Easy, then hard.

[dkwolfe]

Good Evening;

I've recently been working on my range, and while the upper end really hasn't moved much. Usually, with luck and being really fresh, I've hit a G an octave off the staff, usually and E or F, and none of it on command yet. I can get those notes out once or twice, and that's about it. What I have noticed is that I can get up to a C off the staff without feeling like I'm straining, and then WHAM, the notes above that are a pain in the neck to get out. The other thing I've noticed is that, if I'm below the high C, everything is generally easy, and then above that C, everything is then really hard.

So, for those of you who had hard fought battles with trying to expand your range, was it easy up to a point, and then really hard to get even a few more notes, or was there something else? I feel like I'm getting stronger overall as a player, but I want to make sure.

Thanks,
D
_________________
Nullius in Verba.

[Lionel]

[burnhamd]

Dkwolf,
I understand what you are saying. iMHO, you trying to obtain or make ground in new territory. It first starts with hitting it once or twice. All of us have done that or at least most of us have. There are several things to consider where you are now. When you first started playing you did good to get any sound out at all. Fast forward to now, you are comfortable up to High C. If you want to play higher there has to be some changes made. There could be a number of things you have to do to get those notes. For example, changing up your routine for example work range after warm up first. Bill Chase did long tones a lot, NOT PEDALTONES, he would start at High C and work up. Now he did pedal tones but after he played a concert etc, What works for one will not work for everyone else. You have to look at what is available regarding expanding range and try them and see if they work, if not try something else. I started out with the Steven's method. It worked good up to G above High C. I was stuck so I tried the MF Protocol and that is what worked for me to get me on up to Double C. You have to experiment and find out what will get the results you want. Good luck in you search,
Dan
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[OldKing]

To the OP: yes.

We're in the same boat. But I have no desire, or need to play lead, so the struggle continues slowly and carefully. "First, do no harm." It's just part of what I work on.
_________________
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? - 1 Cor 14:8

[Lionel]

[burnhamd]

Excellent Advice,
Dan
_________________
Callet Jazz Gen. II www.callet.com
Getzen Eterna Bobby Herriot Model
MF Holton LT-302
MF Holton LT-306
MF Holton ST-307
Cheap Flugel
www.danburnham.com

[dkwolfe]

Good Afternoon;

Thanks for all the input. From what folks have said, I'm on the right track by taking the slow and steady approach, and to just keep working on playing at the top of the register gently until it becomes more solid.

I've spent the summer practicing with just enough pressure to make the mouthpiece seal on my embouchure (someone mentioned resting the horn on my palm to play; I'm doing pretty much just that), and focusing on my sound. That way, I can adjust until I get the best sound I can, and work on the range (and everything else) in that position. Letting the ear drive the lip, instead of the other way around. Now all I need is for the range to catch up.

Thanks again,
D
_________________
Nullius in Verba.

[Rod Haney]

[razeontherock]

Knowing how to use tools is just as important as having them. No pressure, combined with too soft to have much sound, is just to get a feel for notes higher than you can really play.

Anything like that needs to be only a small part of your practice time, maybe not daily but once or twice a week at first, giving your chops time to adjust. Strain is always possible when working on either range or volume, and will always set your playing back further than seems reasonable. Might take a week to even show up, making it difficult to learn what caused it.

Playing more in the top of your solid and easy range is something you can spend more time doing and thus make more progress with, but you still need tons of frequent rest, like maybe one phrase and then twice as much rest as you just played. Use that approach with both playing by ear and reading, anything and everything.

Realize that the biggest difference between notes below and above high C is mental! Bill Adam type thinking is a great tool for this. You can expose yourself to a lot of that in that dedicated sub-forum here.

One of the simplest and most broadly successful ideas is to learn to think of the next note higher as simply being farther out. Learn not to tolerate your sound as being stationary, but always flowing.

[Raggerty]

Two thoughts, kinda related, but I'm no expert so take it with a punch of salt. May or may not apply.

You can get the highest couple of notes in your range using some form of tension, maybe mouthpiece pressure, maybe screwing up lips somehow, contorting you tongue and blowing harder, idk. If you do this enough you get used to it and maybe it don't feel like tension anymore. But as a technique it's a dead end. This is why you hit a wall. You need to drop back a ledger line or so and find your tension free range. Then advance your range in a tension free manner, trying to unlearn whatever tricks you were using before for your highest few notes.

Second thought is there's no better way to pile on the tension than a mental block. Fool yourself somehow. Put the tuning slide right out and play a C# which might now be a B. Or play a familiar tune an octave too high that creeps above C

Good luck.

[deleted_user_680e93b]