How to Play Altissimo G on Tenor Sax
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2016
- Altissimo G can be a challenging note to play on the Tenor Saxophone.
Follow these steps and you can have success playing this note...
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Well, using this technique I was able to get the G above the altissimo G, so I guess that's a start...
OMG Donna, I've been struggling to play altissimo on my tenor forever. I watched this video, "sang it" into my horn with my throat as if I was going to sing, and it just came out. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!! Thanks so much. What a breakthrough, thanks to you!!!! I'm ECSTATIC!!!
That's terrific Paul! Sign up for my free weekly newsletter and you'll get my free video (3 Tips to Fatten Up Your Saxophone Tone) that will help you even more: donnaschwartzmusic.com/fst
Hi Paul. The technique of singing the note into your horn is covered by master saxophonist John Harle in his two-volume book "The Saxophone - the art and science of playing and performing" available from Amazon. In his book John draws attention to the similarities between singing and playing the saxophone and describes his method of directing air to different parts of the reed depending on which register and note you're playing. I've been working through this book for the last couple of years and it has made a great improvement in my playing and understanding, allowing me to play better with less effort. Thoroughly recommend this book to everyone. Happy playing and best wishes.
you just changed my whole way of playing the saxophone. Thank you
Thank you, just starting out with Alto sax and my teacher keeps saying sing the note. Now it is making sense. Cool
I too was in doubt, believing myself incapable of playing the G, but lo and behold, I sang and it rang!
I tried the "singing" the notes thing and it works. I tried it with long tones. I even tried it on one of the exercises in a book I am working on. I "sang" each and every note and with getting over a cold I sounded awful. I then played the exercise and got through it. Now I am going to drill this into my son's head to start "singing" the notes. Thank you so much. It's a nice little gift.
That's great to hear - do the hard work now and it gets easier later on...
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This (and a better reed) nailed it for me in 3 sessions of 5-7 minutes. You're an amazing instructor! It's the singing thing that actually got me there so easily. Earlier attempts had been fruitless... Warm regards and a happy new year!
Thanks Donna. Now heading to the shed to practise for my entrance exam 😊 Greetings from Finland!
super pedagogy, aka great teaching ; thank you
Thank you! Check out my website for more videos like this: www.DonnaSchwartzMusic.com
Damn, that worked like a charm..I can play it easily now. Thanks!
Nice. I'll share it to my students. I say the same to them, all the time. Maybe now, as you are saying,
they won't find it boring, and they won't find me boring too! Thanks a lot!
Hello Donna.
I am glad I found your video. The way you teach it is very nice. Now I can play altissimo G. Thank you.
Great video. I was a french horn player and just starting the sax. I thought about what you were saying about playing the sax like a brass instrument but was not sure until I saw your video. Very encouraging
You should check out some of my other videos on my site: www.donnaschwartzmusic.com. Go to the Free Stuff tab and you'll see lots there. You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter and get my free video: 3 Tips to Fatten Up Your Saxophone Tone.
1 3 lh 1 3 rt hand and add f# will be more in tune . this works better on alto than most tenors
Not necessarily - depends on the brand of horn...
Standard F# on tenor (w/o F# key) is front F + R1 and Side Bb.
Alto is front F + side Bb
holy shit whoaa🤯🤯mind BLOWNNN thank u so much for this vid!!! girl ima always be in tune noww
Thank you, Donna. I revisited this; and I understand it better than I did before.
you are so awesome lolol, i actually hit it with the second fingering you said. thank you :)
wow singing the note into the mouthpiece! That is awesome Donna and it's working on the tenor. Thank you Donna!
Great - good to hear...
Great Lesson Donna !!!
Great tips!
you are an amazing teacher! thank you DEAR!!
Great advice and very helpful thank you
I've heard other's say to just use the mouthpiece alone to help form the Oral Cavity to it's proper position to help facilitate the note. I like your advise even more so!
this is helpful. i like your insights ^^ continue this good work :D. greetings from the Philippines
Thanks for this video. First time I ever hit the G
best teacher on you tube
I like your emphasis on singing. It's helped me a lot in memorizing heads. My tenor is older, so no high F#. ( concert E). My goal is to hit that. It would make me happy, so to speak....thanks.
