Does practicing on Piccolo trumpet help High Range

[Dieter Z]

Just wondering if practicing on Piccolo trumpet helps developing a better Upper/higher register?

I have a Piccolo trumpet on long term loan, but am usually busy just practicing my Bb and sometimes my C.

However, I recently pulled out a trumpet solo book and many pieces are very high (C and up to E), probably intended to be played with an Eb trumpet or even a Piccolo trumpet.

So just wondering if doing some Clarke and Schlossberg on the Piccolo trumpet would help on developing and strengthening my upper register.

Of course I also could pull out a Hymnal and play 2 or 3 songs a day an octave higher.
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B & H Sovereign 928
Conn 80A
F. Besson Brevette Kanstul made
B&S Challenger II 3137 rl
Buescher 400 - 225 (WWII)
Benge 90C
Eastman 540 D/Eb
ACB Fluegelhorn
Selmer Picc
ACB mouthpieces for most of my playing

[Seymor B Fudd]

[Christian K. Peters]

Hello all,
The word compression comes to mind, though I am not sure if it is the right word I need. You need an airstream that is congruent to the size of the instrument. I have found that when I prepare a piccolo piece, I force myself to restrain the volume and focus on the combination of aperture and speed to produce the right note at the right level. More of a pin-point stream rather than solid flow. The concept can be taken to a bigger horn producing higher pitches, possibly to the sacrificing a larger sound to a brighter timbre of play. Really, the key word is focus of sound. A smaller bore asks for a better/smaller focus. It is getting the horn to do the work not the chops. though the chops have to have the strength to keep the aperture small without distortion. At least, that is what works for me.
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Christian K. Peters
Schilke Loyalist since 1976

[Seymor B Fudd]

[gstump]

It never did for me. Pic playing is different. I think everything adapts to the smaller horn. For me that does not translate back to the bigger horn.
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Schilke B5
Couesnon Flug (1967)
Funk Brothers Horn Section/Caruso Student

[cheiden]

[Christian K. Peters]

Hello Seymor,
I had to notice your sign off line. You play Eb soprano also. I consider the Eb soprano cornet, similar to the Bb/A pic in how it is approached. Or, how it should be approached. I am going to stick by my focus/ air stream statement and add that I do think for me, that playing small horn helps range on the bigger horns. I think that 'approach' to trumpet playing in general, is very specific to outcome. That is why some say it works and some say it does not work for them.
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Christian K. Peters
Schilke Loyalist since 1976

[amzi]

My personal experience is that the techniques involved are so different that what works for one does not work for the other. (Your experience may vary.) A couple of years ago I spent 3 months playing Eb and picc exclusively and my range on the Bb actually suffered significantly. The finesse required for the little horns just doesn't translate to my Bb. Like I said, this is my experience; the experience of others may vary.
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Recording Olds Trumpet
Bach Stradivarius ML 37
Bach Stradivarius CML 236
Bach Stradivarius Bass Trumpet
Holton T171 Alto Trumpet
Yamaha 610 Eb/D Trumpet
Kanstul 920 Picc.

[spitvalve]

Different strokes...the years I owned a piccolo and played it a lot, it helped my accuracy in the high register on the Bb trumpet. Didn't make my range any higher--but it helped me focus and play more efficiently.
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Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1979 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
Eastlake Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

[zaferis]