It’s natural for anyone that’s been playing sax for a year or two to want to hit those really high notes… they’re so exciting and can be one of the most expressive things to play on a sax.

But unfortunately, extending your range on the saxophone above it’s normal two and a half octave range is more than just learning the fingerings for the notes above high F and F#. The reason is because these notes that fall out of the horn’s normal range are derived from the natural harmonic overtones of the sax.

Before 1930 no one even thought about venturing beyond the saxophone’s two and a half octave range. Then came classical saxophonist Sigurd Rascher who introduced his theory of a four octave range. This was not accepted by most and was actually ridiculed at the time….imagine that!

His new theory explained that it was possible to play an additional 16 notes, all derived from the natural overtones of the instrument.

Learning the Saxophone Altissimo Means More Than Just Playing Really High Notes

When any saxophone student goes through the process of mastering these high notes, the benefits are something else… not only will you extend your range but you will greatly improve your overall tone. This is because the process involves using your embouchure, throat and air supply to a different level than playing in the normal range.

I’ve seen and heard a lot of saxophonists talk about playing through lots of different fingerings in a sometimes hit and miss effort at hitting these high notes. Many years ago when I was a young student I picked up a book covering this subject called “Top Tones For Saxophone”. It’s the book mentioned above, written by Sigard Rascher.

The book goes through many exercises  which take up about 98% of the book. Then on the last few pages there is a fingering chart. It’s the same finger positions for alto and tenor and there’s not multiple choice. Rascher said that he experimented with the same fingerings on something like over 20 saxophones and they all worked out well for him.

I can say that I’ve had the same experience. I’ve played the same altissimo fingerings on every saxophone I’ve ever tried and didn’t have any problems hitting the notes. Occasionally you can move or add an extra note such as a side key which sometimes helps to sharpen the note a bit.

Will The Mouthpiece and Reed Help?

Quite possible. A small tip opening on your mouthpiece will not help. You’re going to need a lot of air so the biggest tip opening you can handle is best. A soft reed will make things more difficult too. You’ll find that going up a strength or two will make it easier to hit the altissimo notes. Unfortunately this will make it harder to control your low notes.

Maybe use a harder reed while practicing the altissimo range and then go back to your normal setup. This will still help you in the long run because you might have made a little short cut for yourself by using the harder reeds for this.

Are You Ready For The Saxophone Altissimo Range?

If you’re at the point of wanting to get playing these top tones the most important thing you need to be sure of is that you can play those very low notes perfectly. Loud and soft with full control. Also the top end all the way up to high F. Much experimentation is needed with our embouchure, oral cavity and air control, so if you still struggle on any of these regular ranges you won’t be ready for the altissimo.