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atneks
New Member
Joined: 26 Dec 2017
Posts: 5
Location: 1500 Hickory Ave. Torrance California
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 Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 4:37 pm Post subject: High Range Technique? |
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Hi!
I stopped playing trumpet a while back, and I'm trying to get back into it with my son.
The first thing I realized was my range; I could barely hit a high G. Do you guys have any exercises that may bring back the range? Should I just start with the fundamentals again?
Thank you for your help! |
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Clot Gorton
Regular Member
Joined: 13 Dec 2017
Posts: 11
Location: International Artist
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| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Fundamentals ... Claude Gordon's Systematic Approach and the (6) associated method books that go with it are excellent for Technique, Range, Tone etc. |
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solo soprano
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Joined: 26 Jan 2012
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Location: Point O' Woods / Old Lyme, Connecticut
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 1:08 am Post subject: |
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The basic exercise for developing the upper register is using the major chords or arpeggios going up.
" In my opinion, any exercise in the Arban Book can be transposed up half steps and made into an upper register study."
Bill Vacchiano
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Bill Knevitt, who taught me the seven basic physical elements and the ten principles of physical trumpet playing and how to develop them.
https://qpress.ca/product-category/trumpet/?filter_publisher=la-torre-music |
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gwood66
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Joined: 05 Jan 2016
Posts: 301
Location: South of Chicago
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:28 am Post subject: |
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| You are experiencing what is typical of every comeback. As previously stated, make sure you have a routine that focuses on each of the fundamentals. I think that initially, playing Clarke 1 and lip slurs everyday did the most to improve my usable range. Lowell Little's Embouchure Builder and Irons 27 Groups of Exercises are two good books for lip slurs. |
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trumpet.trader
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Joined: 02 Jul 2017
Posts: 200
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:48 am Post subject: |
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You’ll get tons of advice from posters here. That said, take it all with a grain of salt.
There’s no formula that works for everybody. There is no pedagogy or book or series of exercises that will get you to a desired place. No “get a good teacher” answer, no formula of long tones, fundamentals, arpeggios, pedal tones or anything else.
You just need to play a lot. A combination of everything, but mostly play music. If you only practice exercises you’ll only get better at playing exercises.
I’d get your hands on etudes, song books, lead sheets, big band charts, anything and everything and practice playing music.
As you play more, your body and chops will naturally acclimate to what is necessary to make it happen. Play often and read as much and sightread as much as you can get your hands on coupled with normal exercises and warm ups.
Don’t get stuck in a rut of just practicing exercises expecting to magically transform into your playing. Practice making and playing music. That’s the goal right?
Everything will fall into place soon enough. |
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Pops
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Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 2039
Location: Dallas (Grand Prairie), Texas
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:34 am Post subject: |
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There is no exercise or book. It is 100% YOU.
I know people who OWN every book written.
They still have almost zero range.
You have to try to play higher every day.
Playing any exercise but NOT going higher all the time won't get you very far.
You are the magic and playing more high notes every week is the key.
_________________
Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin
You can always Google me.
50 years Teaching. Teaching and writing trumpet books is ALL I do.
7,000 pages of free music. Trumpet Books, Skype Lessons: www.BbTrumpet.com |
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Pops
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 2039
Location: Dallas (Grand Prairie), Texas
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:39 am Post subject: |
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| solo soprano wrote: |
" In my opinion, any exercise in the Arban Book can be transposed up half steps and made into an upper register study."
Bill Vacchiano |
I got tired of telling people who refuse to transpose to do this because they never did it.
I told thousands and thousands and I bet Maynard Ferguson told hundreds of thousands but close to nobody ever did it.
So I rewrote the darn Arban book and I transposed it for people and guess what. They still don't do it.
They don't want the real answer of practice.
But we have to keep trying. 
Have a Happy New Year.
_________________
Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin
You can always Google me.
50 years Teaching. Teaching and writing trumpet books is ALL I do.
