For those who are serious about the altissimo range

books:


	• Top-Tones for the Saxophone: Four-Octave Range Sigurd M. Rascher Carl Fischer Music Dist, 1994 average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

essential

This book is a must for any saxophonist with intent of improving tone quality and centering pitch throughout the entire range. I have found that the overtones section is the best way to warm up in any situation. If your aim is to develop the upper range and altissimo, then get this book! Be sure to read the notes by Rascher!

Even an intermediate player should have this...

Playing the altissimo register on a sax isn't voodoo, it just takes work.

Finger a low b flat and play long tones up the overtone series while holding this note. Change low fingerings and repeat. Seems easy enough... Not!

Sigurd Rascher's book is essential because it teaches you embouchure control and ear training. An added bonus is that you get to extend your effective range on the instrument by an octave or so.

In my view, intermediate players should start this type of training as soon as they conquer the basic tone production challenges. I have seen many a player literally "take-off" as a result of time spent in this book.

While it may seem tempting to just the learn the fingerings and skip the exercises, don't do it. I tried the same thing years ago and picked up bad habits as well as out of tune fingerings.

Pay your dues and follow the book. Ted Nash and Larry Teal have written books which also address the "falsetto" range of the saxophone.

Get them...

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Two pages alone are worth the price

There are two pages of introductory long tone excercises worth a whole lot more than the price of this book, and they don't even touch the extended register yet. Fantastic stuff!

Good Material

Good material, some good exercises, fingering chart could be better, overall explanation can be improved, no CD, not suitable for altissimo intro for beginners.

For those who are serious about the altissimo range

This book provides a very good introduction to the overtone series in general on the saxophone, and the altissimo (flageollet) range in specific. Discussion on the usage of imagining the tones before playing them is excellent. Some of the later tonal exercises lack a good pedagogical focus but are useful. Some of the altissimo exercises incorporate too many overtone partials that are typically NOT in tune with Well-tempered tuning. This can cause learning to hear these tones out of tune. Overall, the best book on the market on this subject!

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reviews: page 1, 2

Students can develop their range with this insightful book with text both in English and German. The author focuses on technique and offers musical examples and exercises to help developing players achieve a four-octave range. An important book for all saxophone students!

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