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Always a nice feeling when someone comments to say a post of mine helped them. Today, it was my altissimo fingering chart for Yamaha tenor saxes. (For whatever reason, this works better for some of us than the standard altissimo fingers.) gordsellar.com/2013/07/15/altissimo-yamaha-yts-32/Permalink On twitter.com
❤️ 2 Favorites Mood +6 🙂
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For those who don't play, altissimo is the high notes above the normal playing range of the instrument. For example, the highest notes in this tune are altissimo. (Lenny Pickett, the SNL band's tenor sax player, is a true master of the altissimo range.) youtube.com/watch?v=jHy3dTA4S_gPermalink On twitter.com
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Learning to play this is tricky, as it requires a mix of special fingerings & manipulating your mouth and throat position to get overtones. It can be challenging to learn, or downright frustrating if the fingering chart you're using works against you.Permalink On twitter.com
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I'd actually given up on it for years, but in 2013 I finally decided I'd try again, and, working off a chart made for Yamaha alto saxes (but which didn't work on my tenor) I experimented, through trial-and-error, till I found a set of fingerings that mostly worked for me.On twitter.com
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(It might also be that getting a more open mouthpiece helped me. I'm not sure...) Anyway, only a few people have commented about it, but someone did today. It's always really cool to know it helped someone develop a little more.Permalink On twitter.com
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Also, I miss practicing/playing saxophone. But on the bright side, I am practicing these bad boys daily. (It's been two weeks, so I am still pretty green, but hey, we must imagine Sisyphus's well-honed instincts will manifest in a rock-solid swing groove eventually.)Permalink On twitter.com
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(The biggest challenge about learning an instrument when you're older and play other instruments is that you have all kinds of cool ideas & instincts, but lack the technique to realize them. But it's just a matter of patience & effort, I guess...)Permalink On twitter.com