Parabéns pela explicação.
Great stuff there Donna--I like the point you bring out of hearing/singing the note before you play it....so important and I don't think there's that many teachers who emphasize how important that it is, hats off to you there :) I was fortunate in that regard because the teacher I had put a lot of emphasis on hearing/singing the note before you play it. I was always taught that fingerings are only part of the equation, most of it has to do with the technique needed to play in this range. I was only taught 2 different fingerings to use/try (depending on the Sax like you mentioned) and they work no matter what model of Sax I'm on. On a side note, I had my first practice on the Sax a couple of days ago since my diagnosis of 'tongue-tie' showed itself and it went very well :) I put a post about it on my facebook page, so I'm on the road to recovery...so, so happy about it :) Thankfully it wasn't full-blown TMJ..talk about a relief. I get the tendon under my tongue clipped this month and then afterwards my doctor said that's when I would start to get back to normal.
Yes, I saw your post - great news Michael!
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video 😊
Funny, I use front F and side Bb on my Mk VI . I have that same tuner ! I got it about 40 years ago I think. I was in my 20’s !
Great, great tips!!!!!
It helps me a lot!!!!
Thanks.
Good to hear, thank you....
I've been playing for years and seen many teachers on RUclips. You are a breath of fresh air. Great teaching style. Your students are on to a winner.
WOW! Thank you. I really appreciate that! 😊
Dona you are so beautiful like tenor saxophone...
Trumpet was first instrument, helped with breathing through the diaphragm as well.
thank you.
Great teaching, so easy to follow and put into action.
Thank you, and I'm really glad it helped :)
Super, danke👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🙂
Thank you. Im brand new to the sax, only one week playing and i noticed my pitch is off even though I'm playing the right notes. You definitely gave me something to think about.
Felix G unless you have played another woodwind instrument for awhile I would recommend staying away from altissimo for awhile.
Same I tried playing an altissimo G and ended up playing Altissimo C#
Thank you very much Donna for explaining this to me! to give a background of my musical life, I started on clarinet, then moved to the flute and then to the T Sax. I was told by my band director that the instrument was an extension of my voice. However, I didn't get the exact meaning, until seeing this video. Mind you that like your tuner, that lesson was over 20 years ago (so it is also possible I just forgotten about it)... However, not being a brass player, this also clarified some questions I had about how my brass friends were able to get notes on an instrument that only consists of three valves.
That's great - glad the video helped clarify some things for you...
Donna Schwartz please, I have been having problems with my lips hurting whine playing SAX for about 5yrs now. What advice do you have for me to reduce the pain. It sometimes makes me wanna quit playing. thank you
Check out my site for more videos that will help you , and sign up for free weekly newsletters for more practical tips at DonnaSchwartzMusic.com. I just finished registration for my new course on Getting a Killer Sax Tone. You can get on the waitlist for the next time the course becomes available here: donnaschwartzmusic.com/join-killer-saxophone-tone/
Thank you!
You are a great teacher, thank you.
Thank you! 😃
I have a yahama YAS 23. I am really inspired by this video.I love playing altimiso G to show off to my band mates. They can't do it though.I I can play it on alto and watching your video really helped.I might ask our band director if he can show this video to are saxophone players.
this really helped! I took out my horn and played together with you and it popped out immediately! Was practicing so many thing prior before clicking play but it helped
That's awesome!
@@DonnaSchwartz Any videos for the low notes? from low C to Bb? I can get it but not on demand as i would like. If I start from mid Bb and go down, can get the Low Bb but i struggle to start from Low Bb on demand
Yes - just search my RUclips channel and check my site
This is so cool!!! Thank you very much, Donna!
