To Hit Or Not to Hit.....

trjeam · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 2:21 pm Post subject:

Ok here is the deal. I am in the county jazz band and I am the lead.

One of the charts that we are playing is a Woody Herman version of MacArthor Park.

During the song there is one spot the goes up to a high E. the note above high C.

We have had one concert so far and when we played that song I just backed off and took it down. The director didn't say anything and he told me that I could do what ever I wanted with it.

So the deal is this. When I practice around the I know that I can hit a High E. Because I have hit it. Just never in a concert and I have been holding back.

So the question is how does a trumpet player decides wheather he should go for a high note like that.

I had a teacher and one year he played " La Virgen de La Macarena" and during the end he had to hit a high E but he backed off and didn't and he tells me that it was because his lips were sweaty ext but he wanted to hit it.

And I don't want to regret that I didn't try to hit that high E. Plus he is gona be there and it would be cool if he heard the high E.

So how do I decide?

Locke · Regular Member Joined: 01 Apr 2002 Posts: 13

Trjeam,
Hey man, I have been in your situation before. The main thing about playing high notes is, YOU MUST WITHOUT A DOUBT KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU CAN HIT THE NOTE. You have to have complete confidence in yourself. The minute your confidence goes, that is when you will lose the High E. Just fill up with air, blow hard, hear the pitch, and just tear that bad boy up! If you can consistently hit it in practice, then go for it.
Locke

Bill Hicks · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 2:39 pm Post subject:

"Hit it hard and wish it well".....Claude Gordon

If you feel fairly comfortable with the note in practice, go for it. Just don't back off. Go for it with confidence. If you go for it wondering whether you will hit it or not, you are already half way towards missing it.
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johntpt · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 2:49 pm Post subject:

If you've played it at home successfully many times (say 10 times a day for a week) and you've nailed it several times in rehersal with the band, that should give you the confidence you need to nail it in a concert. If you have any doubt going into the concert you'll either miss it or sound wimpy.

Here's a great quote from Tim Kent's "Herseth lesson notes".

"Remember - shaky high range can be due to letting up before hitting the note -- rather take the lump and blow, that is the only way to be great. If you let up on all the notes, endurance is lost, and the overall sound is sickening."

John Urness

_bugleboy · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 4:58 pm Post subject:

trjeam,

In the previous thread you were celebrating your first triple C and now you are concerned about a note almost 2 octaves below that. At your rate of progress you should be comfortable soon enough with Es over high C.

If it is an important note, I wouldn't go for it if I thought there was any chance I'd miss it. But that's just me. A good sounding alternate note a little lower will always sound better musically than a feeble or unmusical one that is higher.

Whatever note you play, make music with it. MUSIC FIRST, EGO SECOND!

trjeam · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 5:14 pm Post subject:

Ok I just came back from my basement. And I busted out 10 nice high E's. I guess I'm just beign afraid of hitting a high E. It's allot different to hit a high E by my self then to hit the same note infront of 600 people.

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

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 15:11 ]

Warbird · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 5:55 pm Post subject:

I agree with everyone else. I mean, lets just face it, as trumpet players, we have this dier need to show-off and show people that we are trumpet players and we play an awesome horn. How are you gunna do that if you don't take chances? If you can't hit it in a concert, then just try to relax. It sounds to me, by the way that you described things, that you were tensing up. That will shoot down your range. I say, just open your lungs up and let it fly. Don't think of it as a High E...just think of it as an impressive note in your solo or whatever. If you have the idea that it is high in your head, it will be a lot harder to high. Just break loose and have fun with it! Your a trumpet player!

In Christ,
Joseph N. Pack

kenny dorham is an animal · Veteran Member Joined: 15 Jan 2002 Posts: 133

just play man. Play, but play it with all you got, and if you play with all you got and it doesnt come out then dont sweat it, go home and practice your ass off come back to the next gig and nail it. Thats all man.
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BrassClass · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 6:39 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't normally recommend this but in your case if the piece was in sections would there be a spot that you might slip in a slightly shallower mouthpiece to get through the section? If you're playing a Maynard piece I'd think a shallow MP would be in order ONLY if you still get a good tone. Tone should be the priority.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

trickg · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 6:45 pm Post subject:

I say go for it! If you miss, you miss, but if you nail it, it will bring a smile to your face for a week every time you think about it, which makes it worth the risk of missing it.

