Finally, an acoustic physics based explanation of what's going on with altissimo! Great work, Jamie. A similar explanation could be done on why mouth piece material (metal vs. polymer) has relatively little impact on the tone compared to inner cavity shape (mouthpiece plus mouth-throat and horn) would be good. There is a lot of bogus information put out there about this (even by mouth piece manufacturers). I am a Ph.D, mechanical engineer and I love seeing these factual rather than "seat of the pants" explanations of the saxophone. You did us a great service by digging into the facts on this topic and presenting them so well. Thank you again!
I hear you about the mouthpiece material debate, and yet on Steve Neff’s website, I was able to correctly choose 9 out of 10 times when he played the metal Gaia vs. the ebonite Gaia. Maybe there is some difference with the cavity/chamber shape
@@peedrowchan-man102 The production process can cause differences in shape, and the level of "smoothness" of the material will make a difference how the air moves across the inner walls of the mouthpiece. That is my layman's explanation. I doubt that Neff is doing a double blind test anyway. Obviously he knows what piece he is playing at any moment which will result in bias creeping in to the test. It's not very scientific at all.
Been playing for nearly a decade and have been told by every teacher i ever had that one day altissimo would just click for me and that i’ll get it someday. unfortunately, that day has yet to come, but i feel like this video might be a step in the right direction for me. I guess I have a hard time visualizing and understanding what goes on inside my mouth and throat while I play, even with the visuals presented in this video. Thank you for your advice, Jamie, but I just don’t think altissimo will ever really click with me. maybe in a few years I can get it, but I’ll keep trying to find what makes it click for me. Much love ❤️
I don't know why it should "suddenly click" for you when you don't know what you're supposed to be doing! That seems to be sloppy teaching to me? It won't click unless you intentionally work on it correctly. IT shouldn't take years either. Try working on some of the drills on this video. Also, I've got a full tone course coming out soon that will really help you so make sure you're on my mailing list at getyoursaxtogether.com to stay in the loop.
It's been three years now, how is it going? Have you learned Altissimo yet my friend? Ive been playing for six years and have just started practicing overtones and I'm starting to feel ready to get started with Altissimo soon.😆
@@nissepistol6089 I'm primarily a tenor player, and I can happily say that I can get to an altissimo C on my tenor! Currently working on smoothening the transitions between each note dextrally, but the pitches are there! Still have yet to crack the code on alto, as smaller horns tend to be more difficult to produce the tones, but hopefully I'll get there one day.
I think your wife was spot on when she said that you should charge for this video. Well done Jamie. By far the best video on RU-vid about saxophone altissimo notes 👍👍👍
I've been an amateur player for 30 years who has said, "Some day I really want to learn how to play altissimo." Sure, I've tried before. I've practiced overtones and I'm actually not terrible at them but, for some reason, something wasn't clicking when it came to execution. I'm an electrical engineer and a very detail oriented person. I've never grasped the concept of "practice your overtones and then you'll just kind of 'feel' it, you know?" Yes, this is an oversimplification of the method but it's all my brain hears. YOU, sir, have almost made me cry. This type of an explanation does absolute WONDERS for someone like me. I feel like you've just inserted the key into the altissimo lock that has plagued me for years. I'm only 12 minutes into the video and I've paused it to make this comment because I can tell that this is EXACTLY the kind of explanation that I have always wanted/needed. Thank you, thank you THANK YOU for making videos like this and especially THIS ONE! I really don't think you realize how much they mean to some of us. Please keep doing what you're doing and I'll be forever subscribed, sir.
The lab coat LOOOOOOOL Man, when you said you will put on your lab coat I thought "naaah, he won't!". When the coat appeared I almost fell off the chair LOOOOL. I like someone with an awesome sense of humor! Now, this is probably THE BEST explanation of what goes on inside the body and the horn when we play. You sure did a load of research to get all of that info, so thanks a lot for that. I can't wait to try these tips, but I have to wait a couple of weeks before I can blow any air out of my mouth, due to a recent removal of a big tooth out of my mouth LOL. I'm trying to be positive by thinking that the extra space created by the removal of that tooth would make my oral cavity a bit larger, and improve the sound LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL. I really want to thank you for debunking those myths that have been putting me down for so long man! I always struggled with the concept of moving air faster (hose pipe analogy) and the positions of the tongue. You are right in saying that sax teaching should be updated now. I have liked, subscribed and hit that bell icon!
After 50 years away from it, the lockdown made me take the sax out of the closet. Your tutorials are making it all even more fun now than it was then. I appreciate all the effort you put into it. Thank you very much.
Hey Dr. Anderson! Lol. Honestly, believe me, BY FAR, the best video ever about altissimo! (I’ve seen them all). Now I understand why it’s been so hard for me to “go upstairs”. I was neglecting the most important part, the vocal tract. Thanks Jamie again. Thanks for your time and efforts. Really appreciate them! And I totally agree with your wife... it’s very generous from you to give all this for free! Looking forward your online Sax school! 🤓
Man, this video is going to make you famous! If I’m not wrong you jumped from 7400 subscribers to 8600+ in one week! Congrats! You deserve it! All the best!
Thank you so much, what a amazing lesson. I have been struggling with anything above D3. I have watched lots of tubes. What you saying really works. Thanks man great contribution.
Physicist or not this may be the best explanation of how to get altissimo. I wish I had this explanation back in grade school. Well done and thanks for all the alternative fingerings which can be useful when transitioning quickly (like trills) between altissimo notes. I'm writing to make a note on gear. The player IS the most important part for altissimo. Mouthpiece and reed may make a difference if the player has the chops for it. Analogy: Give a recreational driver an F1 car and they won't be able to handle it, but give an F1 driver an F1 car and it WILL enhance their performance. Same with your mouthpiece / reed. I used to practise 10 hrs / week in grade school and developed great chops. I stayed with my Selmer C* and increased reed strength to the point where a Vandoren 4 wasn't hard enough - so I started clipping my reeds. Try as hard as I might, after 8 years of practicing like this I could not get altissimo with the exception of a high A on my alto (possibly the easiest altissimo pitch on alto IMHO). Now I use a 7* on tenor and 7 on alto with size 3 Vandoren reeds altissimo is much easier. Can hit high D on alto and double G# on tenor. - Check out Jamie's brilliant lesson on the Urgent Sax Solo to try that note out. A high baffle mouthpiece will also help, somewhat, but with three major drawbacks: 1) it gets easier so you might not train yourself to develop proper mouth technique and 2) altissimo notes can sound thin on high baffle pieces - although great sax players can develop technique to overcome the second problem, and 3) some high baffle mouthpieces are offensively loud and you could bully other musicians into submission.
Saxophone is a really user-friendly instrument for a beginner; just not so much for the neighbors. The tones teach you to demand 'mellow', to reach for mellow..it's the best. Relax and enjoy. I am just getting the hang of where the notes are, on the 'fret-board'. (No response necessary, thank you for the encouraging word.)
Struggled to get F and nothing on G but after watching this I can now get a G and A Altissimo on my Alto which is at the end of the Pick Up the Pieces solo. So pleased! Will practice it now I can hit the notes. Thank you!
By far, the best lesson on altissimo I have ever seen or heard! Thank you for dispelling the myths. I just thought I was doing it wrong because that stuff didn't make sense to me.
Professor Jamie and his Encyclopedia of Standing Waves applies further piercing anecdotal saxual secrets, and ultimate saxaphunkic mystery, to us honkers and squawkers with our ears on at large!! Thanking you ever so much, Jamie, wailing at a hootenanny near you soon! :-) #ItGrowsAsItGoes
Jamie after watching your lesson I had a go at what you said to do and I’m playing altimisso on my alto!! I’m beyond ecstatic . I’d watched other videos from another saxophone you tuber and I could never do . Thank you I love you 🤟 ❤️
For a non physicist, that is a great explanation. It’s one of those moments when you think, why hasn’t anyone done this before? Great channel. Many thanks.
Ok I’m actually playing altissimo well now and these videos helped the most. I’d say what helped the most was first knowing your scales well. Then find all the alternate fingerings for e f f# and g. Get a tuner and find the notes preferably with a reference pitch. Then add those 4 notes into your scale practice slowly and diligently. Then try going from low to high and practice hitting the notes on command without going up a scale. Another thing is yes technically you can hit hit altissimo on all mouthpieces playing a mouthpiece with a wider gap can strengthen your chops. So I practice with an extremely wide mouthpiece 3 times a week and then play on a G or 6* mouthpiece on the daily or performing. It gets easier after you get the f# and G. Learning the alternative fingerings is crucial to playing musically and changing keys in the upper register and increases tone and speed. Learn the fingerings using f key for e f and f# and try to use them primarily if you can. In fact I can’t even barely play a palm key E anymore because I play altissimo using the palm keys exclusively except the palm D as I’ve leaned to just go up using the palm keys and using the side keys to go from palm d to to e flat. Then up to e f or g using the f or f sharp keys. A using the c key or other fingering but prefer the c key as you can just add the b key for g#. Split finger high b flat , Then just walk up the palm keys, and you’ll find the rest from there as you can just use your embouchure or find the fingerings from there. Having a strong embouchure is the most important thing cause even if you have the fingerings the note won’t ring if you don’t have strength. So scales and long tones….. yes scales, Breathe control and long tones equal altissimo…… thanks for the lessons the changed my game!
