Walt Johnson's "Double High C in Ten Minutes"

Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:46 pm Post subject:

Walt is a great guy and great player. There are roughly a bazillion threads about this book; try using Google search and restrict to this site.
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Mikebebop · New Member Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

And ten minutes later, it's gone.

groovinhigher · Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:39 am Post subject:

gospeljohn · Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:34 pm Post subject:

this book is really opening up lots of new things to try.I love its short, simple yet profound lay-out.Playing the ballad best i can plus jamming round the changes is awesome !
I,ve just seen a new book called " Trumpet Synthesis"which has some Woody Shaw exercises in it etc over at Aebersolds.Looks pretty useful...

gospeljohn · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:27 am Post subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-pGUCEwyvY

LOL !!!!

groovinhigher · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:37 pm Post subject:

gospeljohn · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:57 pm Post subject:

no disrespect intended!
just a funny gal !!!

Hey if people buy the book and actually hear Walt play his ballad.....
I,m blown away.Its a great little package that is helping my playing a heck of a lot.I saw the Drozdoff vid too.He,s got some great things going too.
I think my embouchure is already in high gear all the time,just the way i buzz etc has my bottom lip curled in a lot.Would simply moving my bottom jaw up more be an ok thing to try?
It feels so stuffy when i do,i can,t blow much that way.
Would this technique be harder on a small bore 22B that i use right now?
Man,i just want to play that written double D at the end of the song!!!!

Lboretrumpets · Veteran Member Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 288

I did the 'roll in' technique... I didn't get double high C. I got the F above. And then bent it up to G#-ish... Now there is a pack of dogs outside my house....
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butxifxnot · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 2353

Just got this book.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
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tk1031 · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:02 am Post subject:

I started reading this thread about a week ago. I started watching youtube and trying some of the stuff I saw. Ive been able to nail the double "C" all day long today, quiet but there, and in tune. Today, I played a chromatic scale from the double "C" to the G above that. No pressure, not super loud, but very very very in tune, and solid as a rock.

I'm going to order the book, and see if I can learn something else. I may not need that range (it's cool to have on a Big Band gig) but I play a lot of piccolo, and it would be nice not to feel like I ran a marathon at the end. A friend tol me that one should have to work hard for the "C" above the staff. I told him that is not true. Play, relax, have fun... but if you have to work hard for the C above the staff... don't play it: it will wear you out. I don't see this method aS a cheat, only a way to make it easier to last longer at the higher range.
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dlca222 · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:11 pm Post subject:

This is a great method!

Nuck81 · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:26 pm Post subject:

Thanks for this thread. The "high gear" videos really helped me visualize and interpret better the "roll-in" concept I've been trying in BE the past weeks.

It's been like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel the past hour....

butxifxnot · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 2353

tk1031 · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:54 am Post subject:

I am just starting quiet and working my way around the new set-up. It is getting louder, and easier to control every day I do it. I am using long tones, and basic tongueing (quarter notes after the whole note, and then eighth notes). As i move around in that register, I relax... I forget that hitting that note is so "hard" and the volume increases.

Could be practice, could be all in my head... but it is getting louder, I am taking my time.... and it is cool cool cool cool.

PS: For Big Band, Jazz Band stuff... this is a special effect, and I love it. But I also play piccolo trumpet, and am experimenting with using this set-up there. Increased stamina, better intonation.... Im in!
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Schagerl "Gansch" Vienna Trumpet Schagerl "Gansch" Horsdorf Heavy
Schlub "Damar" 4 valve Flugelhorn
Zirnbauer Piccolo Bd/A

gospeljohn · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:48 pm Post subject:

hi again!
well i got my first double C,s today.Playing along with Maynard a ballad from the Ballad album.
I added The Real Cat Anderson Method to my warm up,thats helped a lot!(on my 3rd week)
i also use Callet double pedals,Alan Wise,s new book,"Wise Words",also David Hickmann,s "Lip Bends and Slurs"and old stuff i don,t even know who wrote them!Oh and Arban natch.
Anyway,i took onboard from re-reading this thread,the sliding bottom lip under trick,and it worked.
My top G is getting fat now,and A flat A are suddenly getting easier.
Boom,i hit the B flat and trilled up to the C .Then i hit several of them clean.
As Walt says the tone is thin,but its normal.The chops will get used to it.
So,not Ten minutes,but much less than ten months!!
Actually thats how long i,ve been playing again ;a re-start from 2003.
I couldn,t believe it for a few seconds.Now for that huge double D in the ballad track on the cd that comes with the book.Wicked!!!!!
I use a Conn 22B that makes life tough,i got a better sound more range yesterday on my students Yammie!
Can,t wait,but got to until April for MF Horn ST308S to get here.I use a Shilke 6A4a.
Wonder what i can do tomorrow ?!!

Highly satisfied customer.

gospeljohn.(MF HORN)

nyctrumpeter · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 11:46 pm Post subject: Re: Double C in ten minutes?

butxifxnot · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 2353

A survey-type question.
Walt Johnson's book kind of relies on the assumption that there is a trick to playing in the double range. Is there?

The closest I've gotten is doing the roll-in like described in the book and then doing the little squeakies that Nick Drozdoff demonstrates in his hi gear/lo gear video. It's yet to work if I'm fully warm-up. Granted, I haven't had a ton of time to devote to it since trying it out.
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gospeljohn · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:07 am Post subject:

i think it will be a case of slowly getting used to the hi-gear set,then being patient and being accurate first,with volume increasing over a few weeks.
Any kind of overblowing won,t do it ,as is the case of course with your normal set in the middle register.
I would also guess that using the exercises will produce different sensations,results for us.
I like to try it as a combo of playalong 20 seconds,then rest 20,then an exercise ,say repeating top F on the Hi set,then sliding up or tonguing to A,Aflat,B,BFlat,keep trying to feel the slots until i can nail the double C.
Then rest again.Plenty to experiment with.Just being willing to do different things and patience for 3 weeks is a good way to go.Cat,s book says to do your usual routine after his warm-up.I kinda mix mine into use after the 20 minutes of G ,and try to play a lovely ballad with lots of lip bends and romantic tones.Then stick it up an octave ,like MF said and play again the best u can.I find this cool,but tiring.I,m 2 years away i figure from having strong enough chops and technical control to play "Somewhere" in front of a crowd.But i believe it will come.
Hope this helps.

cheers gospelJ.

jimh46

pfeifela · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:02 pm Post subject: