Sound stops between notes. Why?

[kehaulani]

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Does anyone know why notes would stop sounding between adjacent notes as they ascend, chromatically?

I can connect three slurred, slow notes descending, but when the same three slurred notes ascend, I get unintentional breaks between notes as they ascend. Thanks.
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[Tpt_Guy]

There are myriad reasons why this could occur.

The first two possibilities I can think of are:

1) Relying on valve action to make the slur rather than blowing through it. Jay Friedman has a great exercise that can help:

https://www.jayfriedman.net/articles/trompete_

2) The aperture is too open. This can lead to using excess pressure to force the aperture closed, thus masking an underlying issue. ("Too open" and "too closed" are relative terms and mean nothing more than "bigger than or smaller than an efficient size for a given player.") Practicing soft exercises such as the Clarke Technical Studies as instructed in the book and the Irons 27 Groups of Exercises as instructed in the book can help develop a more balanced embouchure.

As I stated, these are the first two that come to mind. I'm sure other possibilities will be put forth.
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[Avan]

Hello

I solved that issue just by playing as soft as I can and taking a relaxed inhalation of air.

No matter what material you practice, low volume as possible and still keeping the tonal value of the note by hitting the center.



Cheers!
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[kehaulani]

Thanks, guys.

I'm referring, in this case, to a simple exercise in Harold Michell's first book. You just play, slurred and ascending, C-C#-D, then C#-D-D#, then D-D#-E, etc.

I used to be able to do something like this with no problem. I have had several strokes and am on a recovery road. My muscles have been weak but I think I have re-built them to have the strength to otherwise play this exercise.

Also, regarding the gliss exercise, any reason you can think of why I can't do this as a smear using my trumpet? The author of the exercise might have enough loose change to buy an instrument for this exercise but that doesn't exactly fit into my budget,

Thanks.
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Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[Turkle]

This works for me, and it might work for you, but of course there's no guarantee that I have adequately understood your problem! In all humility, here is my suggestion:

During my warmup, I often find that my ascending scales or arpeggios are "disconnected." The principal goal of my warmup is to ensure that I am connecting all registers of the instrument with the same embouchure and airflow, so that hitting low C and high C back to back is as easy as playing those two notes on the piano.

I have found that unconsciously, we sometimes rely on the valve action to change our notes for us, and it's easy to accidentally stop your airflow when slurring or articulating between ascending notes. That's why I experience a "break" between notes - I'm unconsciously stopping my air when switching the notes. This happens in different places for me: sometimes it's in my throat, sometimes it's in the chest.

The concept that has helped me the most - I got it from a Barbara Butler masterclass on Youtube somewhere - is that the breath is like a violin bow, and the different notes are just like putting your fingers in different places on the string. You don't stop the violin bow in between notes! The bow is always moving and you just place your fingers differently.

So it is with our air. When we're using our air correctly, the air is always energized - even before we start our note! - and it remains energized and flowing without interruption as we ascend via scale or wider intervals.

When I play my Schlossberg warmups (and my own personal Schlossberg-inspired exercises), I consciously make sure my air is energized before the note starts, so it's like having a running start - and then make sure that my airflow is maintained and connected between all notes and registers.

I hope that this might be helpful for you, it certainly works for me.

And finally, good luck with your recovery! That's no joke!
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[kehaulani]

Thanks, Turkle. I am sure that the consistent flow of air is a factor. I don't know how much is that and if some of it is embouchure configuration, but I'm sure that the constant flow of air between the notes is a factor. Thanks, again.
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Benge 3X Cornet
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[cheiden]

When ascending chromatically or scale-wise it's very tempting to try to do so with only the change in fingering. That typically is sufficient for descending but ascending takes more effort. I find that working on slurring the harmonic series (I like Bai Lin or Irons) helps keep me strict about making sure I lead with the other required mechanisms (some combination of air, lip, tongue, jaw, pivot,...). If you can get that working then the chromatics and scales are likely going to come more easily,
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[Tpt_Guy]

[kehaulani]

Thanks.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[pepperdean]

I think I'd start to address this challenge by using the Harold Mitchell exercise you mentioned, taking one group of notes at a time, first buzzing them on the mouthpiece and then trying to recreate the same feeling while playing them on the horn.

Best wishes,
Alan

[cheiden]

By way of methods, I think the James Stamp method, properly applied would be a great help. There's a fundamental in his approach that emphasizes and perfects the slurred up intervals.
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"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart

[Robert P]

Any chance of any mechanical issues with your horn? Nice and clean inside, valves working well, no serious alignment issues?

I've never experienced what you're describing that I can recall. I've never heard you play, the most obvious thing that comes to mind is you're not getting a solid, steady airstream. You say you've had some physical issues - how is your sound on a sustained note?
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[kehaulani]

It's a relatively new horn just professionally cleaned, so I assume it's not a mechanical issue.

I think constant air flow is a good place to begin. I got a good suggestion to play the exercise flutter-tongued. You can't keep a constant flutter sound without a constant air flow.

Since I lost some muscular strength due to strokes, that could be an issue also. But I can comfortably play up to High C, higher on a good day, I'm not sure the muscular strength is an issue.

Think I'll go for a concentrating on a constant air flow and see where that leads. One thing that is already helping, aside from just the awareness in itself, is crescendoing as I ascend.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn