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Night and day range? Suggestions?



 
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TheTopTrumpet
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Joined: 20 Oct 2015
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:08 pm    Post subject: Night and day range? Suggestions? Reply with quote

Hi all, I’ve experienced changes in range before, but nothing as bad as this. Maybe for the past year ive had absolutely night and day range. One minute ill be playing double G’s and then 20 minutes later it will be a struggle to reach a G above the staff. Then maybe 20 minutes later it will come back, then go away again and so forth. It is extremely important i fugure this out, i have many gigs where i play lead and cannot take it down. Has anyone had trouble like this? This is not day day, more like hour to hour problems. I have been playing for ten years, and I feel as if I’m falling apart. I’ve heard everything about resting, and while resting does improve range, I can’t just take a day off when playing is needed every day. Thanks!
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Hudson08
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you have a daily routine you go through every day? If so, what's it consist of?
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Andy Del
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Night and day range? Suggestions? Reply with quote

TheTopTrumpet wrote:
I’ve heard everything about resting, and while resting does improve range, I can’t just take a day off when playing is needed every day. Thanks!


As with most posts asking for advice, we have almost zero clue as to your problem - I find my students are almost universal in being unable to accurately describe the symptoms of the problem they have.

So, having said that, you hint at the issue, I suspect in the statement above. How long have you been not taking time off? If this really is the case, then you may be just be chronically fatigued. You DO need time off, and to be very honest, a day or two,. or three will not burn your playing into the ground, regardless of the morbid fear we seem to have about NOT practicing all the time.

I have seen some professional at the end of their careers sounding tired and worn out, only to hear them back sounding like their prime a few years later, after NOT playing day in day out, slogging their chops to death.

A rest me be a good thing!

cheers

Andy
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JVL
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hello

maybe it's your technic to play in high range that isn't correct, in terms of embouchure, breath, tongue : working too hard, tiring/messing chops, overblowing, tension in inhaling/exhaling.... ?

about rests, the rule is : the higher the intensity, the longer the rest

best
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The surest way to be more consistent is to have an effective regular routine.
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Dave CCM/SSO
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello,

In my opinion, the best way you will be able to work through this is to go see a pro who can help you. Show them what's happening and how and what you practice. Have them analyze and give you practice suggestions.

It's possible that you are over worked, but you may need a better understanding, development, and implementation of the proper technique. It's one thing to sound good when everything is going our way, but it's another thing altogether to learn the details of the technique to such a degree that we sound like a pro every day.

Best of luck.

Dave
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Al Innella
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

You said you have many gigs,do you practice on those days? If you do,don't. A soft warm up at home,some long tones,some arpeggios and done,after that a short warm up at the gig should be sufficient.

On days with no gigs,alternate light practice days, soft playing with plenty of rests,with days playing softly in the upper register also with plenty of rests.

Most of us have over worked our chops at one time or another. Taking some time off does help,so if you can 2 or 3 days vacation from the trumpet is a good idea.

Hope this helps

Al
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:48 am    Post subject: Re: Night and day range? Suggestions? Reply with quote

TheTopTrumpet wrote:
Hi all, I’ve experienced changes in range before, but nothing as bad as this. Maybe for the past year ive had absolutely night and day range. One minute ill be playing double G’s and then 20 minutes later it will be a struggle to reach a G above the staff. Then maybe 20 minutes later it will come back, then go away again and so forth. It is extremely important i fugure this out, i have many gigs where i play lead and cannot take it down. Has anyone had trouble like this? This is not day day, more like hour to hour problems. I have been playing for ten years, and I feel as if I’m falling apart. I’ve heard everything about resting, and while resting does improve range, I can’t just take a day off when playing is needed every day. Thanks!


These kinds of problems are often best solved by treating them on the flank. If this fellow is anything like the character that I once was? He needs a much more consistent diet of rehearsal/performance. My guess is that his current regimen includes basically self punishment. He practices until he tires and then plays even more. He probably uses lots of arm pressure when playing high notes. Thus exacerbating his problem even more.

If I were him would schedule myself to only two to three moderately challenging rehearsals per week. In some kind of band. Either school or community type. Strive to maintain a solid level of security in all three gigs. If he starts missinglots of notes he knows he can usually hit? That means he's over-doing it. Do not practice excessively in between rehearsals. This likely means playing less, not more. Once he's gotten into this routine? Most his problems are over.

Then once he has achieved a more sober level of understanding? Perhaps he should consider mouthpiece changes to gain his high G's back. Only this time with ease, not struggle. And while I always endorse the idea of getting the mouthpiece to do the work for us?

I wouldn't prescribe this before he makes the above recommended changes. Otherwise he'll just take his unbalanced practice schedule over to a shallower mouthpiece. And then blame the mouthpiece.

You'll figure it out my friend. We almost all go through this phase of self-persecution.
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Billy B
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are many ways to get a sound out of a trumpet.
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Robert P
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 9:56 am    Post subject: Re: Night and day range? Suggestions? Reply with quote

TheTopTrumpet wrote:
One minute ill be playing double G’s and then 20 minutes later it will be a struggle to reach a G above the staff. Then maybe 20 minutes later it will come back, then go away again and so forth.

It's not mysterious, it's something you're doing differently - the solution is to become more tuned in to what you're doing when the notes come out, how your chops change as you go from low to high. Lips, teeth/jaw, horn angle, tongue/throat/mouth cavity, pressure distribution, how you're setting the mp, etc.

The more awareness and control you have, the more consistent results you'll have.
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HERMOKIWI
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 2:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Clearly something changes over the course of a playing session. One thought is that your lips swell and when they get to a certain point your technique simply doesn't work but 20 minutes later you've made an adjustment that does work with swollen lips.

If this is what's happening you either need to figure out how to play without your lips swelling to the point of negating your technique or you need to figure out exactly what adjustment you're making.
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MrClean
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe your chops are swelling up a bit during your break? Factor in a little extra time to ease back into the horn - almost like another mini warmup, and see if that helps. It's not ideal, and you'd be treating the symptom instead of the problem, but it might get you through until you figure out how to be more efficient.
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razeontherock
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I say swap out the lead book with somebody else. Forcing it when it just isn't happening isn't going to help anything.

It is possible to do everything consistently, but the chops respond differently. Fatigue, swelling, stiffness ... whatever you're doing isn't ideal. Of course it's also possible that your chops respond consistently, but you don't play consistently.

None of us can tell from here. Go see the best teacher you can find, and in the meantime practice quietly.
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dershem
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1) Find a good teacher who can see what you do in person and work with that. There are severe limitations on what you can do in a text-based platform with people who have never seen or heard you.
2) "Night and Day" in the standard key only goes up to a G anyway.
It really sounds like you are letting stress get to you. You need to learn to relax and play in a relaxed fashion. Please get a good teacher.
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