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You are here: Home / Jazz Videos / Improving Saxophone Altissimo Exercise with Chris Potter

Improving Saxophone Altissimo Exercise with Chris Potter

January 12, 2017 by Steve 4 Comments

I just happened upon this as I was perusing the web and drinking my morning coffee just now. Chris Potter playing Giant Steps.  The hard part…… he can’t go below high C. How many of you are brave enough to take on this challenge?……….I’m inspired to practice!   Awesome!

Filed Under: Jazz Videos Tagged With: altissimo, chris potter, Giant Steps, tenor sax

Steve

About Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for over 30 years. He is the author of many best selling jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

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Comments

  1. AvatarErgin says

    May 24, 2017 at 10:58 am

    How can he do that? I really dont understand how to improve altissimo. I always study overtones and altissimo for more thand 3 years but still can not produce clear and listenable overtones.

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      June 15, 2017 at 10:59 am

      Ergin, Do you have a teacher that can do it or have you been trying on your own? Steve

      Reply
  2. AvatarErgin says

    June 30, 2018 at 3:08 am

    My own.

    Reply
  3. AvatarJohn Sweenie says

    November 13, 2018 at 3:22 am

    When I was in the early days of learning altissimo I found (in some cases) the fingered note to be easier than the overtone initially. My altissimo register would improve with the fingered notes, then hit a wall and I could go back to trying to improve the overtones (some still aren’t perfect, I’ve found G to not like to sit well or in tune).

    This is a cool exercise, might have to try it out. I usually just read a tune out of the omnibook up an octave in my warmup somewhere but this would make a nice change.

    Reply

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Hey Steve, I’m a 22-year-old from Australia. I thought it would be worth saying. You’re an absolute legend. I can’t thank you enough. You have helped me rekindle my love for the saxophone and music as a whole. All the best for the future, your work doesn’t go unnoticed. PS. I am loving your devastating minor lines pdf.
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Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
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I can’t say enough about my membership at Neff Music. Steve has taken the mystery out of playing the saxophone well and improvising both jazz and rock music. Like most struggling players I have a load of all sorts of books on my shelf just gathering dust. Books that I didn’t understand or know how to put to use…or just have the time to go threw them. Steve’s lessons really simplify things and he puts it in a way that I can understand. They inspire me to keep pushing and having him as my guide or… Read more
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Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

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You are a true gift to the jazz community.

60 lessons and going strong,

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Robert

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Have a great year,

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I've learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.
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