Excellent altissimo course…Q re embouchure?

[Jazz Cat]

super work on the altissimo course, Johnny, thanks…much more useful and in-depth than anything else out there…plus you prove how well it can sound in your videos, like Pick Up the Pieces.

I like your lower-octave exercise approach, very smart way to start.

Quick question, is there any big difference in embouchure needed from high E/F, compared to altissimo G/A/B ? I’m trying to figure out if I need to tighten up a lot, or if it’s also a lot to do w/breathing.

using reed vandoren java red 3 on otto link stm 6 mp w/rovner ligature, yts23 horn (likely reed strength also matters, a 3 should be good to go)…

rock on,

-ken

[john]

yes, I change pressure. it’s different with everyone that’s why in the lessons I say to experiment with that. either tightening up your bottom lip, and/or changing the oral cavity size as well as the air pressure from your diaphragm. all these things can be experimented with to get those notes easier. But, it’s during the overtone series lessons that you should start experimenting…in other words, if you can’t get those overtones you won’t be able to get the altissimo notes so make sure you’re spending time on the overtone lessons.

[Michael Bishop]

Those are all great points Johnny. For me, when I was going through your Overtone series, the key point was tightening the bottom lip. Seemed like the more I tighten it, the higher up we go. It was something to see how, when going into the 5th Octave range, we could use literally so many different fingerings on the Saxophone to get the exact same notes, simply by tightening the bottom lip. So much for having to know 20 different fingering positions like everyone on youtube will tell all of us Saxophone student players.

Keep up the great work Ken..the rewards are huge for playing up there 🙂

[Jazz Cat]

thanks Johnny; good points re overtones first… and lower lip, thx Michael… being able to play just 1-2 altissimo notes as part of an improv solo really sounds pro, so worth learning.

[Dazza]

http://www.jazzlab.com/en/saxholder/what-is-saxholder/

Hey all. I went to the shop today to have the pro just do a once over on my Yani tenor which I have owned for 10 months. He graciously checked it over, listened and felt the mechanism and gave it the all clear stating that maybe in a few months a service would be beneficial. I did state that I was there to buy a box of reeds first but I assume he would have obliged anyway. While I was there I slung the saxholder around my neck (actually on my shoulders) and hung my horn off it and wow, what a difference! I am getting one next month for sure. I have been practicing a lot and find myself cradling the horn bell a lot when paused to take the weight of my neck. After 1 1/2 hours it gets uncomfortable and is detracting from my playing comfort. This holder transfers the weight to you shoulders and immediately I felt the horn was about half the weight. It sat better in my hands and less pressure was needed to hold it away from my body while playing. It was good. At $75 AU it will be worth it. Anyone seen them or used it before.

BTW – have a read of the section on mouthpiece exercises in the link….as if JF needs any more endorsement of his method for success!

[Jazz Cat]

what does that have to do with this discussion thread? it looks like an advertising post… for my forums I delete offtopic posts that link to commercial URLs

the TOPIC of this thread is: Quick question, is there any big difference in embouchure needed from high E/F, compared to altissimo G/A/B ? I’m trying to figure out if I need to tighten up a lot, or if it’s also a lot to do w/breathing.

[Anonymous]

If you tune up any sax, there is still a 50% chance that any note you play will either be slightly flat or slightly sharp.

Because of that, you need the flexibility of increasing/decreasing lip pressure to focus any key back into tune.

If you are going to use maximum lip pressure to play in the altissimo range, then i can’t see how you will be able to further increase lip pressure if you need to bring a note in tune?

Soft reeds aren’t a good idea to use in the altissimo range as you will be forced to use even more lip pressure – better to go up a reed size and use less lip pressure and give yourself more room for manouver in terms of playing in tune.

If you want to get into the 4th to 5th register & beyond, then its not the lip pressure that counts, its being able to play the higher overtones first.

Classical altissimo players prefer to use the lowest amount of lip pressure they can get away with!

[john]

Ken you make a valid point but I beleive Dazza simply posted in the wrong section as I don’t think he’s here to make money with any products.

[Michael Bishop]

Hey Dazza,
I know what you mean about that feeling of being crouched over, it certainly effects our tone for sure–no way we can play up there in that high range of the Sax if we’re crouched over. If you found something that is gonna help you out in this regard, then more power to you for sure. When I was going through Johnny’s Altissimo course, I started out with a really cheap neck strap…I think it was the original one that came with the Vito my wife first got me. Those things are always slipping and don’t hold in place; it’s hard to get any consistency with Johnny’s exercises with a neck strap that is always doing that to us. I can even remember being in the middle of blog uploads and the thing slipping on me; pretty frustrating. I got tired of it and got me a “Neotech” neck strap, it was way more comfortable and holds the Sax in place like a rock. That’s really important because as you know, working through Johnny’s exercises in the Altissimo course or anything else he teaches us, there’s no way we can play up there if our neck strap don’t hold the Sax in place.

[Dazza]

My point, although the less significant part of my post, refers the topic of “altissimo” which was the last reference to the mouthpiece exercises JF advocates. Apart from this site I haven’t seen too much around focusing on the importance of this technique. Anyway, nothing to be gained for me on the inclusion of the product link. My apologies for breaking YOUR rules Ken.

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