I've just rewatched this. It's the best explanation of the physics of sax playing and altisimo I've ever seen. Absolutely splendid work. I learnt a lot, and I'll never use the "hosepipe" analogy again!
Finally, an explanation that jives with my experience, intuition, & has science to back it up. A great resource. I will be sharing this with all my students. Thanks for making the video!
Curtis Valle If there was A.I. for sax playing we’d all be out of a job (kinda like now actually), so let’s hope the future only holds self driving cars and not self playing saxes! 😂
@@GetYourSaxTogether Good stuff, young man. Folks need to spin through this more than once. The myths have their place. Ever go for one or more live that you can't do in the basement...and land it:? Hard to explain that phenomena with math. That's Einstein over Newton. Love your time taken to reply. And yes....SirValor rules the roost....SMH.... humbly. Thank you for your time and trouble.
I somehow was able to figure out how to sound the altissimo notes way back in high school. I haven't played since college and I'm wanting to get back into it 20 years later. I'm more interested in getting a good jazz-rock tone than being able to play crazy fast.
Great, informative video! As you alluded to, I think the keys for us as both teachers and performers is to find the ideal imagery for each person to get the right result. For some it might be a lengthy technical explanation like this, for others, simply suggesting different vowel sounds might get them there, and other students might respond well to even more abstract concepts of light and color in the sound. Sort of like how some teachers effectively teach “jaw” vibrato and “supporting with the diaphragm” even though the actual mechanisms are much more complex. As you say, there is no magic fingering chart that will allow one to play beautiful altissimo - or beautiful anything! - overnight. It’s about time, practice and learning what works best for you.
Woow. Congratulations. You have made a great immersion in the physics of air flow and sound waves ... No one else has. I really like your technical training.
Hi Jamie. I find your explanations both information and accessible. I'm entirely new to the sax so will be leaning on your videos! There was one thing that was bothering me about your videos, it took me a while to realise....you hardly ever blink. Remind me to never play cards with you. Great work
Hi Jamie, you are crushing it!! , I have watched lots of videos on altíssimo in RU-vid, but this one has all the true facts about physics that are often ignored and the most important, specific tips on what to attempt inside the oral cavity and embouchure to progress on this. I will give it a try, thanks!!
I’ve been trying to do altissimo on my own for over a year without success as I didn’t understand the mechanics. Now I have an understanding I feel that I can push in the right direction 🤞🤞 thanks Jamie 💕
This is the video, you have explained it so clearly with the science and the diagrams, and today for the first time I confidently and clearly went F-F#-G-F#-F !!! Been watching so many videos trying to understand how to do this and this couldn’t have come at a better time for me, thank you so much for making it and being clear with the information in a way no else seems to have done
Jamie, very well done. I'm a duffer having played all the instruments back in the day and alto sax now in community bands. I"ve always wanted to know about freak notes and you've now provided a way from ALL perspectives for me. Thanks so much - and yes, so very well done. - JimH
This is great stuff. One thing I noticed for me is about gear. I play a Mark VI Selmer, made in 1963 and have for over 40 years. I was never able to play an altissimo G on the horn. One day I played one of my student's Yamaha sax, and the G came flying out. Now that was weird. I have been working on the altissimo range finally after all these years and it's coming together, but still not reliably. Thanks so much for this lesson. I hope it will help me and my students I teach in Nicaragua where I retired!
It been several decades since my sax has seen daylight. I'll never forget back in school our band director blasting out "I want Altissimo"!! I'll will admit I forgot how much wind it takes to make the stupid thing sing.
Thank you for this. All the other videos in regards to altissimo is just "get good with overtones" but this explains why we should keep doing overtones.
