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Okay, so if you don't know what these are, then let me explain.

Okay. Altissimo is when you play a note on a higher octave, without actually fingering that note. On an Alto Saxophone, your left thumb controls the octave key, which lets you play higher notes on the staff or above the staff, w/e. By using Altissimo, you can basically finger a C but the note you'll be playing is a High C. Get it? It's all about air flow.

This can be used when you have to play a really high note above the staff that your instrument wouldn't normally be able to reach. Like Alto Sax. The highest note is the F# above the staff, but you can use altissimo to go even higher.


Circular Breathing...We all know Kenny G, right? He can play for long periods of time without stopping, because he uses circular breathing. There is more than one way to do this and probably the easiest, in my opinion, is puffing out your cheeks. Using your cheeks, you squeeze out the air in your mouth without actually blowing. This allows you to breathe in through your nose while your cheeks muscles force the air out of your mouth and into your instrument. And after breathing in from your nose, bring that air out from your lungs and blow. Sounds easy, doesn't it? No, it's not as easy as it sounds.

Okay, so now that some of you may/may not have learned a new skill/term, do you have any tips on how to do these? I can do both to some extent, but it's still a learning process.

I'm determined to learn circular breathing on Flight of the Bumblebee.
D: It's hard, cause you have to breathe in, push out air, think about what
you're doing, and concentrate on the piece all at the same time.