Best things to practice for tone in mid to high register

Beanboy128 · Regular Member Joined: 08 Oct 2020 Posts: 32

Hey, does anyone have any tips for getting that nice warm sound in mid to high register at a reasonable volume. My director says i sound awful when others are still tripping over basic notes. Im mad and want to prove him wrong.

kalijah · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:16 am Post subject:

1. If you are buzzing the mouthpiece for practice, STOP. Play ONLY the full instrument. Start the tone with the lips gently touching, such as when about to be saying "M" or "P". Start the air with a "T" tongue release.

2. Practice very soft tones in the low register. Listen for a nice tone and clean attacks. Use the valves for slurring exercise in this range as well.

3. Do not leave the instrument on the lips for long stretches. Use low effort and lots of rest.

4. Do not chase tone with more and more effort. Practice softly and only gradually increase effort for louder tones. That includes both blowing effort and embouchure effort.

5. Do HOURS of practice as described above. Stop the exhaustive high/loud/ long tones and lip flexibilities. And again, NO BUZZING of any kind. Practice the instrument.

5. FEEL the resistance of the instrument tone. The better the tone, the more the instrument "blows back" at you. Embrace that feeling.

Andy Del · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:01 am Post subject:

Well, I’d get a new director, assuming they are supposed to resemble an educator. Seriously. Talk to your principal. Get your parents in. If they ar emailing those sorts of comments, they should not be in a teaching gig!

Now that’s out of the way, you need someone to teach you how to play with a good sound. That is not going to happen on a web forum like this, although you may find your way to that person here.

Here you will get lots of contradictory information, like buzz, never buzz,lots of soft notes, lots of imagery... and it goes on and on until you are confused. The one usually common thought is: get a good private teacher.

Do that, and things will look up.

Cheers

Andy
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falado · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:05 am Post subject:

Hi Beanboy, Darryl has some good things to say so let's look at this from a different perspective. I'm a high and middle school band director. Before that I spent many years as a performer in military bands, orchestras, and civilian bands (Concert, rock, Motown, circus, pit orchestra, etc). So, I have some questions.

Is it your band director you are mad at, or yourself? If I have to tell a student he/she sounds awful it is usually in jest because of what the student just played or/and we both get it. However, has this been an ongoing thing between you and the director?

What kind of mouthpiece and horn are you using? Obviously I wouldn't attempt to play the cornet solo on Folk Song Suite or one of Holst's Military Suites with a Schilke 6A4A mouthpiece. For me sound and character of the music wouldn't be right and yes, I have seen, heard, this done. I would describe this sound as ouch.

Do you take private lessons? If so, I would ask him/her how to get a better sound. Is anybody outside your band director listening and critiquing your sound? Do you record yourself and self evaluate?

Are you pinching or forcing your sound? Are you sitting up strait, Is your chest up? Do you take in enough air plus a little more to get the job done?

What kind of practice do you do? Do you play any flexibility books (Colin, Irons, Williams) or Clark Technical Studies? Here's one of my favorite student questions: Do you own an Arban's Book? The usual answer is, what's that? Do you want to get better? The get these books and proper instruction.

I know this is a lot to ponder, but ask yourself these questions and then seek answers. Here's the final question: At whom should you be angry with?

Just some thoughts from the director's chair, but I hope this helps.

Dave
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JayKosta

TrpPro · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:36 pm Post subject:

The very best thing you can learn to do to develop good tone, pin point attacks
and extreme high register is to learn to buzz your lips. This is espoused by many great teachers such as Carmine Caruso, James Stamp and apparently Bud Herseth.

The muscles of the embouchure that are required to play the horn are exactly those used in buzzing the lips. There are many exercises you can employ to coordinate and develop these muscles, but once this is done and they are incorporated into your playing, good tone will become second nature and your band director should be very pleased with your playing.

tyler.slamkowski · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:11 pm Post subject:

Watch the Jim Pandolfi Brass Chat and do everything he says. Good luck!

https://www.brasschats.com/interviews/jim-pandolfi

Jaw04 · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:17 pm Post subject:

Billy B · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:48 pm Post subject:

Billy B

Turkle · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:55 pm Post subject:

I improved my tone in the high register by consistently practicing ballads up there. Maynard once said, "you don't own a note until you can play it romantically."

Don't overdo it. Take a simple, short melody that you actually like to play. Play it in C. Now play it in Eb. Now play it in F#. Now in A. Now again in C, an octave higher. Are you still playing romantically and sweetly?

Just a little bit each day will pay enormous dividends - better breath control, intonation, tone, and confidence to play sweetly in your high register.

Don't think so much about the physical aspect. Keep making music and the physical stuff takes care of itself!

Good luck!
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