How did I miss this?? Have always loathed the sound of really high notes, but...I like a challenge! Managed the mouthpiece alone, but transferring to sax was another matter...will try different reed and wider blowing mpiece! Thankyou Jamie! Very interesting film clip of how everything works, and diagrams.
Altissimo is a necessary pain in the ass if you want to advance beyond G#. I have trawled the Internet for "easy"altissimo, but Mick Jagger summed it up well for me, "I got no satisfaction". still. I have pages of fingering charts, all carried very different combinations. Some got my fingers tied into knots. Still, I get no satisfaction ! Yes, I think there is something else other than "thinking" and "singing" the high notes. I think you have provided the answers. I still have to yet have a go today as I just found this useful video this morning. I noticed near the end of the video, when you demonstrated the very high notes, your throat expanded like a balloon as if it was going burst. I think what you said about the methods could be spot on. I would like to write back later if I do find success. Regardless, thank you very much for such a detailed work...A white lab coat and all.
Maaaan, this is great stuff!!!!! Really realistic and non profit minded... It's great to have this class of clarity on theses days we are living, when everything is about to hide the real deal until get the last cent.. very glad, already subscribed and God bless you my friend
Thanks. I've been trying to get altissimo G to speak for a while (maybe a bit ambitious as I've only been playing for 8 months). Yesterday I had my first predicable success but didn't know what I had changed to get it. Your lesson could not have come at a better time for me. You have really opened my eyes to what I might or might not be doing correctly and what I need to focus on and how to achieve my goal. Totally brilliant explanation and advice. Without being patronising I'm made up by your tutorial. Thanks once again.
Ere se bastante contundente en tu explicación sin arrogancia y con una buena forma de decir las cosas veo tus vídeos y en verdad son fabulosos que el creador este contigo saludos de Catemaco ver.
Just a quick question, with the C#,palm D and Eb drills, do you have the octave key engaged or not? I managed ( just about) with the key down but without..AGHH trainwreck😂 Thanks Jamie.
Phenomenal video!!! One of the best lessons I've ever seen related to saxophone. You're channel is as an absolute goldmine! I literally can't say enough good things, it's perfect. Thanks for your help
Jamie, had problems with E and F (they worked good only in scales sequence, but not as at "attack" standalone note). Tried your technique - (A) Tongue flat + (B)little bit under reed (no glotis and soft palette control yet) --- And! Wow! Works much better. Can take E now without ugly pre-sound. Thank you for you lessons. Owe you coffee )))) PS - Also noticed that {harder reed} + {bigger tip opening} is advantage for making high notes.
Holy smokes! This has totally solved my altissimo issues. I mean, I still have to learn how to apply this, but this explanation totally is the explanation that I think I REALLY needed. Thank you so much for this video. Holy smokes! I can't wait to start learning how to apply this to my horn. Im sooo bummed right now that it is night time and I don't think my neighbors would appreciate me practicing altissimo right now.
I play the tenor saxophone now for 3 years. The first 2,5 years had been very rocky and I really couldnt figure out how to breath and transport air correctly. I was kinda good in the first two registers but as soon as I got the octave G and above my quality in sound dropped like a lot! It started to frustrate so much that I decided to take a break and focus myself on solely piano to get a better feel for tone and pitch. 6 months later (last month) I got back on it. For the last 6 months I have been thinking a lot about how to approach the Saxophone and find out what I did wrong. The benefit if this time-out is that I got rid of my bad habit and I started to approach it different from the get go. And my sound is overal much better, easier to play and more flexability. My approach is something I cant explain and I was worried that it was yet again a bad approach and my lessons dont start from a month now so I dont have a teacher to school me too. But this video showed me that the aproach I have been using is the right one and I am so happy right now you wont believe it. Thanx!!
Thanks for that long and detailed comment. u'gee getting on well now. Thanks for watching and let me know if there's anything else I can do for you. J😊
I've been playing sax for about 2 years and I've been trying to figure out altissimo for months! This video finally helped me start to get into that altissimo range at least sometimes (which is more than before) and the segment about the shape of the throat really helped!
Brilliant video Jamie I’m glad you had to demonstrate on alto - seeing and hearing it on alto makes everything seem more tangible and achievable for alto (love sirvalorsax’s piece’o’cake style). I’m not one for loads of gear, I’ve got one tenor mp, a metal V16 and getting on okay with altissimo on that. But iv’e 3 alto mps, metal Lawton 7*B, Rousseau JDX7 and a Jody Jazz Jet7. I pretty much only play the Lawton but the altissimo doesn’t pop out anywhere near as easy as it does on the Jody - I've never been able get any altissimo out of the JDX!
wow what do i say ,back to basics me thinks .excellent teaching and tuition mate i down load all your pdf's for further learning ,many many thanks jamie.
