Isometrics and related strength gain can help connect regist

[Lionel]

I would bet that a lot of trumpet players blow with one embouchure setting for most of their work. Yet when it comes to the notes above the staff, or above high C?

They stop playing, take the horn off their face and then proceed skyward. And oddly enough I'm not certain that this basic kind of a "shift" is all that bad a habit. Granted in classical music it would be damned near impossible to blow certain passages. The intervals in the Haydn for one. So perhaps this kind of limitation should be seen as just that:

A temporary setback. Allowing the trumpet player a little more range while he's still developing.The "shift" being something temporary. Useful for the time being. Hey, at least the kid has a half decent High C, D. Maybe an F too. In which case all sorts of opportunities open up for the kid.

That was me in high school. I had a solid high F on the trumpet. G too. And like I said, some brass players actually recommend playing with a shift. These being Hornists mostly. As it is quite common for classically trained hornists to need 4 and a half octaves of range. Thus rather than be a "hero" and conquer all five octaves of range on one setting?

The average good hornist chooses a loose, more open chop setting for his bottom register. And the a more firm, slightly rolled in one for the upper second half of his register. And while he'll usually re-set around a certain given tone it isnt an exact formula every time. One day he may re-set at his first ledger line G. Another time re-set a perfect fifth above and then
sometimes he re-sets below the staff. Often practicing to bring the lower register setting higher and the higher setting lower.

I learned a lot about trumpet playing the year I first picked up the horn.

Now back to isometrics: Just developing really strong facial muscles isnt gonnal help ya much just on its own. However when my chops started getting very strong physically I noticed that it was no longer necessary for me to re-set my chops to get a bigger sound in the upper register. If I may explain.

Ive been able to blow a 3 and 1/2 octave scale or arpeggio for a long time now. However in order to do this I usually take a little volume off the top end. Not just squeak my high G and above b umut not really pound them either. Indeed I would take a little off them.

However today after putting myself on a lengthy and demanding set of graduated isometrics? I'm getting close to a full volume on my top end. Even when setting for a lower chop structure.

Apparently increasing the muscle strength can reduce the necessity to "roll the chops".

In turn the less rolled in the embouchure is? The greater the overall sound can develop.
_________________
"Check me if I'm wrong Sandy but if I kill all the golfers they're gonna lock me up & throw away the key"!

Carl Spackler (aka Bill Murray, 1980).

[Robert P]

[Lionel]

[Lionel]

If I may? Would like to extend upon my topic/first post. Expanding upon the topuc's intent.

I imagine that trumpet players just starting to learn the upper register will employ small tricks to gain access to high notes. Rolling in the lower lip seems to be one of them. Puckering out the upper lip another. Anyway those were the two which I used back in my early days.

And yet as I progressed, particularly after I turned pro I found various inefficiencies in each trick.

Puckering out was great for high notes but left me with a weak middle register. Hard to get a good double forte.

Similarly by rolling in? This also produced a weak middle register. Again, pretty good for high notes but requiring a complete shift and re-setting of my chops. Either to a lower setting for an improved, fatter lower register. Or a tighter, more rolled in lower lip for above high C.

Often I used to couple my lower lip roll in with a pooched out upper lip. For really hammering hugh G's. And lemme tell ya, I had some impressive high G's even at only age 15. But my system wasnt so
efficient back in the day... Switching from a lower setting to a higher one caused several difficulties. Endurance was one because my puckered out upper lip setting required lots of arm pressure. I was good for about a dozen to twenty high G's a night but then I was finished. Clearly I needed to employ something different.

Mouthpiece selection helped. As did a college prof who literally forced me to start developing my much neglected middle abd lower registers..

Later still however it was the development of extremely strong mouth corner and facial muscles which ironed out my problems. I was finally able to play my whole range on one setting. Even if at first that one setting worked better in the middle and lower registers. Eventually however my chops did blossom and were able to play at least three octaves all well connected and at all volumes.

And at some point along the way I completely discontinued puckering out my upper lip. That and greatly reduced the amount my lower lip rolled in to hit higher notes.

By eliminating all of my pucker out and reducing my lower lip roll in? The resistance created in my chops greatly decreased. In turned this made both my upper register easier to blow and added in another perfect fourth of register. To the double C. A great way to break the high G cut-off point by the way.

I now look back at my early methods of playing high notes as useful techniques at that time. After all at age 15 or so almost none of your peers have solid high G's. But as time went on I learned to develop less crude means of playing high notes.
_________________
"Check me if I'm wrong Sandy but if I kill all the golfers they're gonna lock me up & throw away the key"!

Carl Spackler (aka Bill Murray, 1980).