"High" Range on Piccolo Trumpet

[capnomysoul]

Hello! I am playing the solo trumpet part in my wind ensemble which requires the use of a piccolo trumpet for one of our pieces. I've never played a picc before and can only play with anything that resembles a good tone up to what would be notated as a B-flat on the staff, or a B-flat just above the staff on a B-flat trumpet. The part I need to play goes to what sounds as a double G, or a written G on the top of staff. How can I develop my high range on the piccolo without blowing out my chops? Our concert is in eight weeks. Thanks!

For context, I only have access to a Yamaha piccolo with B-flat and A shanks (I've been using the B-flat shank so far). Additionally, on a B-flat trumpet, I can routinely play up to a high E-flat, or an E or F on a good day, but a double G might be a bit of a stretch.

[Brassnose]

You’ll get more qualified answers from the experts but just to get things straight: you can play up to a high Bb on a Bb trumpet. That is, you are playing up to high concert Ab.

And the picc lines should go up almost an octave higher to G (i.e. concert F) above high C? Or are you talking about G just on the top line and I am misunderstanding something?
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1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
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1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

[Christian K. Peters]

Hello,
Welcome to the TH. For the most part, your range on Bb will indicate the range you might have on pic. Just playing the part on pic, won't necessarily give you the G. Piccolo is a different horn to learn. With some direction, you have 8 weeks to make the part happen. A smaller aperture and the thought of a cocktail straw will help in playing the pic. As opposed to a normal soda straw and fast air for Bb/C playing. If you try to muscle a pic for high notes, it will fight you like a feral cat in a cage. Neither sound or cat, will come out.
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Schilke Loyalist since 1976

[Mike Prestage]

If your general trumpet high chops are developed enough for this to be realistic in eight weeks, I'd strongly advise you to get a lesson or two on how to get along with the picc. You'll be able to get recommendations for who to go to for this on this forum although depending on where you live it might need to be online.

Your post raises a question which I think is important though (and I'm honestly trying to help by asking this, not be negative). What's your range like on the Bb? What's the highest note you can play convincingly under varied performance conditions, and what's the highest you can produce with some reliability even if not much more than a squeak?

Mike
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[abontrumpet]

[spitvalve]

The piccolo is all about finesse and doesn't respond well to brute strenth or hard blowing. Players who can "horse out" a high F or G on the Bb trumpet usually have fits with the piccolo.

Generally, you need to be able to play up to at least a high F on the Bb trumpet without strain to make the transition to the piccolo. Soft long tones were helpful to me, as was just playing songs, such as hymns or lyrical melodies within my comfortable range on the piccolo. Don't even worry about the high notes yet - just get used to what a pic should sound like and feel like. Practice carefully and musically, and then the rest will come. Listen to lots of Maurice Andre for that characteristic piccolo tone and lyricism. The piccolo responds to light, gentle articulation and using less air. Not less support, but less air volume.

All of the practice repertoire for the standard trumpet - scales, long tones, flexibilities, Clarke Studies, etc. can be practiced on the piccolo. Take extra rest time and start sparingly, just a few minutes a day, gradually adding time. Eight weeks of intelligent practice might not get all the range you need, but it will get you the sound you need. And believe it or not, it will help your regular Bb trumpet playing in the long run - you will gain more security up high.
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Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

[HaveTrumpetWillTravel]

I would recommend just playing the part lower or subbing it to another instrument. To me a note that is uneven in practice is rarely achievable in performance. It is nice you have a piccolo and you may get there in time. I found that the piccolo did help me (an uneven comeback player) in the interval about high C, which is what you are working on. Jonathan

[capnomysoul]

[Brassnose]

OK, I am slightly confused now: in your original post you say that you can play up to concert Ab with good tone, in the last post you say high Db.

In any case - if the picc melody goes to concert F ABOVE the high Db that you can play (that’s what I gather from your posts) my personal guess is that eight weeks are awfully short to get ready to play the tune on any trumpet.

Wondering if it makes sense to play it an octave lower and on the regular Bb horn?
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

[capnomysoul]

[Robert P]

Just echoing what others have said - if you don't have it on a Bb you're not going to have it on a piccolo. And you're not going to have big, singing high notes on piccolo like on Bb. The picc is about a particular type of sound and it's real easy to sound like a strangled goose.
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[Caliber50]

[RandyTX]

I don't think picc gives me any more range... but, I do think it makes the 'slots' feel easier to pick out for the same (concert pitch) notes. So, intricate stuff in the 'upper register' on a Bb (or C, or whatever) seems to be a little easier to get clean, if you don't mind the more 'airy' sound of a picc... or if it fits the style of music anyway.

Some piccs sound more 'picc-like' than others, for example, Schilke P5-4 and 7-4 models sound a bit different, with the 7-4 a little less 'thin and airy' sounding, while playing pretty much the same behind the mouthpiece. ymmv.
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"Music is like candy, you throw the (w)rappers away."

[Jerry]

My P5-4 with a GR 62P-S does not sound thin or small.

I've played that set up in a concert band in a section filled with typical Bb s and the director didn't realize I wasn't playing my usual Bb set up. I blended fine and didn't stand out.

It's all in the player's approach and sound concept. And the GR mouthpiece didn't hurt.

[Douglas James]

[abontrumpet]

[spitvalve]