Altissimo Saxophone

Practicing harmonics and mastering the higher notes of your instrument's actual range will help prepare you for altissimo fingerings. Playing altissimo may require adjusting your embouchure, and a harder reed or wider tip opening could assist but may compromise low notes. This document provides altissimo fingerings for various high notes on saxophone and suggests starting with easier notes before advancing to more difficult ones higher in the altissimo range.

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Altissimo Saxophone

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rranches

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ALTISSIMO

It is useful to practice harmonics before studying altissimo fingerings, and before that you
need to be able to play the higher notes of the actual register (C-F) strongly and with
confidence.
You will often need to change your embouchure to get the high notes. Harder reeds or wider
tip opening on your mouthpiece may help, but possibly at the expense of low notes.

ALTO
F

TENOR
This was the highest official note for
most saxophones until the top F# key
was introduced. In order to use the
altissimo range above this it is
important to get familiar with the front F
(AKA auxilliary F) key as shown here.
This key is played with the index finger
and automatically closes the C key as it
opens the F.
This is also a handy fingering when
playing an F arpeggio. If you add the G
key (LH 3), it sounds an E, this is useful
when playing an F major 7 arpeggio

Of course, if your saxophone has an F#

key, use it

This is one of the harder altissimo notes,

even though it's not very high.

Another difficult note, try this once you

are comfortable with some easier ones
such as A

The R.H. fingers are optional, they help

with intonation.

This is the Bb fingering I use, it may not

be the easiest to blow, but it's easy to
move to this from the A

Likewise, this allows you to move easily

from the Bb

This fingering will also get the high F

above

This is really just an overblown F#

Although it is very high, this should be

quite an easy note to blow. Once you
get it, try alternating with a bottom Bb

Altissimo Saxophone

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Altissimo Saxophone

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ALTISSIMO

Of course, if your saxophone has an F#

This is one of the harder altissimo notes,

Another difficult note, try this once you

The R.H. fingers are optional, they help

This is the Bb fingering I use, it may not

Likewise, this allows you to move easily

This fingering will also get the high F

This is really just an overblown F#

Although it is very high, this should be

See also the Woodwind Fingering Guide

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