Altissimo: meaning and use in music

How is altissimo played?

Play in the extreme top register defined by the named instrument and local context. On woodwinds, especially saxophone and clarinet, altissimo commonly means pitches above the ordinary keyed range, produced through overtone fingerings, voicing and embouchure control. Historical vocal or keyboard usage may name very high octaves. In specialist string writing the word can also occur within an extreme sul ponticello vocabulary, but standalone altissimo must not automatically be read as a bow-contact instruction.

How does altissimo sound?

Thin, brilliant and exposed at the very top; on saxophone and flute it can turn piercing or almost vocal. In the sul ponticello sense it becomes glassy and overtone-rich to the point where the bright noise of the upper partials dominates and the fundamental is almost inaudible.

In context

Altissimo is the Italian superlative of alto and means very high or highest. Its practical pitch boundary and production method vary by instrument; register, specialised bow-position terminology and dynamics remain separate controls. No proposed text form received three independent direct expansions of this exact standalone headword, so altissimo remains written out.

Equivalent terms

• EN altissimo register
• EN in alt / in altissimo (near equivalent)