Hitting note higher than intended?

[jvf1095]

Hello & hope this post finds everyone well. Something I'm trying to figure out. My upper register is coming along. I can hit G above the staff fine & A on a good day. (May not be upper for some, but it is for me at this time. Progress). Here's my problem. I'm fracking & missing notes like D in the staff. (1st valve). I can hit D-E-F-G clean; but what is happening is, when I play a D that is alone in a piece of music, sometimes it comes out as F on top of the staff! This never happened when I couldn't play a F at top of staff! So is improving my range causing a problem honing in on a lower note? Weird. Any ideas on how to fix this? thanks!!!

[Goby]

Congrats on your recent improvements in range! I struggled with the same issue for the longest time, and what helped me the most was practicing flexibility. I recommend practicing out of Scott Belck's "modern flexibilities" book, and make sure to read the instructions at the beginning before doing the exercises! Practicing slowly at a controlled dynamic with a metronome is critical to developing the coordination required for the upper register. Stick to the most comfortable register when you get started, and make sure you're using good form when you practice. Beyond the trumpet, singing and playing piano will help develop your ears, which will improve your accuracy on the trumpet.

[cgaiii]

Can also recommend Peters Total Range for this.
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[jvf1095]

Thank you.

[krell1960]

[lipshurt]

If you are cracking D from above, it means your tuning slide is out a little too far. That D is a Flat note and you have to lip it up to be in tune. If your slide is out too far you are actually lipping all the notes up a little, but when you get to D you have to lip up even more to be in tune, so your are right at the crack point. It means your ears are working good. Cracking that D is the most common crack in the history of trumpet. Its a sure fire indicator that you need push in your slide.
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[jvf1095]

Hello "lipshurt". My tuning slide is in all the way. Have not had it pushed out.

[JayKosta]

Half-note Interval 'jumps' (or slurs) at a slow tempo to develop the embouchure 'feel' for the pitches.

Also make sure you are not 'depending on' mouthpiece pressure or 'stretched lips' for the notes at your upper range. If those things are part of your 'embouchure method', then you should learn a better way asap - they will cause long-term problems and limit further upper range development.
Lots of help and ideas are available - ask if you are interested.
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[jvf1095]

Hello Jay. I'm trying to be self conscience about not applying too much pressure as I ascend into what I consider a high register for me at this point (G to A above the staff at my highest). Trying to pivot slightly down taking pressure off the upper lip as I ascend. Also, I seem to play better, (more precise), with a bit more lower lip in the mouthpiece. With that too, I'm using a Parduba double cup mouthpiece, the 5.5 Harry James model. I love the sound & tone from it, & I got use to it right away! But even with my plain old 7C, I'll still frack that "D" on & off. (Playing on a Holton Collegiate, circa 1965. In near mint condition). One poster said that my tuning slide might have been out too far, but it's not out at all. Also read that heavy bottom caps or putting dimes in the caps helps to "focus" your pitch more?

[kalijah]

[deleted_user_7354402]

Hi JVF1095,
I’ve taught many a student and I have a couple thoughts that may or may not help:
1. When high notes start coming out (popping out) it’s a good thing initially. It means playing high is actually that easy. That being said, your setup had probably shifted to play higher notes and possibly more efficient. I think you mentioned it is better when you have more lower lip in the mouthpiece, which is great. One of my teachers, Boyde Hood (used to teach at USC and was 3rd tpt at the LA Phil) emphasized the lower lip being the anchor point for the mouthpiece, and many trumpet players teach this. So that sounds like you’re figuring things out well.
2. If your playing is more efficient, it’s possible you have an old habit of putting more energy or effort into playing a D than you need to. Clarke Technical studies or Chromatic slur exercises are great for smoothing out these notes and sort of “relearning” how to play them. I’m thinking C C# D D# E F F# F E Eb D Db C type chromatic exercises. I’d do patterns staring on G in the staff and working my way up.... slurred! This usually helps focus notes that are feisty. Also any time you do frack the note from above, go back in practice and play the passage but at a chromatic run up to the D and remember the feeling of the ease you’ll have going from one note to the next. This usually works for any note that’s not centering.
3. If the other things don’t work, have you checked your notes on a tuner? When people figure out how to access higher notes, often tension has crept in where they don’t expect. I would bet that before you crack D, the note or 2 notes before it are very sharp. If that’s the case, dial in the sound of those notes in your ear, and then play the passage slowly feeling your way from note to note. If the D is still a problem, then equipment might be the issue. If looking for a good tuner on your phone I recommend Tonal Energy. Check it out in the App Store.
4. Most trumpets are designed to be played with the main tuning slide pulled out anywhere from a couple of millimeters to about a centimeter. (I tell young students that starting at about the width of their pinky finger is usually where a good designed trumpet will sit mostly in tune at A=440. Check this out in a tuner. Can you play the Open notes in tune G C E with the tuning slide out there. What if you do first valve notes F Bb D? I try not to need to move my slide too much. Usually if I’m sharp or flat, it has more to do with my chops or air usage that day than it has to do with the weather or anything else. A good teacher in your area can give you exercises and concepts to learn how to balance your airflow and lip strength.

