Do's and Don'ts of Learning Altissimo

[@ed.z.]

Another amazing lesson. Not many sax greats have this amount of skill with communication, articulation, intelligence, coolness, and likability.

[@ElisaAlvarez-y2j]

I’ve moved to sax during the first covid lockdown at 46 years old. I originally trained as a classical bass trombonist and played orchestrally for many years. You’re right - brass instruments are hugely powerful in the right hands. Get someone who knows how to breathe properly and the sky’s the limit!

[@ryangatling2973]

OMG - I've been "playing" sax for years but I've never been able to cleanly hit altissimo notes. I was taught to use the double lip method back in middle school (late 70's) and I've found it hard to change. But man - I just switched to bottom lip out after watching your video, and I was able to cleanly pop out high E and F with the front left-hand keys. Then I quickly knocked out high G, A, B, C and above. What an awesome feeling. Thanks man!!!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Rock on! Sweet!!

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

Once it all "clicks" you just like gain an octave within a week and it's so amazing feeling.

[@wacokidd]

Blowing my mind! In high school, we used to hit the altissimo notes by “biting” the reed. Now I realize that we were subconsciously relaxing our embouchure. Our band director hated sax. Used to have to play with a sock in our bell to darken the sound. My friends and I secretly bought metal mouthpieces and taped them in black electrical tape to disguise them.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Lol

[@masonthomassax]

Your altissimo is excellent! I’m still working up my consistency

[@shipsahoy1793]

🤣Love the rant.. the saxophone family is so misunderstood Lol I wasted so much time over the years experimenting with different mouthpieces only to realize that all I really needed on tenor was my Otto Link STM 7* and a good 2 1/2 reed, and then it was all on me to learn how to work the saxophone. 😉 And yes, the mouthpiece patches👍 ..got to have ‘em.🎷🥳👨🏻

[@bobpremecz5429]

18:05 - YES!!! Love that graphic! BTW - Thank you for creating "The High Ground" Tenor Sax Altissimo Book. As an alto player who mastered Rascher's Top Tones Book but was frustrated at applying it to tenor, you provided the keys to success for me to be a "G" man.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks

[@thomasbowling8893]

Thanks for another great lesson. I never heard it explained so clearly. You are the best online teacher.

[@Sirvalorsax]

😁

[@carification]

I have no problem producing altissimo on my tenor using metallite #7 mpc. Amazing how one thing works well for one and another thing works well for another😊.

[@marklicciardo1180]

Hey Dude… l watched your earlier “bottom lip out” video and have been using it. My mouthpiece set up is a Jody Jazz HR*tip 6… l was struggling to get any clean Altissimo notes out, they were ugly… l have been using lip out for about 3 months…. It has changed everything, my sound is bigger, my articulation is crisper, my scales sound better, l can now play Front E,F and F# with ease now, that one thing “lip out” has been an absolute game changer… thanks so much , everyone else stick with it as it takes 21 days of focused practice to change any HABIT… oh and yes you have to play around with your mouthpiece position on the cork… because in the beginning with lip out YOU WILL BE OUT OF TUNE!!!!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Yeh, very flat... Thanks for commenting

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

Using soprano or alto if you’re on tenor helps a lot. I feel playing the different horns regularly improve your tone and range much faster. The tenor is kind of the most versatile but sometimes you just need to be high or low.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Interesting

[@riffraff778]

I've just tried that bottom lip-out thing and blown into the mouthpiece as it was a straw. Instant results! My front F is now more consistent. I finally have the alt E and even reached alt F#. Then I tried the alt G and repeatedly got a super high harmonic as high as an alt C. I then got an inconsistant lower D note (like a palm key D, like you explained). Thank you!

[@MJPTHA3RD]

Great video and quite informative about non-classical embouchures. I appreciate it.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stephenmellor9264]

Im nolonger playing but still watch you as i do learn so much from you. When i get my mental health back im sure i'll be able to take your knowledge with me. But no cake for you fella as i like it tooo much. X

[@Sirvalorsax]

Hang in there during this trying time. Thanks for watching

[@adysaxman77]

I've never used any mouthpiece protectors before I watched this video. When I've bought mouthpieces and they included them in the package, I usually have thrown them away, as it never seemed very comfortable playing with them. Anyway, I ordered some online on the strength of what you said about never using a mouthpiece without them. To be honest, I can't believe what a difference they make to playing the altissimo notes! For some reason, they make them far easier to not only reach, but to sustain. Thanks for that great tip! 😄

[@Sirvalorsax]

Cool, thanks for watching

[@martinsimon6714]

Really interesting. I always thought altisimo was more to do with the tongue control. I must indeed try this. It has always surprised me as to why teachers have taught that crazy lip over teeth method. Great to hear you correcting this. Good stuff well said.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks

[@theglauber]

Love the anime stuff. Thank you, your videos are always so helpful.

