Abstract
A saxophone technique used to achieve the altissimo register is “voicing”. Voicing refers to the position of the tongue and the shape of the oral cavity/throat in the context of playing the saxophone. Otherwise stated, voicing is using the vocal tract, oral cavity, and tongue flexibly to control all aspects of your sound. When teaching these concepts, instructors may speak in a limited capacity on what occurs within the oral cavity when voicing or producing altissimo. Discovering new approaches via combinations of vocal techniques and saxophone pedagogy will make these techniques more accessible for student learning. It is complicated to pinpoint the exact movements of the oral cavity when performing these techniques. Yet, the saxophonist must have a strong understanding of these motions for their development. Vocal techniques regarding breathing, support of air, various movements within the oral cavity, and how pitches are felt physically should allow the student to learn more accurately and quickly. Using vocal techniques will enhance the student’s approach to voicing, altissimo, and overall tone quality on the saxophone. This essay will serve as research into the subject with interviews from pedagogues of saxophone and voice to further build a foundation on the topic. This research aims to create a new approach within a much-debated saxophone concept where students will have a better chance at learning correctly while raising awareness of the oral cavity movements involved when performing exercises that focus on voicing or altissimo.