Playing range of Pros

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

Probably a dumb question but is there any way to know the playing range of a pro player? I’m specifically looking at Roy Hargrove. Kinda intrigued with this man’s playing right now. I’ve watch several videos of him and Tom Harrell. I don’t hear them going way up there.

tomba51 · Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 8:42 am Post subject:

Check out this concert by the WDR Big Band featuring Roy Hargrove. He displays some impressive high range. By the way, the WDR Big Band has lots of stuff on YouTube and they are a very impressive group. Well worth checking out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhHI8kwpDc&t=2698s
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kehaulani · Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 10:53 am Post subject:

Is the question about Hargrove's range or that of any professional?
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Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

Really any pro. I’m not looking for screamers tho.

dschwab · Heavyweight Member Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 517

They all have more range than they need to do what they do.

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

That is a great answer

kehaulani · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 8:31 am Post subject:

Then, not to quibble, but the answer depends on semantics.

I know plenty of professional players who limit their range to about E over High C. Others to DHC and onward. Depends on their taste and abilities. But if they're working constantly at a better-than-average level, they are "pros".

Add commercial lead players to that and the definition takes on a whole new definition.

FWIW, one of my favorite players, Chet Baker, limits himself to High C and often even lower. He did alright.

There's a difference between what is needed in playing a Broadway show or a wedding band. Which is a tactful way of saying that your question is very open-ended. You won't get a definitive answer until you refine your criteria.
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Lawler Bb · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:31 pm Post subject:

You can say a lot/do a lot with a solid range to High C. Most players I work with (myself included) have a range around high E to G Lead players have a solid high G and possibly beyond. Yes, to echo Kehaulani, we are always working on expanding the envelope and raising our personal "bars".
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Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

When u say solid E or solid G are u talking about E or G above high C?

Lawler Bb · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:48 pm Post subject:

Yes. 3 to 4 ledger lines above the staff.
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kehaulani · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:51 pm Post subject:

Yes, he is.

"We are always working on expanding the envelope and raising our personal "bars".
Hell Yes! And the last time I did that, I couldn't remember a thing for at least a week.

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

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Tony Scodwell · Heavyweight Member Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 1961

The great NYC lead player Bernie Glow said when called for a date, "if it goes above an F call Ernie Royal". Most all the top pros I've known say the money is made below high C. Of course notes are commonly written above high C and the majority of pros have those notes. The notes that lay well are always written by arrangers who know their craft. Bob Freedman was the musical director for Leno Horn and he wrote F's and G's that felt like an octave lower. I've played charts by "noted" arrangers that could make a middle C seem awkward.

I'm amused by the MF wannabes who can play one of Maynard's famous solos ("Hey There" for instance) and the difference between these players and Maynard was that he was capable of doing these amazing charts on the fourth set. At a live recording made at Sunnybrook ballroom in 1961 Maynard played "Hey There" on the last set with three encores. He put an altissimo F on the end of the third encore and told an amusing story about his Giardinelli Double High C mouthpiece and Willie Maiden's double high C salve. Good stuff.

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dstpt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1286

I once heard Marie Speziale (see her Wikipedia article) say:

"There's the low register, the high register, and the cash register!"

She was emphasizing that most of our playing is only up to high C (concert Bb). She said that she was comfortable up to E over high C, that for the most part an orchestral player only needs up to the E (concert D), unless you're playing the Bach Brandenburg Concerto #2 (BB2), et al. Some orchestras bring in "specialists" to play BB2, btw.

On the Yamaha series of VHS tapes made in the 1980s, I recall Allen Vizzutti say virtually the same thing, that most of what we play is high C and below.

We all want to play higher, though, and we all know that sometimes the music we're playing requires higher. I also remember the late Al Lube (Prin Tbn, Houston Sym) say that you always want to be able to play at least a perfect 4th higher than what's required. Now that puts a new slant on this topic. The worst thing is to have to play up to your highest note.

peanuts56 · Veteran Member Joined: 21 Nov 2021 Posts: 230

In the area I live there was an older guy back in the 70's who was one of the best jazz players I've ever heard. He played an old cornet and probably couldn't even hit a high c. What he could do with his limited range was just incredible. His ears were amazing.
Herb Pomeroy was like that as well. Herb could barely pay above the staff.