This is one of those questions that is so hard to answer because there are so many variables here and without seeing you and seeing what you may be doing wrong all I can do is speculate. First of all, has the horn been inspected for leaks? It's possible that you could have a pad that leaks and that might be causing some of your problem. When playing notes in the upper register; especially on an alto, you'll want to tighten up your emboucher, but you don't want to bite down on the reed. It just takes some practice. Have your teacher inspect your horn to make sure that there isn't a leak. He can also help you with your emboucher. good luck, Jim

you might experiment with differtent mouthpiece also diff. reeds, angle of air stream (how high your neckstrap holds the sax)