Cracking Notes

[Thomas T]

I am cracking notes and it is driving me insane!!!

I started playing again last November after a sixteen year layoff (got burned out in college). I am doing what I can to practice everyday and I've made good progress. I know that practice and time will cure my issues, but those danged cracked notes! These can be from D in the staff to beyond the D above high C...doesn't happen all the time, but once is bad enough! It really hurts my ears when this happens, lol. Can anyone recommend any specific drills to help smooth out all the notes? I know that time will iron things out, but I'm looking to fast track as much as possible.

Thanks.

[Don Herman rev2]

Hear the note in your mind before you play it. Focus. "Song and wind."

Interval studies with unusual intervals can help.
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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

[dstdenis]

Depends on why the cracks are happening. Sometimes inadequate air support makes us undershoot. Sometimes fatigue is setting in and we push the air extra hard to compensate. Splee-ah! Sometimes we need to work on efficiency and responsiveness so that our lips will vibrate without requiring a big blast of air to get started. And as a result of that, sometimes our articulation is too heavy.

I'd say a common thread is to make sure you're playing with good air support and without excess tension. Practice efficiency exercises to make your embouchure more responsive, and articulation exercises for consistency. Slow down your practice, rest often, and be more deliberate about playing accurately. Good luck!
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Piccolo Stomvi

[falado]

Hi Thomas, I had the same problem for a long time. I chalked it up to inconsistency in practicing since I'm a school band director and I'm usually working all day, into the night, weekends, plus gigs. I practice when I can sneak in some time. I started taking lessons with Jeff Purtle and told him one of my goals was to eliminate cracked notes. These exercises have worked for me.

Part of my routine is the following:
- I start my day with flexibility exercises, Colin, Irons, or Williams, 4 or five of them. "AIR", every exercise starts with a big beautiful breath, let the air do the work.
- I make sure every note slots, if I make a mistake I stop and start over, rest.
- Think about tongue position as I play, but don't over analyze if you make too many mistakes. Slow down and avoid paralysis by analysis, rest.
- I play for accuracy, not speed. Speed comes with accuracy, rest.
- When I finish each entire exercise slurring I start the entire exercise over tonguing, rest. (Accent each top note of each exercise and follow the dynamics.)
- Rest as much as you play.

I do this every day before I start doing my Clark and other exercises and it has worked for me. However, having the supervision of a good teacher to hear and critique you is also a tremendous help.

This works for me. Hope this helps.

Dave
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FA LA DO (Ab: V/ii) MUCS, USN (Ret.)
Stomvi VR (Reeves) with VR II Bell
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Bach 37, Early Elkhart, Blueprinted
Kanstul Flugel
Getzen 4 valve Pic.
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Besson Cornet

[John Mohan]

[Richard III]

Cracking notes on a trumpet? I laugh. Try french horn. If trumpet is like riding a bike, horn is like riding a unicycle while juggling. What I've learned from playing horn again is you have to own the note. You have to hear it and have mastered it in every way and be able to hit right down the center with full air and confidence. Time and practice and listening. Enjoy the process and the progress every day.
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Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[qcm]

I'd like to make 3 suggestions of things to try. These may seem obvious, but sometimes we forget.

1. Before you play a note, any note, make sure your embrochure is firmly set.

2. Practice single tonguing your scales, making sure to forcefully press the valves down while tonguing. Concentrate on coordinating your tonguing, with the depression of the valves.

3. Intervals. Practice octave intervals. An example, 4 quarter notes on a first space F, followed by 4 quarter notes on a top line F. Then 2 quarter notes, then 1 quarter note, etc. Try starting on a low C and they go up chromatically up to about an A or a Bb.

Hope this helps.

-Dave
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Dave Edwards

Kanstuls, LA Benges and a Selmer picc.

[Thomas T]

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice. My issue right now is that I tend to overshoot the note, whenever a crack occurs. And yeah, I do hear the note in my head before, during and unfortuneately after a cracked note, lol...that's what's driving me nuts!

My practice schedule is pretty consistent Mon-Fri, although it's only 40 minutes in my car during my lunch break. I have three young sons, so I make extra time later at night a few times a week. Wed & Sun evenings I have rehearsal at church, and there are performances on Sunday mornings. I usually get some extra bonus time on Saturdays, but the time of day is not always consistent.

I'm only about five months in, but I had been focusing three days on lip flexibilities/endurance/range, two days pounding out scales, one day working arpeggio's/chords & Sundays just playing something enjoyable. I usually will work on something I need to practice for church every day, then hit more technical stuff at night when time permits (mostly Arban/Clark). I like the suggestions on intervals, as I've kinda thought I may need to hit more of that to address my problem, as well.

John, I appreciate the offer for help and I may take you up on that sometime down the road. I'm thinking that I gave you the wrong idea when I said "fast tracking", as I meant something more specific to work on avoiding the cracked notes, not necessarily being impatient...I know that this will take many hours of practice. You mentioned Gordon & I actually started studying this about a month and a half ago, courtesy of many posts of yours that I have read...it has actually made a huge difference in a short time & I look forward to seeing where this will lead...so thanks for posting about this method, as I had not pursued it my first go around.

Things are so much different now vs when I stopped playing 16 years ago. The online resources, such as TH are incredible...so much good advice and ideas out there. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I truly appreciate the responses.

[mcgovnor]

Oy vey.
If your middle register is played correctly you will crack less notes.
If you crack only on entrances, it's one group of issues. If you crack randomly throughout phrases it's another.
One thing that has helped me and students of mine, is to practice descending scales and arpeggios, short phrases, paying attention to your set on the first note. Play each descending exercise 3 or 4 or more times, memorizing the feel and sound of each entrance note. Keep your tongue away from your lips

[Thomas T]

Descending scales and arpeggio's...I threw this in today and think I will continue. I do a lot of scale work anyway, so this will keep things interesting. I can already see how this will help. Thanks for the advice.

[plp]

[jbmusicschool]

[Cola]

[aaronwolf1]

I'd certainly say a lot of free buzzing and mouthpiece buzzing helps this. Play alongside a piano and nail the pitch. Put the mp in the horn and at every dynamic play the note/notes that are inconsistent. It's tiring, but it helps. Audiating is a HUGE help.
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Aaron