Very High In Pitch

            Altissimo. Weird word right? The definition for this word: Adj. Very high in pitch. It is an Italian superlative of alto, high. Now, to be clear, this is music we are talking about. It is the extreme high of instruments; these so called, “notes” aren’t even notes, meaning, they aren’t in the natural range of instruments. So when a musician plays in the altissimo register, are they even there? If the notes aren’t real, why are the musicians? If they aren’t real notes, how can we hear them? The answer, it would be hard to not hear them. Altissimo notes are like nails scratching a chalk board, except not quite as annoying. Very high in pitch.

            In the recent months, I have been learning the art of squealing; yes, I am learning how to master this technique. So far, I’ve done pretty well. Each time I practice the altissimo register it gets slightly easier and the notes are deciding to show their faces. I have gotten as high as, not the first, but the second D above the staff. That’s pretty high, only slightly annoying.

            What is altissimo though? I have given the dictionary definition. Now it’s time for the actual definition, or so what I’ve been told. The altissimo notes are really just a part of the overtone series.

            Another vague definition, right? What is the overtone series? That’s a tough question to answer. To start off, music is made by vibrations, no matter the instrument, something has to vibrate to create a sound. Within each of those vibrations are multiple notes; meaning, a G also has the same vibration pattern, or something of that matter, as C; meaning the overtone of G is C, but not necessarily the other way around. It’s the same concept as all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. Ok, now, stay with me. The overtone of C is actually C, not G. In other words, when playing a G a musician can make an altissimo C by adjusting their embouchure; or playing a high C and adjusting embouchure again to create the C above that C. Confusing yet cool.

            The other overtones: F-A# (or B flat), F#-B, G-C, G#-C#, C-C, B-B, etc.

            Got it? No? Ok.

Now, adjusting the embouchure. This is very hard to describe. I know exactly what I have to do on my saxophone to get into the altissimo register but I don’t know about other instruments. The best way I can describe this is that I almost make a clover with my tongue and flex my tonsil chords (this last part is impossible, I know, but there is no other way to describe it). It’s a weird feeling and that is what makes altissimo so difficult, there is no one specific way to form your embouchure, just like there is no one specific way to finger any one note.

Don’t even get me started on fingerings. There are an infinite, or so it seems, number of fingerings for any one specific note. Once a musician gets into the altissimo register, the details get a little sketchy and each person has to figure out which one is best for a certain situation.

A brief summary, altissimo is tricky. That’s the easiest way to put it. Altissimo clearly draws a line between good musicians and not-so-good musicians; those who can play altissimo well are amazing, those who can’t, well, you’ll be able to hear what happens, or not seeing as how your eardrums will most likely be bleeding. Altissimo. Very high in pitch.

Altissimo Notes

Altissimo Notes