Thanks Christine - check out my website for other free video lessons, and subscribe to get 3 Tips to Fatten Up Your Saxophone Tone...
www.DonnaSchwartzMusic.com
Will do! Thank you for your generous teaching!
👍
Thank you for this helpful breakdown! Also always happy to see fellow lady tenor players. :)
Yes!
Thanks Donna: very helpful lesson for me, this. I guess your point about singing the note and applying your voicing to the sax, so that we’re singing the note through the sax, can be applied to the whole range of the horn, right?
Yes!
I played high G, to get it in my head, sang a G, air played a G in my horn, then blew out a beautiful altissimo C#. After fighting with it a while I was able to get a altissimo G / C# chord. But I did learn to play altissimo C# and altissimo C, so there is that.
Hey, 3 notes for the price of one! Love it! Seriously though, this takes time and is not meant to be a quick fix. Keep at it, and the note you intend will always come out.
I haven't played in a while but I remember playing entire phrases in harmonics from the high fingerings by playing the mouthpiece like a kazoo (with a very light touch on the reed, though.)
Gostei da boquilha...I do Like this mouthpiece. TKS
well done
good job
Hey Donna,
First of all, love your video’s, keep it up!
Rookie question here; the tenor pitch is always a whole step above the concert pitch? For example a concert C# would be a D#/Eb on tenor?
That's correct!
Donna Schwartz Thanx!!
For some reason, you sound a tiny bit like Ellen on Nemo, and I love that so much! Haha. Thanks for the tips in this video, found them very interesting!
Too funny!!! I love Ellen too! Glad you liked the video...
I think the reason I would get my G wrong is because I finger it wrong. Next time I'll play my sax, I'll try to think of these concepts to see if I can hit that note. Thanks for the tip.
I have a 1975 Selmer Mk VI Tenor Saxophone and I was wondering what you think would be the easiest Altissimo G fingering. I have tried covering the 1 and 2 that I think that you are doing on your Mk VI, but I think that closest I get is about a C5 on my tuner.
I just use the octave and front fork key (which presses down LH 1)
gracias gracias gracias!!!! :))))))
Great videos! Why did u change to cane reeds? Thks
I mostly use Legere Signatures now, and sometimes cane
I currently play Alto sax and I'm thinking about switching to tenor and you altissimo G sounds like my D but an octive higher.
Omg your mouthpiece is so cool the way the ligature is a part of it☺️
Thanks, It's a Theo Wanne Gaia 7....
You rock!!
Wow - thanks! Check out my website for more videos... www.DonnaSchwartzMusic.com What specifically in the video helped you get Altissimo G?
For me, the second fingering worked waaay better than the first, my intended note jumped right out! I got a few other notes as well, but as they say, "today's squeaks are tomorrow's notes!", so I'll save those spots on my lips and embouchure for later reference. With a bit of practice, I'll get that note (and others) on command, thank you!
That's great to hear! Keep it up!
Nice mouthpiece, I play on a Theo Wanne Kali 7* myself.
Hi, I'm just starting out on the tenor. I bought a YTS-82Z and have been playing for only two months. The reason I wanted to learn was so I could play a lot of popular Rock & Pop sax solos from the 70s, 80s and 90s. What I have been finding out is that most of them were recorded on the Alto. I also look for tutorials and finger charts for these popular tunes..but nearly all of them are for Alto. Are there any sites that you know of where I can find popular Rock & Pop tenor solos? If not, would I have to play in altissimo to replicate the same notes that were used on the Alto solos?
You generally play those solos an octave lower. Once you get your embouchure solid, along with your altissimo range, then you can learn those solos in the original octave. I have a course, Master Your Favorite Sax Solos, where I teach each solo for tenor and alto. I only offer it once or twice a year, so sign up for my mailing list to know when it will be offered.
Oh cool thanks. Where can I sign up for your mailing list (and out of curiosity, do you have a list of the sax solos that you teach in that course )?
