Size=Range??

Goldenchops55 · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2002 6:20 pm Post subject:

Hello all,
I have a question that has been bugging me for a while. Last year I went to my first college game and was TOTALLY blown away at all the playing in the stratosphere by the trumpet players. The lead trumpet was a huge dude, heigth and width. He had monstorous range and was hittin Double notes like during a solo he had, a lot. Anyways, my question is, does size affect range? A lot of the screamer players are large people, such as Maynard, Arturo, etc. I am pretty large for a 13 year old, 5'9" and 165 lbs. I can totally outblow and outscream most of the smaller kids older than me(even though right now I'm working on technique and tone above all else), and some of them practice as much as I do or possible even more.
I know that there are also small players that can scream just as good, though. Like at ETU there is a little trumpet player about 5'6", and very small that was poppin out some really high notes. I was just wondering if size had anything to do with range. Thanks.

Greatest Trumpeter · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2002 7:10 pm Post subject:

Well, it's the muscles that help with rang. For me when I play any note thats loud or high I use a good amout of support. The support is using the muscles in your middle. Sometimes I find myself shaking from the strain.
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Quadruple C · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Nov 2001 Posts: 1448

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 15:35 ]

tcutrpt · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2002 8:10 pm Post subject:

Vizzutti is another guy that comes to mind that can play up there all day. He's not a big guy. Quad is right. It just comes down to learning to use what you've got in the most efficient manner possible and great things will happen.

Matt

trickg · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2002 8:15 pm Post subject:

I once had the opportunity to see Craig Johnson play an Audition for the US Army Jazz Ambassadors when I was stationed at the First US Army Band at Fort Meade, MD.

I walked into the rehearsal hall and they were just getting ready to go and to look at Craig, he was all of about 5'7" and maybe 135 lbs soaking wet. Anyway, the JAs (Jazz Ambassadors) start up with this ballad, Craig pics up his flugelhorn....and the first note was a CLAM! He recovered immediately though and played a nice little melodic solo until it came time for the build up. Nothing too spectacular. I'm thinking, this guy is going to replace Joey Tartell? (Joey was playing lead for the JAs at the time) Keep in mind, I'm sitting about 8 feet right in front of him.

Well, the band builds and builds, Craig picked up his trumpet, did this wild thing when he took his breath with his arms by bringing his elbows clear up and then.....WHAM! He simply parted my short, Army regulation hair right down the middle! To close your eyes, you would have thought that it was Maynard himself. What a spectacular player. I continued to listen to the audition where they brought him up into the section and they read down a bunch of stuff. You want to know what's worse? THE JAs DIDN'T TAKE HIM!!! I heard that they thought he was sort of a loose cannon and they didn't know if he was what they were looking for, maybe a little on the wild side.

I later heard that when Maynard found out that Craig didn't get the job, he called them up fuming, "What the hell is wrong with my lead player!?" Their loss I say.

Anyway, size didn't seem to matter too much in Craig's case.

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Patrick Gleason
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"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

Quadruple C · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Nov 2001 Posts: 1448

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 15:35 ]

Redhothorn · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Dec 2001 Posts: 1173

Al Vizzuti
Lynn Nicholson
Phil Driscoll

... all thin ... not beefy.

Emb_Enh · Veteran Member Joined: 29 Oct 2002 Posts: 455

It makes NO difference whatsoever!!!

Roddy o-iii<O
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Mark Heuer · Veteran Member Joined: 23 Nov 2001 Posts: 232

Size does not matter.

[ This Message was edited by: Mark Heuer on 2002-03-20 06:15 ]

trumpimp · New Member Joined: 19 Mar 2002 Posts: 4 Location: Ohio

I used to think it had something to do with size too, that is, until my teacher listened me to some old Doc records. Quite the screamer back in the day, hehehe.

evolution · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:12 am Post subject:

To a certain degree power and range is "bodybuilding". Some people can develop muscles faster than others. But for that talent size doesn't matter. f.ex. Arnold Schwarzenegger developed huge muscles and he isn't tall at all.
IMO - the technique is more important. Efficient air use combined with well trained muscles is the key to the upper register. For efficient air use size doesn't matter as well.

just my two cents
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_Don Herman · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2002 7:23 am Post subject:

Playing high requires a decent pressure differential for fast lip vibration, but it doesn't actually take a lot of air volume -- takes more to play a loud low C! Smaller frames may mean less muscle volume and air capacity, but I think physical size is a minor issue. Plenty of examples above to support this viewpoint.

FWIW - Don
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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

comebackkid · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2002 8:30 am Post subject:

Super post!

I like to think of it this way:

From the neck up it's technique.
From the neck down it's power.
The technique part take time to figure out (initially), but requires little effort to execute.

The Power part is easy to figure out, but can take lot of effort to execute.

Physical strength makes makes no difference for the technique part.

Physical strength probably helps on the power (neck down) part.

A larger person might often be stronger, but that isn't always the case.

I agree with Don that strength is less critical than proper technique. Once technique is not an issue for you.......A few thousand sit-ups couldn't hurt. What am I saying; That would hurt like heck!

dbacon · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 8592

trickg · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2002 10:39 am Post subject:

I disagree with the comment about Arnold and body building having much to do with development of high range. In my experience, it is far more about efficiency than muscles in the chops. Besides, it's fairly well known that Arnold was pretty heavily juiced (steroids) during his years where he was actively competing in body building and you can even see symptoms of it in the photos of the 1981 Mr. Olympia. And Arnold is 6' tall, not exactly short. This isn't to say that Arnold didn't have an incredible physique because he did and he did have the genetics to build large heavy muscle, but to say that Arnold isn't tall at all would be mistaken.

Lee Priest, however, is smaller for a body builder but proportionately he looks huge.

Anyway, I used to notice that when I was lifting weights on a regular basis that range was a bit easier but I always atributed that to the fact that I got better support from stronger muscles in my trunk.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

Lazarus · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2002 8:37 pm Post subject:

Another guy that is HUGE is Jon Faddis... I think his upper register needs no introduction

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trptsbaker · Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2002 8:15 pm Post subject:

Trumpet playing is 90% mental. The other half is physical. T.

limits_unknown · Regular Member Joined: 10 Nov 2001 Posts: 93

all I have to say to this is "doc severinsen" He's not a big guy

Quadruple C · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Nov 2001 Posts: 1448

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 15:38 ]

limits_unknown · Regular Member Joined: 10 Nov 2001 Posts: 93

nice quote