Super helpful Jamie thanks so much! I only knew actual fingerings up to high D, but it came up that I needed to play high E for that Tina Turner Simply the Best solo 😋, so you got me there, with 6 options to boot!! Moving from the regular range palm key E note, I jumped to the next higher octave using the Front F/A key/palm E flat option you gave me btw ☺️. Now that I successfully did the solo last night, I’m back to say thanks, and picking up some knowledge from your lesson at the start, really interesting!
Such a good, complete explanation of altissimo. Until now I rarely use altissimo, mostly because of my clumsy fingering transition from the "regular" notes, and I am not so happy with the pitch clarity when I play altissimo. I'll see how implementing this info, bit by bit, will help.
Very good Jamie and much appreciated. Been playing a couple of months and had managed to get to a consistent Altissimo G but not any higher. Just messed about with moving the larynx up and down and hit Altissimo C#. I even hit D for a few secs but not seen it since. I think it's gone to the pub along with my suffering neighbours. Also noticed tip opening size really matters. Failed on a Yamaha 5c but good on a Vandoren A6. Cheers Chap. Always appreciated.
Bonjour, je voulais partager mon expeience avec les altissimos. au debut j ai eu du mal puis ai travaillé les harmoniques et les premiers altissimos sont sortis. par la suite cetains etaient impossible à sortir et en testant d autres becs j ai réussis à sortir encore d autres notes, puis j ai essayé d autres sax et certains saxs me permettaient de sortir les altissimos avec une tres gande faciité alors qu avec certains saxs c etait une vrai torture. Ce que je peux dire c est de ne pas hesiter à tester des becs et d autres saxs, moi je me suis acharné sur un kelweirh qui me donnait quelques notes altissimos ou plutot en me faisant vraiment galerer, puis sur un selmer ces notes sont sorties avec une facilité incroyable ;).Meme si c est dur n abandonnez pas, tout les efforts ne sont jamais inutiles, un jour on change d insrument et c est le miracle ;)
JAMIE Great, I think I'm finally going to get my record uploaded. That if with a lot of work but the first test lets me guess that I will get it, Thank you. Ah, for your wife he is right in value, for the moment I have contributed some coffees
Realmente te agradezco la gentileza de explicar detalladamente los altísimos soy persona mayor y dónde vivo no hay facilidad para aprender los armónicos e practicado bastante y los e sacado pero a emitirlos me desentona cómo que se sale del rango que me aconsejas saludos desde Catemaco Veracruz feliz navidad
Excellent. It reminds me of when I got to ask Michael Brecker on the same topic. It's hard to give a straight answer because there's more than one option.
@@GetYourSaxTogether: I spent three straight days in the library going through every back issue of Down Beat to find those fingerings, and ended up using combinations from four different sources. It just so happens that my fingering for a high F is the same as flute.
Wow great video, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, amazing information in this video, now I understand many more things about altissimo register. Currently I manage to reach C sharp, hopefully after applying your tips I will be able to expand that range. Thank you again 😎🎷👍👏
Wow, thanks for putting this together. I never practiced much altissimo due to having neighbours :D I'm gonna head to the waterfront and give it a go now. I remember thinking you had to blow to hard to get altissimo probably cause I got told to do that on trumpet to play high. I feel like when I play altissimo i actually am very gentle with the air like if I blow to hard I choke it. Finesse is needed. :D
@@GetYourSaxTogether Okay, I'm back. A year of practicing later :D I am finding altissimo easy now thanks to this video! The only thing I am missing are fingerings that go together to best play a scale for example. Are the fingerings always so gymnastic? I'd love to see a resource that has best fingerings for whole scales played out if there is one anywhere. Thanks for making this video! It really helped.
This was a great explanation, thank you for including all the tips about the specific muscle groups. While I'm familiar with using the glottis (my linguistic accent uses glottal stops) I had never read anywhere about using the glottis or soft palate. I found that starting notes with a sort of throat tonguing (using a "k" sound) I was able to get out the Bb two octaves above fairly regularly after about 5-10 minutes. Previously I had never been able to get it purposefully. As I'm sitting here with a fatigued throat I realize these muscles are nowhere near strong enough yet and will require plenty of exercise. Thank you!