All the info is here:
donnaschwartzmusic.com/store/master-sax-solos/
YOur advice to hear and sing a pitch - using a tenor even applies to keyboard instruments. Again as you say no need to sing every single note of a piece but it is helpful to get the main skeleton of a tune. For example the famous Sonata in C major by Mozart - you will play the opening theme far less mechanically by singing it (start with not ornamentation). I do this especially with Chopin Mazurkas - to get the feel of each section you need to sing the melody to avoid a mechanical waltz dance pattern or confusing the beats.
What type of Theo Wanne mouthpiece are you using?
That is the original Gaia
Can you make your tenor sax sound like alto sax?
Hi Donna, please be kind to put image of fingers chart
Thanks for your reply, Bill - there are many variations of fingerings for altissimo notes based on the horn brand and model. In my video, I am showing you how to actually get the note to come out reliably. Too many people think it's all about just fingerings.
would whistle the tone work as well .... ??? you are a great teacher......
What an awesome question!!! I will answer that on my next Facebook Live session. Attend this Thursday 10/15 at 10amPST. Go to my page (like it please!) facebook.com/DonnaSchwartzMusic at 10am and I'll answer it live.
hi, i have a question, how can i tell what saxophone is playing in a tune? is it a tenor or an alto or soprano ? and what king of pitch is the saxophone I am hearing. because many times i can't figure out. i have an alto , the song perhaps sounds like an alto playing but i can't imitate the sound especially middle to high notes
That just comes with listening to a lot of music, and asking people at first.
I don't know why I can only get double high d6 or a the palm key eb I can't get the g in-between
Follow exactly what I say in the video and do not expect it to come out right away. Have patience and follow the process.
That deceptive G:) I recently put up a video on Keilwerth saxophones which may interest you.
Hi Donna first off I’m dictating this and it doesn’t understand my southern accent and I assume it doesn’t leave punctuation. While onthe road I was playing in key west Florida at the Cassa Marina Marriott. Around 1980. I was struggling to learn a song on alto that started with an Altissimo A. I heard a knock on the door of the lounge and look through the glass install a little man in a speedo it was rather disturbing in broken English he was saying Altissimo Altissimo. So I let his crazy ass then he proceeded to pop out that note that I was trying to learn like it was nothing. I had no experience with the Altisima register at that point he show me the fingerings and I did then he recommended in his broken English top tones for saxophone and made me promise to go back and learn the G and do not move forward to another note until I’ve learned the G he was right. Turns out he was a classical saxophonist from France. Depending on where I am on the horn while playing and what notes I’m having to play before or after that JEA will determine what fingering I use.
I only use 1313 or the front Altissimo keep index finger left hand. I can split tone it much better with the 1313 fingering and using a little side B flat. Thanks Donna I just now discovered your RUclips channel. DUHH!
Great video! I ll try that. By the way, the reason sax is treated like woodwinds has nothing to do with the reed. I asked my teacher at school and told me it' s because of the key mechanism similar to the flute rather than the trumpet.
That is not the reason. It is how the sound is produced. On brass, it is with the lips (in coordination with the air and tongue). On the sax, and clarinet it is with the lips and reed - the reed vibrates which along with the air and tongue, make the sound.
Donna Schwartz Flute belongs to the woodwind family and doesn't use reed.
Two reasons - Flutes used to be made of wood, and tone is produced by blowing air against a tone hole. Again, Brass instruments can produce tone without the aid of a reed or other part of the instrument.
What mouthpiece are you using please?
For that video, I was probably on a Theo Wanne Gaia
The singing to get the voicing is a great idea! Thanks
I struggle to play Altissimo G I start on a Altissimo A and end up on Altissimo B sharp or Altissimo C
Not an easy pitch to play - it takes a lot of hard work and focus
Donna Schwartz okay do you suggest blowing a little bit softer
No, just follow the method in the video or wait until I open my Get a Killer Saxophone Tone course, which builds the foundation for getting altissimo
What kinda mouthpiece do you have
Ur awesome. .. but ...why... do u use both? Thks again!