[@markwhite-what-da-jazz]

Great lesson! I like how you maintain good intonation in your altissimo range.

[@fabioduarte6305]

Excelente aula mestre. Obrigado.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks

[@mstram]

I'm a complete beginner (playing for about 3 weeks). 'Been watching all kinds of youtube videos on embouchure technique, and am starting to get some semi-consistent tones I actually want to play *quieter* (living in a condo). The "standard" way you demonstrate @14:40 is similar to what I've discovered on my own. The "lip out" method is something I've also tried, and as you say, it's a whole lot louder ! If and when I do want to play louder, you've now confirmed what I need to do !

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

I practice altissimo on tenor then then alto then soprano the alternate. The tone gets much better that way and then you just start false blowing nice color into the horn and then fingerings become less important and more just your ear and the pitch become solid. And yes I use plasticover to hit those 5th octave and above notes. I use cane reeds to get my daily practice in and for certain tones but yes those plastic reeds work good and last forever once you figure them out. I highly suggest plasticover.

[@rickspyder6159]

Your music is astounding

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks

[@PabloVestory]

Another amazing video, thank you so much! And those intro and outro compositions are really beautiful!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks

[@pekkanattinen907]

Your theme songs are really exiting and beautiful👍In addition other good things in your videos!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks a lot

[@GetYourSaxTogether]

The lights just went on when you said to use the pressure on the heart of the reed not the tip. 🎉 Dang it’s hard to teach people altissimo when nothing works for them! 😂

[@Sirvalorsax]

😆😆

[@ornettebreaker]

Mind blowing advice thank you!

[@saxman8020]

Yeeahh !! 🦾🎷 Thank you Sir of Saxophone Valor !! 😄 We must talk more about your awesome 'controlled altissimo' mentorship soon. I will catch up with you when my work/day job slows down a bit ! (tell you about me 'new' 1975 H.Couf Superba-1 Bari altissimo challenges . . Drake crossover MPC is cool . . .

[@rwandanstarbux1494]

Hey, I have been binging some of your videos, and have been wondering if you know of Paul Desmond, and if you like his play style? He was amazing and inspired me to begin playing in a more melancholic manner, I just do not understand how to form my sound to be so sad/depressing.

[@DolphScreamingSax]

That shows you, you can learn something every day. Thanks for the video.

[@Sirvalorsax]

Cool

[@kldavisdirector604]

Best jazz Sax players

[@deemerta7339]

Omg your videos are as hilarious as the information is excellent, outstanding work sir! Please keep posting!

[@SteveDew]

Another banger, dude. With your dynamic balance discussion of the saxophone as it relates to other wind instruments, I think it's important to add that the saxophone mouthpiece is the loudest of all wind instrument mouthpieces. This is true even when using the lip in embouchure on a hard rubber classical mouthpiece. Even with a full symphonic instrumentation of a wind ensemble often only 4 saxophonists are used. The lip out embouchure as you present it in the context of playing above the break is very interesting. I'll be considering it, but I'm not sure if that'll work for me after playing for 35+ years, not having much time to practice, & having too much trouble with it the couple times I've tried it before. When is your bari sax altissimo book coming out?😜

[@Sirvalorsax]

I was able to change after 25-28 years of playing. The learning curve is made so much easier when switching to a low-tip opening mouthpiece. Once this technique gets comfortable, you can play on whatever tip opening you want but you'll find that you have a lot more control with a smaller tip without having to sacrifice too much loudness.

[@dcp8nts]

Bottom lip out all the way, sort of flat, or just a little cushion 'roll'?

[@BBQuick1969]

Thanks for being so helpful 👍🎷

[@ph2738]

Sure, a saxophone has a bell that points forward, but a lot of sound comes out of the key holes on woodwinds, especially above low D. A couple of weeks ago, I sat in with a funk bank with a trumpet player. He had a mic that he stepped into, while I had a clip on, and I was getting dominated.

[@Sirvalorsax]

True but, those other woodwind instruments resonate sound from the key holes also

[@thepianokid27]

This makes a whole lot of sense to me! Thank you! :)

[@Sirvalorsax]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ericthomas7752]

Sorry that's a cannonball big bell stone alto. Any opinion pls. Regards..uriel

[@David-jx2gj]

Hello, you play very cool, I heard that you are Mckalley's teacher, I often listen to him, his improvisation.Please tell a beginner in improvisation on the saxophone, tell me which material is best to study, which exercises to play and where to find them, it is difficult to choose a material, and there is a lot of it on the Internet.I want to find out from you, you play fantastically!

