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is my range good enough?


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CCR
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 4:28 pm    Post subject: is my range good enough? Reply with quote

I've been playing trumpet for about a year now and I was wondering what is a good range for a one year player? am I doing good or bad? and if not how can I improve my range? my comfortable range is from a pedal F# to a high E above the high C. some time I can get the F and G but not always
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iWinland
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Range is a tricky thing. The range you described is great for someone who has just been playing a year, but it depends on whether you sound is staying consistent from your lowest note to your highest note. Most beginners tend to squeeze out or squeak out high note, but these note wouldn't be accepted when playing a gig. So without hearing you, I can't tell you whether your range is good.

Another thing to think about, Range is not only how high you can play, but how long can you play up there and the sound quality your getting.
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trptboy3
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been playing for 13 years and have a consistant range of low F# to D about high C. I just finished an undergrad in performance, play in a couple of orchestras, a quintet, and a big band. Range wise, you're doing spectacularly well. Keep at it!
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Crazy Finn
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's fine.

Range is always good, but most of the music is between low C and maybe G or A above the staff. It's good to get above that to C, especially - but unless you play in a jazz band or challenging pit orchestras, you usually don't go above that.

I really quit working on my range about 10-11 years ago - well on expanding it. I had other things to work on that are much more relevant and useful.

Tone, technique - those are more important.

It's important to be able to play the notes. But, once you can can you play them with a gorgeous sound? Do people LOVE to hear you play them? Can you make MUSIC with them?

That's were it's at.
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Al Innella
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:43 am    Post subject: Re: is my range good enough? Reply with quote

CCR wrote:
I've been playing trumpet for about a year now and I was wondering what is a good range for a one year player? am I doing good or bad? and if not how can I improve my range? my comfortable range is from a pedal F# to a high E above the high C. some time I can get the F and G but not always


When you say pedal F#,are you talking about the F# below the treble clef or the one below the bass clef? Same for high F and G,do you mean the one above C above the staff or do you mean third space C in the staff?
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crzytptman
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can you play any music that people want to listen to?
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geezer
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

crzytptman wrote:
Can you play any music that people want to listen to?


Miles Davis couldn't, so why are you holding the OP to a higher standard?
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bagmangood
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

geezer wrote:

Miles Davis couldn't, so why are you holding the OP to a higher standard?


Well played sir, well played.

And to the OP, that's plenty of range. More range than you need for a year in really. Definitely do as Finn suggested and essentially stop worrying about range and start worrying about tone and technique
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INTJ
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

At whatever level we are, working on range should ways be a part of our practice routine. Range extending drills don't need to be played every day and probably shouldn't, but once or twice a week is a reasonable minimum.
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jiarby
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are exactly ZERO music producers, gig contractors, and music directors sitting around out there in the world pulling their hair out looking for a trumpet player that can play high notes.

They want players that can sight read just about anything, play in various styles correctly, have great intonation, can generally improvise over common chord changes, can play good lead OR second, show up on time, and gets along well with everyone.

The guy that can do all that gets all the gigs in your town.

OK, you say you can play up to high E... but WHAT can you play in that range?? Can you play all your scales. Not just major. Minor, in all modes, up and down in the whole range. Can you play a musical melody that sounds good?? Or, are we talking about just doing an arpeggio and kissing off the high note at the end.

My advice would be to ignore range and work on fundamental trumpet skills. Clarke, Arban, Irons, Colin Flexibilities, Scales & scale patterns, literature/etudes. Practice all those things across your whole range.
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EdMann
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

geezer wrote:
crzytptman wrote:
Can you play any music that people want to listen to?


Miles Davis couldn't, so why are you holding the OP to a higher standard?


I think you misread Nate there. Miles COULD play music people want to listen to: jazz music. He didn't say ALL music, just ANY, and he certainly could play. In all certainty, he studied at Julliard and with Vacchiano, so I suppose he COULD play anything that came to mind. And yes, with range. He started without it, added it as he heard it, then stopped the upper register hystrionics in favor of other styles .

ed
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geezer
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jiarby wrote:
There are exactly ZERO music producers, gig contractors, and music directors sitting around out there in the world pulling their hair out looking for a trumpet player that can play high notes.

They want players that can sight read just about anything, play in various styles correctly, have great intonation, can generally improvise over common chord changes, can play good lead OR second, show up on time, and gets along well with everyone.

The guy that can do all that gets all the gigs in your town.

OK, you say you can play up to high E... but WHAT can you play in that range?? Can you play all your scales. Not just major. Minor, in all modes, up and down in the whole range. Can you play a musical melody that sounds good?? Or, are we talking about just doing an arpeggio and kissing off the high note at the end.

