good

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