Just tank up and go for it!!!!!
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SHS_Trumpet · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2002 7:28 pm Post subject:

Hit the E
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MYNWA
"90% of trumpet music is below high C"

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

TPTXC · Veteran Member Joined: 06 Nov 2001 Posts: 112

Don't be afraid! I nailed a high e at the end of our set when we opened for Maynard on sunday. Don't think about it so much. In my case, I cant sit and practice playing the same high note (anything above Eb) over and over again. But, they come out in performances most of the time, like the F# earlier in that song

Sorry to ramble, but my point is just relax, use good airflow and dont tense up. My teacher has me visualize a target when i'm playing up there... That also keeps my sound centered and not spread and sloppy. The three charts we played all have numerous high D's in them, so i had my work cut out for me, especially with the first note i played in the whole set being a high D with a harmon mute! Go for the E, if it comes out it comes out, if it doesnt, it doesnt! Just have fun!

Brian Montgomery

pfrank · Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2002 7:18 am Post subject:

All the positive thinking in the world won't help if you don't have the foundation to hit it in the relaxed way you hit it in practice. Don't use excess pressure, it's not worth the tissue damage!
Nerves can cause a person to tense up, restricting airflow etc., and there might be other responsibilities in the piece that have to be met before the last note. So the advise on relaxation is right on. If you are feeling relaxed and strong, try for high F# or G# or A (depending on the chord), in other words, don't obsess on that 1 note! Have fun!!! Fagedaboudit! If you are not feeling relaxed and strong, use a lower note in that last chord, and maybe swoop up to the E or higher. (The director gave you permission to handle it any way you want to) Being "musical" and putting on an authoritative performance is the most important thing.

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[ This Message was edited by: pfrank on 2002-04-10 10:19 ]

trjeam · Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2002 12:41 pm Post subject:

Ok guys I didn't hit the High E today but I still have another try at it tomorow when we have the other concert.

But I made up for it in my improvising during "Oye Como Va"

I don't mean to brag or anything but I had people litteraly dancing when I started the improv. then the director screamed my name and everyone started to cheer and it just got me more pumped. I didn't hit any high notes so I guess you don't really need high notes to make people like your music. But while the people were dancing and screaming and going crazy and I kept playing I was getting tired so I took the horn off my mouth for a couple of seconds and they started screaming "we want more" so I put it back in my mouth and start to flutter , did the 1/2 valve thing I did almost every trick and they were litteraly dancing and just crazy.

Then during my long improv. solo their was a change in classes and the auditirum doors were open so when the people were changing classes they could here the music and screaming and they all gathered around to here me improv. I was a little nervous because they were my friends hearing me play. Anyways after a very long time of improv. I stopped and ended the song.

During lunch time everyone was like "man you rocked it" and this and that.
So I guess I made band "cool" (at least the trumpet and jazz band look cool).

And of course just like any other trumpeter at the end I had the fan club of girls asking me questions and telling me about how good i was.

The trumpet players in the section were just Like "wow where did that come from" and I was like i don't know.

Although it was great it kind of feels weird because I have never learned how to read the chord changes or I have never had formal improv. lessons or whatever and I was able to go out there and make people so happy and move around.

I don't really feel like a "legit" trumpet improviser player person. Although my dad ( a latin jazz flute player) told me once that when he first started to improvise no one had taught him anything either he didn't learn chord changes until he much older and he had already recorded 2 albums and stuff.

So anyways I hope that tomorow I am in a good mood so that I can play well. And hopefully I will be able to hit the E in Mac. Park.

Sorry for the long post but i was just so exited all day long.

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

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 15:12 ]

evolution · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2002 9:49 am Post subject:

Congrats! You rocked the house with musicality, with fun while playing and with a good show. Don't worry about high notes. The people that don't play the trumpet don't need all that screaming when a good player rocks the house. Congrats!!
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Enjoy music!

pedaltonekid · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Nov 2001 Posts: 1711

If you can play the note, go for it! One thing to do is to practice missing the attack on purpose. That is play the C, then push to an E either with a glissando or chromatic progression. If you miss the attack, just go ahead and noodle around and then work up to it, everyone else will think you are doing this on purpose and will be impressed. If you nail it, center the note for pitch and then just blow the heck out of it.

If you miss it (most likely you won't) you can't reach out the end of the bell and pull it back in so don't worry about. It has happended to everyone at sometime.
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Best Regards, Play Well!!

trjeam · Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2002 7:42 pm Post subject:

Ok I just thought I would let you guys know what happend at the concert. Just when I was ready to nail the note the director finally realized that MacArthor park isn't cool unless it's Maynard Ferguson Arrangement so we threw it away and we are know playing a arragement of Maynard's "Hey Jude" The cool thing is the trumpet solo in the begining and know I don't have to worry about high E's because the song goes up to Double G's so i just take everything down. So everything worked out fine. We had my old teacher come in and help us with hey jude and when he played with us in the band it was so cool to hear him take the parts up the octive and nailing those double G's over and over again. hehe I was like jeee the guy can play good for a 54 year old. It kind of made me humble.