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| I can't hit that one high note... |
| but apparently my low notes are perfect, considering my low Bb is fine. |
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| Total Votes : 14 |
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 Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 7:27 pm
Okay, so I play the Alto Saxophone, and I'm having trouble hitting the high F (with the palm keys). I mean, I can hit D and E fine, but F just comes out as this weird sound most of the time. Is there any like, embouchure techniques or anything to help hit really high notes, and does reed thickness count? (I've been using 2 1/2 reeds for four out of the five years I've been playing.)
Oh, and what notes are there higher than the F? My BD said that there's like, falsettos and such you can do on the saxophone, but he specializes in percussion, so he doesn't know how.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:33 pm
I'm going to assume that some things hold over between wind instruments... In general, high notes take much more air than low notes. Take a deep breath, and really goose the air when you get to it. (Don't make it sound bad, obviously, but provide a little extra extra support, especially the first few times.) Also, don't try playing it out of the blue. Start on a note that you can hit that's about a fourth down, then slur up chromatically until you slide into the high F. Gradual transitions are easier than abrupt changes.
And I think the super-high register is called "altissimo".
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:04 pm
High F is an annoying thing to play. Not anywhere near as annoying as high F#, but I'll get to that later. What I do is blow softer, and tighten up my embouchure. It also helps to hit the keys as quickly as possibly. Delay in the keys opening up can contribute to making the horrible sounds.
And yes, there are notes above high F. Depending on what level sax you use, intermediate saxes have an extra key right next to the banana key. This key is used to make high F#. And there is pretty much an entire octave higher after high C. To do these, use of to use things called "fake fingerings". It also requires a enormous change in your embouchure. Even I can't do anything above high F#. And yes, that's called the Altissimo range.
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:56 am
I play Baritone, and our High F was okay for a while, but I just got braces and totally messed up 2 high F's at a concert yesterday cuz I was stressed since I left my Euph at school and had to use my bro's Jupiter.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:08 pm
Another tuba player told me to suck in your mouth which will help. Only thing is I don't know if that'll work since all I do is put my tounge in the mouthpiece ^.^
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:28 pm
I have pulled off Altissimo, but it wasn't the most plesent thing to experience, it also helps if you have a slightly harder reed, I'd only suggest at most going up to a 3 1/2 but try going up to a 3 and see how much easier it is to hit the high notes. The trade off is that it's harder to play the low notes.
side note; it's hard to do it on a sax, especially if you're on a student model instrument. ( I play clarinet also, it's easier to hit Altissimo notes, I can only hit high G on a bass clarinet tho)
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:31 pm
try taking in less of your mouth piece, cause that' what my band directors tell me to do when i hit high notes
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:00 pm
well i can actually help someone out im a tenor sax player and can hit high notes just fine..its my low notes that are my problem so lets see if i can help you guys out..take less mouth piece,use more air,and most importantly squeeze tighter..thats the main thing my BD used to tell me is to squeeze my checks tighter..and the second most common thing was take a deep breath and hold it ( to practice keeping your lungs/abdomen to where you can get more air) then take deep breaths before you try to hit your high notes..oh another thing is how you have low scales that you can do fine make them an octave higher to where you can practice those high notes..let me know how that works out for you guys..
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