[@Sirvalorsax]

I am working on putting some stuff together but it won't be available for a while. The tried and true method is the Jamie Abersold books

[@David-jx2gj]

@@Sirvalorsax Are you creating a book?

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

Lmao at the 12 ft Leo P. Hey man do you have any mouthpieces you'd want refaced? For free obviously, been teaching myself how to reface, and fix them. Also have a mouthpiece I'd like you to try out. I'm in the Akron/Canton area every 2 weeks or so. Took the plunge and should be getting a new bari next week btw. Have two coming into my local Music and Arts to look at (Yamaha and Selmer).

[@Sirvalorsax]

I still have that first Gary Sugal TAM mouthpiece I've been trying to figure out what to do with. I actually want to sell the two new ones and keep the older one.

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

@@Sirvalorsax Nice, I think I subbed after he sent you the replacements, so I dont think I ever saw the video on the first one. Would be willing to try and put a new curve on it if you want.

[@daniel_moretti]

When youre talikng about high G you mean the G on top of the staff (fingering 1, 2, 3 with the octave key), not altissimo G, right? I ask beacuse I've heard both called high G. But on my tenor I get that mutphonic sound when playing the octave G but not the altissimo G. Thanks!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Yes. I try to differentiate those two notes by only referring to altissimo G as altissimo G and "top of the staff" G as high G

[@daniel_moretti]

@@Sirvalorsax BTW, I've done a deep dive on this and I *think* I finally arrived at an answer 🤞🏼🤞🏼. The short answer is tune your sax for G with the octave key. I was tuning for middle B, which made octave G play sharp. Playing sharp I believe made it easy to multiphonic (perhaps with G#?). I had to pull my mouth piece out so far that I need to change to one with a smaller bore diameter, a new NY 6* metal Ottolink. That forced me to adjust my embouchure to get the rest of the sax in tune and to use a softer reed. But so far it's working 🤞🏼🤞🏼

[@PhinAI]

Thank you, Professor!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Smiley Face

[@keyantwilliams]

Awesome video my brother.

[@davideichler5105]

According to every history I have seen, Adolphe Sax's primary motivation to develop the sax was for military bands, not for concert orchestras, though of course he hoped that the sax would be used more broadly. The sax has never become a standard part of the conventional concert orchestra instrumentation. For other kinds of orchestras, such as for popular music and musical theater? Sure.

[@bikermousefrommarz6739]

So insightful. 🤘🏼

[@llRoBoBinHoll]

I have a nice and loose embouchure that works well on my bari. However, when trying tenor and especially soprano I’m very flat, even with the mouthpiece pushed in as far as it goes. Would a smaller chamber mouthpiece be a solution for this, or should I perhaps sand down the cork? Or is my embouchure perhaps just too loose? Thanks!

[@coin777]

I have the same problem.

[@isaaconi56]

From a soprano player yeah you gotta work on your embouchure tightening it should should do the trick

[@Sirvalorsax]

It sounds to me like a combination of embouchure is too loose vs mouthpiece too open. I would suggest trying the Yamaha 4C on soprano. Because of how easy it is to play, it doesn't require an extreme embouchure. Once this is comfortable, I would suggest a higher quality mouthpiece if you want to upgrade. The Yamaha 4C is my main mpc on soprano but the Cannonball CSM C* is my favorite on soprano. You can see my review here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHnGl6qmq66Inas

[@PhinAI]

@@Sirvalorsax, along that line, would you be willing to review and share your thoughts on the Jody Jazz HR* Custom Dark soprano mouthpiece?

[@mattsax_music8439]

I have had the same issue and it’s really a matter of having to re-learn embouchure for each sax which also helps tone on each. Hope this helps from a fellow bari player

[@ramstopgun]

Hi ! Do you have something to say about overtones ?

[@golfprochen]

Wow, that's amazing!

[@bobblues1158]

Beautiful!

[@Muave-t7m]

What is you intro music ?

[@ericthomas7752]

Some stupid Jacked my sax. What s cannonball big hrn stone?

[@gordanpopovic8334]

Can you please be more specific about synthetic reeds and altissimo...Is just your preference mot to use it or there is some good reason for that? What I am actually trying to ask you is am I missing something important about altissimo since I play tenor for three and half years and from very beginning I use only synthetic reeds? BTW, I do have your great altissimo book for tenor and I am easily and pretty fluently play altissimo up to fis (an octave above the regular sax range). Would I have any benefit from switching to cane reeds? Thanks for answer...

