Using the same fingerings to play beyond the 4th Octave/beyond

[Michael Bishop]

😎 HI Johnny,
I have went through the fingerings for both Alto and Tenor and got to the lesson in the Altissimo course where you’re showing how to hit notes beyond the 4th Octave and I’m doing it!!! This is CRAZY LOL but I’m so, so happy about it 🙂
What I have found is that, in working on this lesson, it’s more about making adjustments in my embouchure/air supply from my diaphragm, etc. v.s. worrying about Alternative fingerings. On the Tenor, for example, I’m coming from the Forked F position and the corresponding fingering positions and I’m getting at least into Altissimo F by using several of the fingerings that you have taught in the previous lessons. The fingering position doesn’t seem to matter much at all, but rather having the ability to do Overtones/adjustments in this regard is one of the key points/far more important. And by working on ear training, I KNEW what note I was hearing–even with it being in this 5th Octave range! This is insane 🙂
For any member reading this post who has browsed online/youtube for those “secret” fingering positions—I can tell you personally that it’s irrelevant. It’s FAR more important to master everything else that Johnny teaches/skills to get under your belt that will allow you to play in this range…which is crucial to have to ability to play in this Altissimo range full absolute full control and to do it at will.
Thanks for posting the last lesson Johnny–I’ll work on it soon. I did take a look at it and it seems it’s going to really help to enforce to just being able to play these Altissimo notes instantly. Couldn’t have done this without your help…thanks so, so much 🙂

[Anonymous]

Michael i agree with you, Johnny’s Altissimo course does work!
In November i plan to get back on the Altissimo course after i’ve done my grade 2,
i could only play up to the altissimo C and the 5th overtones before i stopped,
a few months ago.
But its like riding a bike, once you’ve done it you can soon pick it up again.
Like to hear some songs from you using the Altissimo range?

[Michael Bishop]

I will be uploading a song of Johnny’s soon where I hit some Altissimo notes and from there on out I’ll be incorporating them into my playing when ever it’s appropriate to do so–I don’t think the Altissimo range has a place in a songs like “Greensleeves”. I’ve learned all of “Pick up the Pieces” too but it was all in the normal range of the Saxophone, so now I’m going back and re-working the solo with Altissimo; which is what is played on the Original version of the song and it’s also how Johnny plays it.
But first thing comes first……Jake and I are just “polishing” up our parts for the duet that we’re just about ready to upload and so I wanted to do that first; we’ve been working on it for a little while. We’ve noticed that the blog is filling up fast LOL and that’s great to see. I think Johnny usually likes to start a new section/part when comments/videos reach about 100 or so…..somewhere around that anyway.
Make sure that you do practice what you’ve learned in the Altissimo course though……it’s funny you mention bike riding because I raced BMX bikes for years; and while it’s true that you don’t forget how to ride a bike; it does a take an tremendous amount of work to get back into riding/racing shape if you have stopped for some time…..and in some riders never fully regain the abilities they once had; that old saying of “use it or loose it” does have some truth in it. I’ll send you a message with some video links on our youtube channel to our riding/racing 🙂
Keep up the great work Sxpoet–I did see you new video and you’re showing a tremendous amount of improvement.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Michael – i need to start learning the
christmas songs that Johnny provided!

[john]

Michael, the final overtone lesson will help as you start trying to incorporate your high notes into your repertoire. it’s a little different from doing overtone exercises etc. doing tose final 2 exercises will really help….also even if you haven’t done all the ones leading up to it it’s still something you can include in your daily routine and once you do it’s help you cross-over and getting them in your actual songs.
you don’t have to do full licks up there, just get a note or 2 in the right spots for now.

[Michael Bishop]

Thanks Johnny–what you’re saying is exactly the feel/sense I got…..like it’s meant to me make the full transition into using them freely into my playing and that’s what I’m getting REALLY excited about now 🙂 Now just making a blog video to show that I’m playing them, but uploading one of your songs to show that I’m using them and I’m almost there. Jake and I are going to upload our duet…thinking within this coming week. I’ll upload a song of yours where I actually hit these Altissimo notes…….I’m so excited about it–thanks so, so SO much Johnny for making this Altissimo course; it’s very comprehensive and step-by-step v.s. the “junk” we find online.
When first starting out and we don’t know any better, the impression, I think, that a lot of those “secret” fingerings for the Saxophone that you find on youtube, online, etc. give is along the lines of …….”this is what it takes to play in the Altissimo range” and that may be one of the reasons why it remains kind of a “mystery” to so many people. The difference in going through your Altissimo course is that, actually, the fingering positions in only PART of the equation and I know working on the exercise on the 4th/beyond Octave that fingering positions have little to do, if anything at all, with it. I’m hitting Altissimo E and F by using many of the previous fingerings you’ve already taught; it made no difference, at all, in being able to hit those notes……and I thought hitting the Altissimo D on the video I shared was high; but this is crazy!
For all practical purpose, I’m not so sure if I would want to go higher the Altissimo F in a song; not sure it’s really all that practical but still great to be able to do but I think it can have it’s place at the right time in Improvising; which I am soon to make a main focal point in my playing—how awesome to have the Altissimo range to use in my Improvisation!!! 🙂 I know, in listening the “The Big Horn” CD set I bought (getting the others/your CDs now in September) I can hear some of those guys doing it 🙂
Will be working on the last lesson you posted soon.

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