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How to Practice Altissimo Technique Lesson

How to Practice Altissimo Technique Lesson

$9.99

Categories: Sax Altissimo, Sax Lessons Tags: altissimo, foundation studies, sax, saxophone, video lesson
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Description

In this new video lesson, I show you how I go about practicing a new altissimo fingering.  In this case, I am working with a brand new altissimo G# fingering that I found in an Eddie Harris book called “The Intervallistic Concept”.  This is a brand new fingering for altissimo G# for me, but I am attracted to it because it is less awkward than my regular G# fingering when playing lines up in the altissimo range.

I have to be honest, this is one of those lessons that wasn’t easy for me to make.  Why?  Because I am not good at this brand new fingering.  Everything in me wants to delete this lesson and wait until I perfect it before teaching about it. Here’s the thing though, we always hear players play stuff they can already play and have perfected.  I would have loved to hear Michael Brecker practicing and working on something that he was really bad at!   What a learning experience to see how someone of his calibre goes about practicing something that he can’t do.   So for that reason, I am posting this lesson.  There will be lots of mistakes and probably horrible sounds but through the process of watching it, you might gain and understanding of how I practice something that is hard for me and learn from the experience.

I take you through my process of practicing the new fingering and then show you how I practice using it using triads, scales and chromatic lines.  This practice session is the first step to get acquainted with the new fingering and get used to it.  The end goal is to gain complete mastery of these notes and in the end be able to play all ideas I may think of up in that range of the horn with more ease and mastery.  Join me for this lesson if you are interested in an inside look at the process that I use to learn something I can’t do. (35 Minute Video Lesson)

 

 

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Lesson Sample

https://public.neffmusic.com/How_to_Practice_Altissimo_Technique_Lesson_Clip.mp4

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I’m an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical.  Over the decades I’ve been playing, I’ve always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music.  However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff’s website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed.  I purchased all of them and have been working on them since.  It’s very hard work… Read more
Paul
Just to say thanks for your advice and lessons.  I’ve just read your amazing story.  I really appreciate what you do in regards to teaching.  I have bought a couple of your lessons and frankly they’re undersold.   I’ve learned much more with these two lessons than with 2 years of sax teachers.   Thanks so much………..
Mike

I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.  I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more bite sized way.

Milton
Hi Steve, I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ’em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!  
Kenyon Carter
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
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
Ken
I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil
I can see from your instructional videos that you are a fantastic teacher – one that can truly relate to all ages – humble yet very positive in approach – never coming across as superior and yet so totally capable of demonstrating the principles and techniques that you seek to impart to the students. I have gained so much confidence in my playing from “pouring over” time and again these invaluable lessons. Invaluable not only in musical content, but also in human interaction content. I am absolu… Read more
Ron

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing. 

Anthony
I would like to say that in the last year my sax playing has progressed loads from your lessons. I have had a sax for about 20 years and dabbled with lessons from a few teachers and have learnt very little from them. As you have said in your lessons many teachers tell you to use the blues scale and leave it there, not even showing you the resolution points!!. I am now believing I can in time become a good improviser.
Thanks again,
Shane
Shane

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