Saxophone Forum


by cavefish
(20 posts)
20 years ago

PROBLEMS WITH ALTISSIMO NOTES WITH RUBBER MP,s

IS IT HARD TO HIT ALTISSIMO NOTES WITH RUBBER MP or what give me some finger positions

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  1. by sax_maniac
    (984 posts)

    20 years ago

    Re: PROBLEMS WITH ALTISSIMO NOTES WITH RUBBER MP,s

    What the mouthpiece is made of doesn't make a measurable difference in altissimo capabilities. It more has to do with the facing, the baffle, and the chamber design. I can play some altissimo on my classical style mouthpieces, which are mostly hard rubber, but they are also designed for a darker sound, meaning low baffle, large chamber, longer facings. All three of these characteristics work against playing altissimo to some extent, but they don't prevent it. A jazz mpc with a high baffle, small chamber and short facing will be begging you to play altissimo. The down side, however, is that I feel richness of tone is lost - particularly at the lower end of the horn. So what's a girl to do, right? If you're really serious about playing altissimo and want to do it right, get the "Top Tones" book first. Practice what it tells you to practice, and it will happen for you. And I would advise you not to take fingering advice off the web until after you've put in some honest time with the book. There are general guidelines out there on what fingerings are supposed to work, but I have found that different horns sometimes require a little experimentation. Good Luck.

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