BE Range on music and/or etudes

[NetTrumpeterBRA]

Hi all !!

After 4 months practising BE exercises (every day !!) my tone is great, my endurance is 4x better and my range is very good !! The most exciting thing is that I have a long way to go !!!

I can play Lip Slurs from C (on the staff) to high E with good sound, without too much mouthpiece pressure and with ease.
But I can't feel this same ease when I play etudes or music !!
For example, when I'm practising Haydn Trumpet Concerto with my Bb trumpet...I play that Eb with a lot of mouthpiece pressure... I don't feel the same ease that I feel playing BE's Advanced Lip Slurs !
Other example is when I'm practising Clarke Tech. Studies #4, when the scales goes to High B or Bb the same thing occurs !!!

Any clue ??

Thanks to all of you !



[ This Message was edited by: NetTrumpeterBRA on 2004-04-07 08:52 ]

[_dcstep]

It will take months to get the same feel in your performance and etude practice as you get in the BE excercises. As you've said, you're already reaping rewards, but it'll take a while to fully integrate the gains into all of your playing.

After your BE workout, do you concentrate on the feel for the rest of your practice? I find that the transition from register to register is where most of the trouble occurs. Try setting your embouchure for the G on top of the staff, so that going to the C and above will be easy. You may still be setting your embouchure for middle-line G, which makes the transition up much more difficult. I used to play totally rolled out in my pre-BE days. Now I try for a moderate rolled in feel and that top of the staff G setting.

When I go above high C I find that I need another change of gears to slightly more roll in. I have to push in the clutch and shift manually now, but I'm thinking that with much more BE excercise I can make it more automatic. I'm experiencing the same benefits you mention, it's just that they're still not fully integrated. More practice and training will get me there, I'm certain.

Dave
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[trumpetteacher1]

In addition to what Dave said - which was excellent as usual - I wonder how much you are tonguing in the upper register?

The upper register exercises in BE are primarily sequencially progressive slurs, which I believe offer the best opportunity for range breakthroughs. But the problem with music is that it is rarely sequencial or progressive, and rarely entirely slurred.

Sooner or later, your tonguing needs to catch up with the slurring. As part of your weekly routine, you need to incorporate upper register tonguing exercises. You can either tongue the slurred exercises, or you can play from Clarkes, Caruso, Gordon, or make up your own tonguing exercises. Most of my students use double octave scales for this purpose.

Music is by far the most difficult thing to play. Exercises will get you "in the neighborhood," but there will always be more to do, as music is (fortunately) naturally more chaotic in nature.

Jeff

[NetTrumpeterBRA]

Jeff and Dave,

DAVE: To answer your question: Yes, I'm concentrating on BE feel for the rest of my practice session. Since December, I'm setting (naturally) for a more roll in position, it was for me, a great breakthrough !! I can't say if my actual setting (more roll-in) is ok to play a G above the staff...I'll try !! Thanks !!

JEFF: Thanks for answer me one more time !! Actually, I'm playing jut Clarke Tech. Studies (one week single tongued, and for the next 3 weeks using TK, K and sluring all).
I have double octave scale exercises !! I'll add this exercises on my daily routine !!

I love TH

Otavio



[ This Message was edited by: NetTrumpeterBRA on 2004-04-07 12:36 ]

[ This Message was edited by: NetTrumpeterBRA on 2004-04-07 12:38 ]

[mcamilleri]

There was a thread a while back which eventually led to a discussion of old playing habits and styles influencing (negatively) your current playing. Worth a read

http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=17916&forum=29&9

I also concur with Jeff about tonguing (who am I to say differently?). Very few amateur players can articulate properly in the high register, often because they use excessive tongue arch to achieve the high range. It is simply impossible for most people to use a high tongue arch and articulate at the same time without it all falling apart. Even amongst professional players there are a lot that simply can't articulate when playing high - have a careful listen to lead players on big band jazz recordings, and you will understand what I mean.

The need for you to articulate in the high register will (at this stage) force you back into you old tonguing style, which will likely also drag some of your old embouchure habits back also. It can be EXTREMELY frustrating, I know, I've been there! The way through is to master tongue-on-lips, and begin to apply it in the high register, while keeping up the other BE stuff. It is possible to articulate properly in the high register, but for many people the 'Ta-Ta' back-of-teeth tonguing style with tongue arch simply doesn't work. Tongue-on-lips or the Callet style Superchops/TCE tonguing does work up there.

I have said it before, and will keep saying it. Tongue-on-lips is fundamental to BE.

Michael

[trumpetteacher1]

Michael,

You said, "Even amongst professional players there are a lot that simply can't articulate when playing high - have a careful listen to lead players on big band jazz recordings, and you will understand what I mean."

A lot of truth there.

There are, however, some notable exceptions. I remember hearing Woody's band back in the early 70's. The lead player just astonished me by double tonguing - loudly - the 8va on Caldonia, which consists of 8 sets of 16th note quads, all around a high G.

I went up to him afterword, and asked him how he did it. He just looked at me and said, "It's hard."

I don't think he ever wrote a book.

Dave Stahl was his name, and he's still playing and recording today. He has his own big band.

Jeff

[NetTrumpeterBRA]

I'm confused !!!

May I practice tongued double octave scales ?? :S

thanks !


otavio