Depends on the situation. If I'm outdoors (extreme heat or cold), it makes sense to use synthetic. For some studio situations, a cane reed may be preferred because it may give a warmer sound.
what mouth piece are you using? and what size if any?
Theo Wanne Gaia 7*
i have a selmer mark 6 also
What mouthpiece are you using?
Theo Wanne Gaia 7
Umm IMO the best fingering is the first fingering but add side Bb to make it in tune
Depends on the horn
I can easily get high D (quadruple d) but g is really hard!
Donna, I have a gorgeous Mark VI from 1964 that I`m about to give up on it due to the struggles with Alt G.
Just follow what I said in the video...I wouldn't mind having that Mark VI though ;)
@@DonnaSchwartz I have no issues with G altissimo on my other horns..Reference 36 tenor, Reference 54 alto, altissimo is easy for me but for some odd reason this MK VI is driving me nuts, I just got it overhauled by Randy Jones and it plays like a dream except for that stubborn alt G LOL.
@@DonnaSchwartz I will definitely take your exercise advice for sure, I never thought of singing into the mouthpiece, thank you!
@@DonnaSchwartz I got it, thank you..keeping my Mark VI now LOL
Good to hear for you, not for me -LOL!
i can’t get it, i don’t know why
Hi Donna, what's your setup?
Theo Wanne Gaia 7, Mark VI tenor, Rigotti Gold 2 1/2
Nice, thank you. I find it very difficult to follow the altissimo scale, since I learned to play in the piano pitch scale.
I am not sure what you mean by altissimo scale or piano pitch scale? Can you explain?
When you select concert F in the tune, you play G on the sax. But for me, your G is still F. I don't transpose.
Okay. You can think of the Tenor Sax G as an F, but in some ways that can mess you up. Transposing, like any skill, takes time to work on. After a while, you can do it on the fly. Since you understand that Tenor Sax pitches are written a 9th higher (octave plus 2nd), you already are on your way. Practice transposing with simple songs first.
Never quite understood how to sing the notes. And never hit a high G either. Maybe one day.
Just try it for a week and you will see and hear the results
why did you stop using synthetic reeds?
I didn't...
I keep on getting Eb ;-;
I like the idea of "singing" the note. Would that approach be the same for all notes, whether it be the High G or the Low G, etc ? I guess that would be the difference between playing and blowing, right ?
When I hear Sax Players playing like Steve Cole, Eric Marienthal, etc, I can hear and feel what and how they are playing but when I try to play I don't get that same feeling. If that makes any sense. Are you out of the LA area ? Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I also think it takes practice, practice, and practice.
Yes, it would be the same for all notes ...
Keep listening to your favorite players, and as you get more control over your sound, you will be able to get that same expression you hear in theirs...
Check out my site for more free video lessons... www.DonnaSchwartzMusic.com
got f# ain't got g...jazz Vandoren Java 2.5 cut reed Vandoren Optimum TL3 m piece 94 Selmer Bundy II Tenor yeah I know it's all I could afford I will keep pushin on...try it on my Alto too ., if that don't work I will go to my Humbuckin Godin Guitar or go bowling..... I will keep beating it LOL nice lesson I will subscribe. Thanks , Gary in Colorado
G takes a while, especially on the tenor. If you follow the process in the video, that will help the most. Equipment only enhances your tone and technique; you have to start with and use a solid foundation first.
Thanks I will keep singing get it 😎
Hey Donna, I'm a freshman in high school. I've only played saxophone for about two years now and piano for eight, and I'm perfect pitch. I have a very comprehensive understanding for musicality. Likewise, my directors are calling my advancements "phenomenal". I asked one of them if he thought I'm skilled enough to play in that register, and he said yes; "you seem to be very comfortable in your instrument's default range, so sure, you could reach the altissimo range with time and work." So, I've been working, working, and also working, and I've managed some altissimo, but I can only get out a high D, E, and sometimes Double G. As a matter of fact, almost all of my fingerings for any note default to this note. Is this my embouchure or my instrument? I'm playing on a Student Jupiter Tenor sax with the default mouthpiece. Should I get a new mouthpiece like a JodyJazz or Yamaha Custom, maybe a new reed (I'm using Rico), or should I work on my embouchure?
