Discovery of range

[Maplexpz]

So a friend of mine had a crazy discovery in playing. He played trumpet in 7th grade and didn't pick it back up until 10th where he didn't really contribute and just wasn't confident enough to progress. The next year was a whole different story. He somehow had natural ease in the upper register and for some reason everlasting endurance? I was super confused on how he plays. The first few notes he plays everyday are at least High C's and D's and Eb would be his limit. I have played trumpet for at least 5 years and my range is about up to High C, I can hit a D but it sounds bad and Eb is just scratchy. Never played anything higher than an E.

Anyways I let him try my marcinkiewicz bobby shew mp that I don't play at all and he played an F almost a minute after getting it. Ive never seen anyone so happy yet me being shut down because of his sudden range increase. That same day he ended up topping out at a G and I was in confusion. How do things like this happen. All I see from his playing is that he puts a lot of air and effort into blowing and sometimes his cheeks puff out and he says they sometimes rip.

I also don't understand how people come about range. Every single person has something different to say. Your band director might say tightening your corners and use more air. Someone might say that a solid warmup is just what you need but I have never heard any major results from a 'good' warmup. Another might say if your practicing a routine correctly then you are guaranteed success which is false. How do you expect to succeed if you play on a faulty embouchure. Some advocate soft playing while others loud or mouthpiece buzzing or lip buzzing. Some might say get a smaller diameter mouthpiece while others say stick to a bigger mouthpiece to build up on at. And last but not least some say that you need correct technique but every single person has a different technique (super chops, balanced emb., reinhardt methods). How does anyone expect to be grade A musicians if they cant fix one aspect of there playing. I'm guessing discovery of range is just by trail and error and pure luck?

[Lionel]

[HERMOKIWI]

If you contact Pops McLaughlin and read his materials on how the chops work and how high range is developed you'll see that the principles/fundamentals involved are actually quite consistent method to method.

By and large the various methods implement the same principles/fundamentals by and through different physical approaches. A lot of your success can depend on matching your personal physiology with the appropriate method that makes it physiologically easiest for you to employ the principles/fundamentals. Some players achieve this through trial and error. Others achieve this through focused study and instruction.
_________________
HERMOKIWI

[Brad361]

[Lionel]

[Maplexpz]

As Lionel says, range is definantly very important. I’m not sure why some say range is just a small part. It is a massive part of your playing. If you are given a piece that has high c’s and b’s in a very loud moment how do you expect to play those consistently when you can only hit them. With an increase of range should come an increase in endurance. If your range is only high c I don’t understand why you wouldn’t strive for more ease in playing. After all isnt that the end goal, to have mastered all parts of the instrument.

[ProAm]

[Brad361]

[Tpt_Guy]

[Lionel]

I'm just going by the numbers. While there probably isn't a statistical study available showing what p ercentage of dedicated trumpet players can play a high F musically? I think that we'd all agree that such subjects are the exception rather than the rule.

And granted there exists an even smaller subset who play too many notes in the extreme upper register. They who have actually stunted their development of the other necessary skills? Their existence is "an exception which still proves the rule".

Most of us who develop good register go through a phase of immaturity where we play too many high notes. Sometimes it's a high school band. Sometimes a college or community Jazz big band. Fortunatel most of us grow out of this phase. Although I do have a good friend who at age forty something? Seems perpetually addicted to taking parts up a fifth or even an octave on his trumpet. Then finding himself too wasted from arm pressure to play the ordinary lead parts. Cracking notes and playing with an insecure tone between the tuning note and high C. In fact this portion of his range remains stunted. Even when his chops are fresh.

This fellow is a nice guy. He even listens to my constructive criticism. He just so far has been wholly unable to incorporate the necessary self discipline to fix himself. In turn the problem is compounded by a music director whose main ax is sax. And this director seems largely unconcerned about my friend's refusal to fix his playing.

What kills me though is how naturally gifted this friend of mine is. He really blows solidly above high G. Up to at least the D above double C. If this guy were ever to build up his "cash register" instead of the extreme upper register? The guy would be a truly great player. Unfortunately as it is now? He's kind of a hack. As nothing sounds more unprofessional than a lead trumpet going for higher notes than written. Meanwhile chewing up his chops on the same gig. So that he loses all command of the "cash register".
_________________
"Check me if I'm wrong Sandy but if I kill all the golfers they're gonna lock me up & throw away the key"!

Carl Spackler (aka Bill Murray, 1980).

[Brad361]

[Tpt_Guy]

[LSOfanboy]

[cheiden]

I agree that non-professional section players in many settings can do just fine with a sometimes C. First players really should have a reliable D with the ability to extend up to E or F on occasion. For a host of reasons I've been on the hot seat a lot in my life. Not because I've got good high chops, but because I read well and play reliably musically. Not having a reliable D has been a frustration and a liability.
_________________
"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

[ProAm]

[Lionel]

[Brad361]

[cheiden]

[delano]

This is the first thread I read in years in the High Range Development chapter and I immediately remembered why I always refused to read this kind of stuff.

[Brad361]