High notes just as easy as lower notes?

[AccentOnTrumpet]

I've been trying to achieve this for a long time, a lot of people say it's not possible, but why would that be? Due to the pressure involved in the upper register (not mouthpiece pressure, just more compression) is it possible to make every note as easy as, say, G under middle C? Say, making Double C as easy and fluent and full as second line G. Can anyone name any good excercises to help grasp this kind of ease? Right now I work with the Cat Anderson method, play Arbans and Concones up an octave on occasions, and also do a lot of 2-3 octave chromatic scales.

A lot of people give up and just say high notes are naturally harder, but are they really? Do they have to be?

[fuzzyjon79]

playing in the upper register, in my opinion (or at least for me personally), takes some effort on my part. the aperture still has to stay open, but the compression has to be there also (corners of the embochure), as well as tremendous air support.
_________________
J. Fowler
"It takes a big ole' sack of flour, to make a big ole' pan of biscuits!"

[bachstrad]

People making comments like this come from a standpoint that would be best represented by an analogy. If you ask someone who routinely benchpresses 300 pounds if it's just as easy to bench 200 pounds, as 100 pounds, he will of course say yes. On the other hand, if you ask someone who can only bench 120 pounds if it's just as easy to bench 200 as 100, he will of course say no. This wasn't meant to associate high not playing with pure strength, the analogy would work with any professional athelete and level of skill/strength/endurance.

[JoseLindE4]

Funny thing. I've always found high notes easier than low notes. Sure, they require more physical effort, but they're easier for me to make sound how I want. So it should be possible for high notes to be "as easy as" low notes. Gotta go work on those low notes.

[Annie]

Hey Jose, wanna share your secret for high notes and I'll share my secret for super low notes? I can almost get the C down there...almost...lol, I can get the Db..
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~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*

[trumpetdiva1]

Both are becoming easier for me with Caruso. Then again, I have always worked on all registers. The interval exercise in Caruso strengthens my middle and upper register. The pedal chord exercise in Caruso strengthens my lower (and upper) register. At least, I think so. My pedal notes are now not only stronger with Caruso, but I can play pedal C below pedal C. I am very close to playing five octaves on my trumpet. I am just 1/2 step off. So, Caruso has paid off for me. Try it.

Janell Carter

[Lex Grantham]

I have not seen any music (and I have been playing for many years in a symphonic band) that ever goes any higher than about an Eb or E above high C. Most of the time, high C is the limit.

But I might suppose that the higher a player is able to perform, the notes that once seemed so very high really are not anymore. If I could play a consistent G above high C, the high C would then seem more tame that it was a few years ago.

Just a thought.

Sincerely,

Lex Grantham

[musiclifeline]

Most of the music I play contains at least a couple of high D's, if not higher. I find high E to be the general limit, unless it's a big band lead (or even second trumpet these days) chart.

Salsa, of course, is a completely different story.

[ This Message was edited by: musiclifeline on 2003-08-07 12:03 ]

[trumpetdiva1]

I play lead trumpet for a jazz orchestra. We play mostly the original big band charts. I see F’s, G’s, and some A's above high C in many charts. We are suppose to work on a chart in the spring where I will have to play A-flats above high C.

In my wind ensemble days, I would see a few E's above high C, but nothing higher than that.

Janell Carter