Altissimo range takes time and patience, and honestly, you shouldn't be attempting altissimo until the full written range of the horn is in tune and you are able to play all the notes efficiently.
We ALWAYS work in our embouchure, doesn't matter what age you are...
If the palm key notes are sounding thin, you should start looking into another mouthpiece. Stock mouthpieces have tip openings that are too small.
Donna Schwartz Alright, thank you!
Donna Schwartz Actually, I just picked up a Yamaha Custom mouthpiece today. I can do altissimo much easier, and my G fingering doesn't sound like the C above it. I just needed a larger tip opening.
I'm a middle aged recreational sax/clarinet player, but I have the money to play with equipment. There is absolutely no way my Yamaha YTS-23 with Prestini kangaroo pads will play altissimo G, but it will play everything below and above that. This is with professional mouthpieces and very high quality reeds. The stock mouthpiece is useless for anything beyond the middle ranges of the instrument. My Beaugnier tenor will play altissimo G like it's a Sunday walk in the park - again professional mouthpieces and very high quality reeds. I do have a Rico M9 Metalite mouthpiece that will play all over the range of the instrument - it is a great budget choice for something to take to school and not worry about damaging. My pro mouthpieces are nearly all CE Winds or RSR (Richard Sax Ross) obtained on eBay auctions. Now I'll let you in on a little secret - the easiest way to play altissimo G and everything around it, above and below, with fantastic tone is to use a soprano saxophone. I have a Yanagisawa S-6 that I use a Rico Royal B5 Graftonite and Vandoren V16 S8 on. The reason we have baritone, tenor, alto and soprano saxophones is so that the proper instrument can be selected to play where the music fits in the heart of the instrument's range. There are pieces of music I learned on the tenor sax and then transposed to alto sax for grins to find it sounds much better on the alto. I've also had things go the other way. Fingerings can get sporty. I have one piece of recorded music that took me a long time to figure out how the sax player was getting such good tone: he started out on a soprano sax and then switched to an alto. Do learn to play the clarinet; do learn to play altissimo on the clarinet - then playing high notes on the sax will be easy. Learn to play up one octave on the saxophone without using the octave key.
It's not about the equipment, it's about developing your embouchure and breath support.
Everyone has a different fingering for that G LoL
What if one can’t sing those high notes?
Sing in the highest range for those notes that you can
I can barely play high F non altissimo
What if I can’t sing it :/
That can be one of the reasons you're having difficulty playing it
what if you cant sing that high?
Sing the pitch down the octave
@@DonnaSchwartz okay thanks
got some growl with the singing on it.
ugh. it is improving slightly but still not hitting it. have been close though.
Patience is really important - you can't expect to get the altissimo overnight. Just keep working on the concepts and in time it will get consistent...
+Donna Schwartz I definitely will keep at it. haven't been able to sleep. I finally have the drive to keep playing.
That's awesome that you got your motivation back - shoot for 1% progress each session...
PROTIP: Instruments are members of the brass family because of the way they are played, *not* because they are made out of brass.
Although I teach some brass concepts on the saxophone because they help to expand the limits of the instrument and the player ( I also have been playing trumpet for over 37 years), I don't agree with your comment. A saxophone is still a woodwind because of the cane reed.
You wouldn't consider a clarinet a brass instrument (made of grenadilla wood) even though you can play overtones and harmonics on it. You woldn;'t consider a guitar instrument a brass instrument even though harmonics are played all the time on it.
Rant Gant Pretty sure she understood that, she was saying that you have to hear the note to play it. On saxophone we often times just use fingerings to get whatever note we are playing. The difference is that on brass you have to hear the note, much like the altissimo range where you have to hear it to play in the right partial and in tune.
here brazil, i do not speack ingles,
Pain in the neck