Sudden High Range - Airy, Quiet Sound

[EJ Silver]

Hello,

I have been playing trumpet for 5 years and am in my high school’s intermediate and senior bands. For a while I have been working on trying to develop my range and endurance, as they have been quite poor (could not sustain above a G right above the staff and would be unable to play an entire set). I was taking lessons for a while, and my tone had become quite loud and pure, but my range and endurance were still lacking.

Then, all of the sudden, I discovered that if I play quietly I some how have double the range and seemingly endless endurance. However, I notice that playing this way make my tone quite airy, and I am unable to play loudly afterwards.

What I was wondering, is if I should continue to play like this and work on volume and improving my sound as I go, or if this is a detrimental technique and I should avoid it, sticking to what I was doing before.

Thank you for any advice

[HERMOKIWI]

Practicing at low volume is one of the best techniques for developing embouchure control and responsiveness. There are no negatives. Your sound at low volume is going to be different than your sound at high volume. Don't worry about it.

Mastering the trumpet is a marathon. Too many students treat it like the 100 yard dash. It takes a long time and a lot of practice. My own experience is that practicing at low volume improves every aspect of playing. Keep doing it.
_________________
HERMOKIWI

[Brad361]

So, why did you stop taking lessons?

Brad
_________________
When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval

[blbaumgarn]

Listen to Hermokiwi, every word of what he said. It benefits every area of your play. Technical studies pop and are cleaner if you try the challenging ones at a lower volume a few times. It's all good and all soft or loud serves a purpose.
_________________
"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush

[EJ Silver]

[mrhappy]

[Lionel]

Yes! Definitely keep soft playing in your routine. This will automatically strengthen and increase the "intelligence" of your mouth corners.

I've always thought that music educators ought to teach beginners the upper register right from the start but sadly they usually don't. I understand their objective however and from the business perspective it sure makes a lot of sense. Lower tones are easier to learn. And as such the young trumpet players can soon assemble themselves into a band playing these lower tones.

However in the process of trying to blow fat, low register tones they'll usually drop and/or recede their jaw. Then in the process of forming this flabby embouchoure with the typically lower horn angle? They've essentially ruined most any chance they'll ever have of developing the complete range of the instrument. Always with some notable exceptions. We usually call these fellows "naturals". I just consider them lucky.

Among other salient points found in Doc Reinhardt's teachings was his insistence that developing students,

"Do not fall in love with their sound"

In the middle and lower registers that is. And please believe me, he was sooo correct here! Far better to get some of that upper register solidly connected to the middle and lower registers first. Then after the chops get 'solidified'? Then and only then work on playing with a loud or full tone.
_________________
"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).