7,000 pages of free music. Trumpet Books, Skype Lessons: www.BbTrumpet.com |
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ljazztrm
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Joined: 03 Dec 2001
Posts: 2681
Location: Queens and upstate, NY
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Hey Pops, I was just talking about your books in the 'Fundamentals' forum. Have a Happy New Year bro!  Best, Lex
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Mpcs: Jim New-Manley Jazz1/Jazz2/Jazz4/Lead3. Legends MF1. Reeves 39EX/HV. Frost 39MVD. Flugel: Jim NewMF3. Jim New-Manley F1+F2. Pickett MF. Reeves HF.
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Pops
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Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 2039
Location: Dallas (Grand Prairie), Texas
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Happy New Year Man. Take Care.
_________________
Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin
You can always Google me.
50 years Teaching. Teaching and writing trumpet books is ALL I do.
7,000 pages of free music. Trumpet Books, Skype Lessons: www.BbTrumpet.com |
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HERMOKIWI
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Joined: 24 Dec 2008
Posts: 2581
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Pops wrote: | | solo soprano wrote: |
" In my opinion, any exercise in the Arban Book can be transposed up half steps and made into an upper register study."
Bill Vacchiano |
I got tired of telling people who refuse to transpose to do this because they never did it.
I told thousands and thousands and I bet Maynard Ferguson told hundreds of thousands but close to nobody ever did it.
So I rewrote the darn Arban book and I transposed it for people and guess what. They still don't do it.
They don't want the real answer of practice.
But we have to keep trying.
Have a Happy New Year. |
Isn't this the truth!! There is no magic. It's all about the player.
In this day and age students don't want to accept the fact that excellence is a product of hard work. All the students want to hear these days is how "great" they are. They think they know everything. When you suggest something and even demonstrate it you get resistance. Here's a clip in which Branford Marsalis explains it all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rz2jRHA9fo
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HERMOKIWI |
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Rene Janisse
Regular Member
Joined: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 28
Location: Camrose Alberta
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 7:16 am Post subject: High register on trumpet |
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| Back in the day when I was studying at college, I had a book by J.D.Zorn called Exploring the Upper Register, and was endorsed by Doc. You could see if you could find a copy. |
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Robert P
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Joined: 28 Feb 2013
Posts: 2595
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 10:54 am Post subject: Re: High Range Technique? |
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| atneks wrote: | Hi!
I stopped playing trumpet a while back, and I'm trying to get back into it with my son.
The first thing I realized was my range; I could barely hit a high G. Do you guys have any exercises that may bring back the range? Should I just start with the fundamentals again?
Thank you for your help! |
How's your sound otherwise? Would an objective listener say you have a full, solid sound up to that G?
Exercises can help hone your sound but the key is finding the way to do it, understanding what's going on. What exercise books are generally predicated on is that you'll intuitively fall into making the right physical adjustments just by repetition. This apparently works for some people. For myself to make range gains I had to really analyze what was happening, a process that's ongoing.
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razeontherock
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Joined: 05 Jun 2004
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Location: The land of GR and Getzen
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:09 am Post subject: |
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High range technique and fundamentals are the same thing. Working on upper register will expose the flaws in your fundamentals.
If you don't have the strength to play a certain note, trying to can mess up your fundamentals as you struggle with anything that seems to help. Playing just below that point, where everything works well and sounds good, is a great way to develop! Just don't overdo it, rest frequently and mix it up with middle and lower registers to keep tension at bay. Practicing tight just convinces you to play tight all the time.
A teacher can help guide you through these variables, sparing you untold agony. |
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INTJ
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Joined: 25 Dec 2002
Posts: 1986
Location: Northern Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 1:26 pm Post subject: Re: High Range Technique? |
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[quote="Robert P"] | atneks wrote: |
Exercises can help hone your sound but the key is finding the way to do it, understanding what's going on. What exercise books are generally predicated on is that you'll intuitively fall into making the right physical adjustments just by repetition. This apparently works for some people. For myself to make range gains I had to really analyze what was happening, a process that's ongoing. |
Exactly!!!!
Simply paying a series of exercises hoping it will magically develop range absolutely did not work for me. I was fortunate enough to discover Pops very early in my comeback. His focus has always been on what we are trying to feel while doing all the drills and exercises he prescribes.
The upper range, in fact all of trumpet technique really, is about muscle memory. It does take a certain amount of air and chop development, but probably not as much as many of us seem to think. We have to develop the feel for the upper range (muscle memory) to the point we do the right things without thinking about it. That means a LOT of practice in the upper range.
BUT--and this is a big but................
We must NEVER strain to play in the upper range. Straining creates the wrong muscle memory. Mark Zauss points out that if we strain too much, our body will start reacting as if we were straining even when we aren't.
The mindset should be like Bob Odneal so eloquently captures in his range method, "Casual Double High C." Roger Ingram says back off and trust your projection. Wayne Bergeron says we are to discover our upper range. The upper range is all about finesse and balance, not force.
For me personally, it was when I figured out how Tongue Arch felt and started doing a minimum of 400 notes per day High C and above--both concepts I learned from Pops--that my upper range unlocked. My comeback development was slow because of time and focus on my part, but 12.5 years after I started--after 20 years of not playing--I performed my first Double High C in a concert (at the end of Count Bubba.) BTW, I need to work every day to keep my range. It's a very perishable skill.
The obvious issue is how do we play high a lot but never strain? We have to go slowly, carefully, thoughtfully, and REST A LOT when doing range drills. What is high and will cause straining is different for each player, and even for the same player it will be different one day vs another.
There seem to be several natural range points on trumpet--roughly. By this I mean playable range, not just an occasional high note at the end of a chart.
Top of Staff G: Almost anyone trying to play trumpet can play to that note. This was the top of my range when I quit trumpet in 1978 as a college freshmen.
High C/D: With a little work and understanding some basic concepts, most players can get here. 90%+ of trumpet music can be played with this level of range.
High G/A: Takes some serious focus and very consistent practice, but like Reinhardt said, most anyone can get here. With this level of range you can plan an occasional DHC at the end of a tune. 99% of trumpet music is covered with this level of range.
DHC/DHD: Requires a LOT of effort, focus and a lot of time on the horn. Do you have the time? Do you want to take the time?
As we obtain pass each of these rough range levels, things get easier. It doesn't seem to take as much time to maintain a level as it does to achieve it.
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Craig Swartz
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Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 7770
Location: Des Moines, IA area
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Pops wrote: | There is no exercise or book. It is 100% YOU.
I know people who OWN every book written.
They still have almost zero range.
You have to try to play higher every day.
Playing any exercise but NOT going higher all the time won't get you very far.
You are the magic and playing more high notes every week is the key. |
Worked great for me in HS back in the late 1960s- we were kept on a short leash in the band, which was nationally recognized, but for pep band and sometimes in marching when we were accurate enough that no one noticed the clams, I and another kid would take almost any and everything up an octave. REally developed some amazing chops and could really go long. Did similar things when playing in rock bands. I did delve into Gordon later, as well as Pop's Tension-less eBook. Bottom line is one must play up where one aspires to play, step by step, and every day. The real problems occur when one believes there is some magic bullet, or out of the blue takes on some project that is beyond almost everything they've been playing for decades. (BT,DT) |
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jimseifert7
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Joined: 17 Dec 2017
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I totally agree with Pops...practice makes perfect, and in this case, a wider range! Best of luck |
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deleted_user_fdb91a0
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Joined: 03 Apr 1996
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| Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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Playing in the upper register is 98% technique, and 2% exercises. An infant has enough innate facial strength to close his/her mouth tight enough such that no air can get out. Considering that SOME air needs to flow through the chops to play the horn, we can surmise that raw strength is not the answer.
If the upper register isn't happening for you, your practice sessions are not the culprit. |
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