My advice would be to ignore range and work on fundamental trumpet skills. Clarke, Arban, Irons, Colin Flexibilities, Scales & scale patterns, literature/etudes. Practice all those things across your whole range.


"My advice would be to ignore range"

Range is just as important as any other skill, no more and no less,
so it should be practiced as much as any other skill, no more and no less.

If you don't work on your range, then get used to being 4th chair trumpet the rest of your life, like that funny video on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJBggMTZI7w

High school students are given music that requires them to play above High C,
so it would be foolish to assume that professional trumpet players would not be required to have at least the same range as high school students.

Range should not be the main focus of a player's practice, but range should not be ignored, either.
Range should be practiced the same as any other skill, no more and no less.
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geezer
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

EdMann wrote:
geezer wrote:
crzytptman wrote:
Can you play any music that people want to listen to?


Miles Davis couldn't, so why are you holding the OP to a higher standard?


I think you misread Nate there. Miles COULD play music people want to listen to: jazz music. He didn't say ALL music, just ANY, and he certainly could play. In all certainty, he studied at Julliard and with Vacchiano, so I suppose he COULD play anything that came to mind. And yes, with range. He started without it, added it as he heard it, then stopped the upper register hystrionics in favor of other styles .

ed


I understood Nate perfectly.

You apparently didn't understand my point.

Nate asked, "Can you play any music that people want to listen to?"

Nate's question ignored the fact that different people have different tastes, even have different opinions on what constitutes music.
Louis Armstrong didn't like Bebop music.
Some trumpet players don't like Miles Davis.
Other trumpet players don't like Lin Biviano (I love the guy).
I hate rap (hip-hop) music.
It's all a matter of taste.

The only painting that Vincent van Gogh could sell during his own lifetime was to his own brother, because nobody else liked Vincent's paintings.

Nate's question should have been phrased on the basis of whether the OP was seeking proficiency in all playing skills so as to become a good all-round player,
instead of phrasing his question in terms of what "people want to listen to", as though all people want to listen to the same type of music, which is not true.
As though music should be defined as "what people want to hear", which is not a good definition (Since most people don't want to hear classical music, does that mean that classical is not music?)

Even if nobody wants to listen to a player's music, he is still doing good if he is playing what he hears in his own heart.
He might not get any playing jobs that way.
But at least he is "being true to his own art" as the purists say.

If anybody in my town ever asked me, "Can you play any music that people want to listen to?" I would take that question as an insult and tell the disrespectful person to bug off.
But I didn't tell Nate to bug off because that would cause a flame war, and I don't want a flame war.
I tried to get the point across with some gentle humor.
Because "can't we all just get along?"
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To the OP, it's easy and in some ways attractive to get hung up on range. And while I won't try to discourage you from continuing to develop range, don't fall into the common trap where the pursuit of high notes overshadows all of the other attributes of playing. You woudn't sit and listen to a singer who could sing high but was out of tune, had no sense of rhythm and had a harsh unpleasant voice. The goal should be to get technically proficient enough that you can play any melody as it needs to be played to make the intended statement. If any lack of skill in any area keeps you from doing so then that's a skill you need to be spending time on. Work on what you're bad at and for now it sounds like you doing relatively well with range. Of course this is assume that what you call range is actuall notes that can be played at a variety of dynamics and articulations and the resulting tone doesn't scare small children.
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Craig Swartz
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe the OP is baiting us...
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jiarby
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

He's a Master Baiter
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crzytptman
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stop using my comment to push your own agenda. I'll admit, I'm flattered that my few words illicit such analyzation. It's true, there are many layers to my simple comments - a surface layer that is easy to apply to the topic, and deep layers that require the intellectual exercise of one like geezer to tease out the kernel of truth . . .

What I meant was, the OP has only been playing for 1 year. Having started many young beginners, I know that learning to play music with a full, relaxed and resonant tone is what is important in the early years. Laying the proper foundation takes time, but actually saves time in the long run.

People enjoy listening to my young players, because even though they play simple music, they sound good.
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geezer
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crzytptman wrote:
deep layers that require the intellectual exercise of one like geezer to tease out the kernel of truth . . .


Nate,
Are you capable of playing any music that people want to listen to?


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Crazy Finn wrote:
It's important to be able to play the notes. But, once you can can you play them with a gorgeous sound? Do people LOVE to hear you play them? Can you make MUSIC with them?

That's were it's at.


Hallelujah!
Enough with the squeaking.
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crzytptman
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

geezer wrote:
crzytptman wrote:
deep layers that require the intellectual exercise of one like geezer to tease out the kernel of truth . . .


Nate,
Are you capable of playing any music that people want to listen to?


I'm all Jive, baby!
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