5 If it’s still a problem- It’s possible that your first valve is out of alignment causing the note to be unstable. A great trumpet teacher in your area can figure this out pretty easy usually. They’ll have problems too if they play your horn if this is the case. If not, you’re also talking to a teacher who can walk you through exercises focusing on your specific needs. I recommend that this will help more than anything anyone of us can tell you on Trumpet Herald. Check with your local music store or a teacher who can guide you to this person.
6. Final thoughts: Parduba mouthpieces are very specialized because of their Double Cup construction. Most of the actual playing is done in the smaller part of the cup, closer to the throat. It will be very sensitive to any change you make. Do you have another mouthpiece to try around the same size. You might not like the sound initially as much but if you can play more centered on the D and still access the notes above the staff, it might be a direction worth heading.

I hope these thoughts help. None of these are guaranteed to work but there is no magic pill or piece of advice that will always work. It’s going to take some experimentation (guided experimentation with a teacher would be best) but it’s a fun time when you start getting new notes. As you go higher, just remember that it shouldn’t hurt. It can actually be very easy if you work to find the right amount of effort to easily play every note. Have fun practicing.

Dan

[TrpPro]

It sounds like you have a very common problem: an undeveloped embouchure. Pressure is an effect, not a cause. Don't let anyone tell you that pressure is the problem. You use pressure when you are unable to succeed otherwise. It is the last resort. Improve your embouchure and the arm pressure will become less and less necessary.
You need some very basic exercises for sound production on the horn. Go to the dedicated forums to seek this out, especially Caruso, Balanced Embouchure, Bill Adam, Chicago School, Stamp, and others.

[Billy B]

You can't "feel" pitches any more than you can smell them.

The sound begins in the mind.

Develop this by playing-singing-playing.

Be careful who you contact for "help".
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[Brad361]

[jvf1095]

This is all very good advice. What I think is happening with me as a comeback player as I read all of this, is I'm trying to bite off more than I can chew & I'm trying to play in areas that I have to admit to myself that I'm not ready for. Undeveloped embouchure at this point? Yeah, true. Also, I feel myself going backwards because I now foolishly realize that I'm beating up my chops in the process. I think I need to take a day or two off to rest my chops, just as a weight lifter takes time (day or two), to heal after a vigorous workout & then get back to a practice routine & master what I can slowly & precisely without effort, & THEN move on! Lots to process here.

[cheiden]

Two comments.

No horn I've found plays the way it should with the tuning slide all the way in. For a time in my distant past I kept my slide all the way in and lipped every down into tune. I did it for some mistaken notion that the tone was better. Eventually a much better and respected player disabused me of that notion. FWIW I really like the book by James Stamp for learning how to play right up the middle of each note, this makes it easier to know if your tuning slide is in the right position.

Any sensible daily routine will have you doing incremental exercises that should improve your accuracy every single day you play. Break out the Clarke Technical Studies and go through them carefully.
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[jvf1095]

Downloaded this...Click the note & it "plays".

https://andrewhugill.com/manuals/trumpet/range.html

[PMonteiro]

Relaxing can help. As I become more efficient in playing, I still overshoot notes often as I break old habits of pushing too hard. Mouthpieces can also have an effect. Going from larger to smaller equipment can make overshooting easier until you get used to it. Mouthpieces that are shallow/have high alpha angles (like a 14A4a) are also easy to overshoot.
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[Al Innella]

Practice Arban's intervals page 125 using 1/4 notes. Do this slowly at a mp or mf volume. Strive for accuracy with a centered sound.

[Andy Del]

Sadly, this is just another example of ‘go get a good teacher’.

It is terrific the OP has gained some range, and therefore some development and progress. But. But with someone knowledgeable to guide them, they would have been shown how to link these new higher notes into their already established range. They would have also maybe gained some guidance about pivoting down onto their lower lip.

Instead, they now have a range of well-meaning, yet information lacking suggestions about this exercise of that page from the XYZ book. About as useful as a useless thing without some specific guidance.

Cheers

Andy
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