altissimo

Altissimo is a musical term used to designate the very high register of a wind instrument, beyond the instrument’s normal upper range. The word comes from Italian, meaning “the most high” or “very high.” In practice, altissimo notes lie at the uppermost end of the instrument’s tessitura and are notated and performed in ways that differ from regular high notes. The term is most closely associated with woodwinds—especially flute, clarinet, and saxophone—and is also encountered in brass and contemporary music contexts.

Producing altissimo notes requires specialized technique. Players use precise embouchure, increased air support, and often extended or alternate fingerings to access pitches outside standard fingering charts. The timbre in the altissimo range is typically brighter and more piercing, and stability can be more challenging, with a higher tendency toward pitch fluctuations or squeaks. Mastery usually involves extensive practice of scales and long tones in the upper range.

Notation and performance practice vary. Composers may indicate altissimo with the term above the staff, or employ cross-staff notation and other notation conventions to clarify where the range begins. Performers may rely on established, instrument-specific fingerings learned through instruction and experience.

Altissimo, therefore, refers to a register rather than a fixed pitch, and its availability depends on the instrument, the player, and the musical context. It is an expressive resource used to extend tessitura and to achieve particular sonic effects, especially in modern and contemporary repertoire.