[@hansbrackhaus8017]

I think this video is meant for people who come from the classical clarinet embouchure, and are advised to go with cane because it's the most basic perhaps. I really don't think this is meant for absolute beginners who 'cut their teeth' on synth reeds, aka, those who don't know anything but synthetic.

[@roanmccormick7923]

Great advice!

[@Sirvalorsax]

Thanks

[@presentconstellations]

Great Info!!!

[@xrgiok]

Sensei!

[@crooklyn673]

What's up Sir, I'm just 2 months in on learning how to play the Sax. Do I need to learn this (one day) just to learn it, and basically don't need to use this with my style of play? I feel I'm going to be more of a Smooth Jazz, Soul type of Saxophone player.

[@Sirvalorsax]

This applies to all styles of sax playing but it is not common for classical saxophone. However, I use this method for classical playing with low tip opening jazz mouthpieces to get a traditional classical saxophone sound.

[@AFN2750]

Something to think about getting into altissimo: try starting playing high D with an altissimo fingering. It is super out of tune, but it gets your face right. Then move up to Eb, then E, F, F#, and then up more. But the D is a note you can easily play with the palm key, so your face is able to do it

[@loganmesarch3412]

I have been playing for 6 years now and I am now 15. I have been trying multiple methods for altissimo for 2 years now. This bottom lip-out method has finally let me hit high G. Thanks

[@Sirvalorsax]

Great to hear. Thanks for watching

[@gutomouville]

Great video my man! I wanted to know more about the facing length and curve, can you make a video talking about the different mouthpieces that have different lengths and curves and how they change the sound, etc. I'm struggling to find an ideal mouthpiece for tenor, when I get the low end, I lose the mids and trebles, when I get a piece that has them, I lose the bass :(

[@Sirvalorsax]

Great suggestion!! I'll look into it, thanks

[@gutomouville]

@@Sirvalorsax Really appreciate it! 🙏 Dude, you saved my tenor playing days, I had given up, but you gave me the information I needed to adjust and now I fucking love tenor once again, this lip out embouchoure is the best approach for comfort and longevity on the instrument, hands down. Just thought you should know, thank you very very much!! 🙌

[@HeathWatts]

I'd like to buy one of your altissimo books, but I only play soprano. Would your tenor book be a better fit with the soprano than your alto book would be? Thanks.

[@Sirvalorsax]

I don't have a dedicated soprano sax book available. I would suggest picking up the book that matches what other sax you like the most

[@HeathWatts]

@@Sirvalorsax Thanks. I used to play tenor 20 years ago, so I'll go with that.

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

Honestly just changing instruments and practice on different gear and blowing relaxed and sessions of just making donkey noises it helps. Then I sat down with finger guides and just tried them with the correct note playing on loop till you find the notes. Then add them to the top of scales one by one. Then sit there and start scales in the 4th octave and move up slowly. Then practice musical passes that have long tone, then speed it up very very slowly. There is a reason altissimo is usually just kind of a show off thing in solos unless the notes are sharp and classical sounding. But those big wild high notes you hear San born or the best players hitting takes a lot of blowing and experimenting.

[@matthewbenedict5923]

Cool!

[@smokingblues5067]

I'm trying this on my Clarinet

[@Sirvalorsax]

I would recommend experimenting with the angle of the clarinet while trying this.

[@davidwood351]

Dizzy’s Night In Havana video has a guy(can’t recall his name) doing altissimo on bari sax. Most impressive.

[@davidwood351]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyd_Abdul_Al-Khabyyr

[@LowReedExpert1]

I think it was something like Sayyd Abdul al Khabbyr or something, I'll have to double check. I just remember the dude changed his name when he changed religions

[@davidwood351]

G Rodriguez Yes, I looked it up.

[@ed.z.]

I saw former Cuban sax master Paquito Rivera play with Dizzy a few times. I don’t know who you saw.

[@davidwood351]

@@ed.z. it was Sayyid Abdul Al Kabir.

[@samuelreus7868]

I am searching for saxophone scholarships can someone help me?

[@jason-ki6fg]

love the edits, my man. Trumpet OP

[@Sirvalorsax]

Appreciate it!

[@jason-ki6fg]

Epic

[@wkrnalrib4445]

Yoo chill with the waifus it might do weird shit to the algo.

[@tttzzz1957]

Zombie, i can see your qualified...