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DProthro95
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014
Posts: 37
Location: Palmdale, CA
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 Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 2:33 pm Post subject: Notes to Squeaks? |
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| The title of this is a little misleading. My range stops at high C. Everything above that turns into a squeak. I can hear the notes and they are about mezzo-forte. However, they are squeaks. I have been experimenting with different aspects (tongue-level, wedge breath [or what I've come to understand about it], more air, less air, using the corners to maintain shape), however in the end I end up with the same or similar results and am not sure where I am going wrong. I know this is difficult to diagnose without someone seeing me play, but there has to be something I'm doing wrong. |
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Gandalfe
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Location: Seattle
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razeontherock
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Joined: 05 Jun 2004
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Location: The land of GR and Getzen
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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Doc Reinhardt championed the idea that the squeak of today is the note of tomorrow. However, I'm not sure that anything at a mezzo-forte can be considered a squeak? Semantics never serve us well in these things, but I think it might be safe to say you're simply not happy with your tone upstairs?
There's only a zillion variables here. First, how high do your squeaks go before getting much (as in, very substantially) quieter, at best? Second, how long have you been playing, what mouthpiece and horn are you on, and how long have you been playing that mouthpiece horn combination? |
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brasslete_jon
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Joined: 20 Jun 2013
Posts: 75
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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The Stamp basic warmup routine, which includes some breathing exercises followed by lip buzzing, mouthpiece buzzing, and on the horn, will give you air speed and embouchure strength to turn those squeaks or squeals into solid, resonant notes.
You mentioned manipulating the corners to hit high notes. After lip and mouthpiece buzzing with Stamp, you'll feel a firmness in your corners without having to press them in. I find that manipulating the corners while playing works great for a very short period followed by tons of problems.
Get the Stamp book and try it out!
-Jon
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Jon Manness
http://www.jonathanmanness.com |
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DProthro95
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014
Posts: 37
Location: Palmdale, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| razeontherock wrote: | Doc Reinhardt championed the idea that the squeak of today is the note of tomorrow. However, I'm not sure that anything at a mezzo-forte can be considered a squeak? Semantics never serve us well in these things, but I think it might be safe to say you're simply not happy with your tone upstairs?
There's only a zillion variables here. First, how high do your squeaks go before getting much (as in, very substantially) quieter, at best? Second, how long have you been playing, what mouthpiece and horn are you on, and how long have you been playing that mouthpiece horn combination? |
It comes out without speaking like a typical note. It sounds quiet and "stuffy". Sometimes I can get a D out at the same volume as a C, but after that, they immediately drop to a squeak. I'm only mildly familiar with Reinhardt's Pivot System, God forbid I try and diagnose my embouchure type. My upper lip comes protrudes slightly (at least that's what it feels like in the mouthpiece). When trying to bring the jaw forward the sound immediately goes fuzzy. My mouthpiece is placed slightly to the right, about equal on both lips. I have thin lips, not sure if that affects anything. Teeth are "perfect" (had braces).
I play on a Giddings and Webster 3GW 149 Helios (Bach 3C equivalent, a little bigger), Yamaha Xeno 8335GS. I've been playing 11 years, 3 years on this mpc, 10 months on this horn. I know, not exactly a great mpc to be using, I haven't purchased anything smaller that I liked. I need to do some more looking to see what fits better. |
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lmaraya
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 618
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Try Hickman's 15 advanced embouchure exercises, they are great, it also has a lot of bend notes and pedal tones. |
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Bluesy
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Joined: 01 Oct 2014
Posts: 477
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Long tones up there will turn those squeaks into tones.
B/
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Finally Beiderbecke took out a silver cornet. He put it to his lips and blew a phrase. The sound came out like a girl saying ‘yes.’. . . . .Eddie Condon/ |
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razeontherock
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Joined: 05 Jun 2004
Posts: 10609
Location: The land of GR and Getzen
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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| DProthro95 wrote: |
I play on a Giddings and Webster 3GW 149 Helios (Bach 3C equivalent, a little bigger), Yamaha Xeno 8335GS. I've been playing 11 years, 3 years on this mpc, 10 months on this horn. I know, not exactly a great mpc to be using |
Good, solid equipment! 10 months on the same set-up, ok. Did this change with your last equipment change, or was your playing consistent? Have you seen any development since?
Even though I'm consistently solid on A above high C and working on connecting the next two notes (that like to go AWOL) to double high C, on a larger sized mouthpiece anything above about a D can get iffy, muffled, and perhaps as you describe, but certainly not my usual power. How solid is your A below high C? B? Try working on making that register more musically useful, (dynamics, articulation) and a few weeks of that may see some development in your C - Eb range.
And the ol' Clarke book. You may not be able to work out of it correctly even as high as G on top of the staff, but however high you can get with good, controlled tone at a low volume level and without strain ... it's a magic wand! 
What's your highest sustainable squeak? |
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DProthro95
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014
Posts: 37
Location: Palmdale, CA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:17 am Post subject: |
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| razeontherock wrote: | | DProthro95 wrote: |
I play on a Giddings and Webster 3GW 149 Helios (Bach 3C equivalent, a little bigger), Yamaha Xeno 8335GS. I've been playing 11 years, 3 years on this mpc, 10 months on this horn. I know, not exactly a great mpc to be using |
Good, solid equipment! 10 months on the same set-up, ok. Did this change with your last equipment change, or was your playing consistent? Have you seen any development since?
Even though I'm consistently solid on A above high C and working on connecting the next two notes (that like to go AWOL) to double high C, on a larger sized mouthpiece anything above about a D can get iffy, muffled, and perhaps as you describe, but certainly not my usual power. How solid is your A below high C? B? Try working on making that register more musically useful, (dynamics, articulation) and a few weeks of that may see some development in your C - Eb range.
And the ol' Clarke book. You may not be able to work out of it correctly even as high as G on top of the staff, but however high you can get with good, controlled tone at a low volume level and without strain ... it's a magic wand!
What's your highest sustainable squeak? |
My last horn was a Bach 37. Since then I've improved in some areas, but lost some range after drum corp because I wasn't able to practice on a regular basis. Notes below C are mostly solid. C can be iffy at times, sometimes my lips swell and makes it almost impossible to play them. Ai need to work on my coordination up there .
I can squeek and hold up to B above high C. |
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Pops
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Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 2039
Location: Dallas (Grand Prairie), Texas
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| Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 12:16 am Post subject: |
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We make squeaks because we are doing too much of something and choking out the sound.
Playing thousands and thousands of squeaks lets your mind figure things out and they often get better.
A great teacher can help show you what is wrong in an hour and save months of time.
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Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin
You can always Google me.
50 years Teaching. Teaching and writing trumpet books is ALL I do.
7,000 pages of free music. Trumpet Books, Skype Lessons: www.BbTrumpet.com |
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kmtrumpet
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Joined: 08 Dec 2014
Posts: 17
Location: California
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like you're pinching off the note. |
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x9ret
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Location: Liverpool, UK
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