What's with the D above high C?

[kalijah]

[steve0930]

Hi Darryl
I enjoy reading your posts although I only understand about 2% of them. (That's a reflection of my maths and not your clarity.) Nice that so many guys like you out that making the effort / and taking the time to try and help others - thanks to all of you.

I have been playing trumpet for 4 years, in the last 7 months started to make real progression thanks to Balanced Embouchure (BE) I have had 4 lessons in my life with 4 different teachers (one of these was great, zoom with BE Ko, the others didn't help.)

What would be your (anybody else's ) advice / practical course of action to turn a thin c above the staff into a full easy resonant sound? Three ideas that don't motivate would be
1) Get yourself a good teacher
2) Get into your Arbans.
3) Tongue Arch. - For right or for wrong (and I'm sure many readers will exclaim "WRONG!!!" at this point) I have decided that for the next year at any rate I'll let the tongue look after itself.

But any other ideas very much appreciated. At the moment my strategy is to continue with with my BE exercises (which in 6months have turned g above the staff from hard to easy) and I have also - thanks to TH - a few days ago discovered David Hickman's 15 Advanced Embouchure Studies - I have ordered a copy but already exercise 2a (thank you You tube) is going well. I have also decided to try out Caruso 6notes. Any other obvious things I should be doing or at least consider?

For 30 years I was a long distance runner so with the trumpet I actually like the idea of a daily slog - but even more so if I feel the daily workout is taking me in the right direction. I tend to practise maybe 2 or 3 hours a day but less than 20 minutes a time. 40% of my playing time is technical (egBE) and 60% playing music - Eg Chet Baker. Yesterday i was very pleased to see Giuffredi's latest You Tube post and will be practising it today (reminds me of opening sequence to Al Pacino's Scent of a Woman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9DowtTsZEk&list=RDMMH9DowtTsZEk&start_radio=1&ab_channel=AndreaGiuffredi

Thanks for reading this far and all the best for the New Year - stay safe - steve in Helsinki
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[wilder]

[kalijah]

[JayKosta]

[Beyond16]

[John Mohan]

[HERMOKIWI]

[tptptp]

[JayKosta]

[onlyson]

Somebody once said that range is a natural result of practice. I have to say that it has been true in my case. I realized one day that although I had owned the Clarke book since I was a teen, I had never really practiced any of it beyond the second exercise. So I began to practice it more. Especially the scale exercises found in exercises one and five. And I would play them up to as high as I could. And notes I didn't "own" in my 20's I now have in my 50's.

And I took some lessons with Roger Ingram. His philosophy, among many others, was that you can produce that rich sound you have in your head on a smaller mouthpiece. So I went from a 1.5C to a 3C and I like the sound I produce a lot. But I practice more too.

I played a double Bb on a gig a couple of weeks ago. It was at the end of a big fermata at the end of In The Mood. I've done it a couple of times since. I can't say I "own" it yet because I can't hit that note at home. So bottom line: Be honest with yourself. Practice more. Practice high notes more in a systematic way. And good luck!
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[HERMOKIWI]

The question was posed "How does physiology affect playing ability?"

There are two primary elements to playing notes on the trumpet:

1. Providing adequate air supply.
2. Putting the air supply through a chop setting consistent with producing the desired note.

If the player has a physiological issue preventing them from providing an adequate air supply then playing ability will be compromised. Examples are lung/breathing disorders.

If the player has a lip, tooth or jaw formation that makes it impossible to form a chop setting consistent with producing the desired note this compromises playing ability as well.

These deficiencies are not present in the vast majority of players. The fact that a person is of small stature with corresponding small lung capacity is not necessarily a limiting factor because they still may be able to provide an adequate air supply.

The air supply/air pressure requirements for producing notes on the trumpet (even high notes) are vastly overstated. The requirements for air flow (square meters/second) and air pressure (pounds/square inch) are near zero. Most people can easily meet those requirements. The greater physical challenge is having the strength and discipline to hold the chop setting in place for the duration of the desired note. Those are abilities that come with practice.
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[kalijah]

[deleted_user_48e5f31]

Deleted by dfcoleman

[HERMOKIWI]

My comment about the air flow requirements being low were in reference to the subject of playing isolated high notes since that was the gist of the original topic. Certainly playing musical passages requires sustained airflow and, of course, we all have limits to our lung capacity.

As for air pressure, I can speak only from my own experience. I've had respiratory issues for 45 years. We've thought that these issues were being caused by some type of COPD but recently I've become aware of the condition called "Trombone Lung" and I fit the case study exactly so we are doing a culture and awaiting results. Meanwhile, I took 3 weeks off and am sterilizing my horns and mouthpieces with 91% alcohol and it's made a remarkable difference now that I'm back on the horn.

My point is that I have a long history of a compromised respiratory system yet even when compromised I've been able to generate sufficient air flow and air pressure to play in the high register. I've assumed that if I can do it in my compromised condition then anyone can do it. Of course efficiency is a factor, too, and I've been at this a long time improving my technique so that would be a consideration as well. When I've worked with students having difficulty with range they do not seem to be lacking in air power but, instead, are lacking in technique which, in almost all instances, seems to be the definitive issue.
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HERMOKIWI

[JayKosta]

[steve0930]

Hi Darryl and Jay..
Thanks both of you for getting back to me with some concrete tips..as u said Jay important to practise the right way so your point Darryl about starting in the lower registry and working on minimizing tension as you ascend ticks the box. Thanks to you Darryl i also now understand why i find pedal c so hard. I 'm still not quite sure is that then a reason to go for pedal c..and all the embouchure effort that involves or rather go for an easier pedal a?
Cheers for now stay safe steve in helsinki
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[deleted_user_48e5f31]

Deleted by dfcoleman

[deleted_user_02066fd]

I was stuck on E Flat in my younger days. I remember one day practicing some chromatic exercises. I got to the E Flat and everything felt great. I ended up taking it up to a very strong, effortless G. I realized it was more of a coordination issue that had me stuck on E Flat. I eventually ended up studying with a Caruso disciple on and off for 5 years and also with Caruso for a year. Range wise I had a reliable G and on a good day a little higher. Doing the Caruso routines in the prescribed manner taught my body to relax a more and play by reflex.

[JayKosta]