Any suggestions for increasing my range?

trumpet326 · Posted: Mon May 06, 2002 3:34 pm Post subject:

Alright, so here's the situation:

I play in a show group here on campus. We do a 90 minute show and perform almost every weekend during the school year. Next year, there is a very good chance that I will be playing lead. Therefore, I need to increase my range. Right now may range is about up to high C, fairly consistantly, though my comfortable range is B. I'd like to increase my range to at least a D before we start up again in the fall (higher would be nice, but I don't know how how long this will take). So, I have three months to try to extend my range as far as possible. Any suggestions on how I can accomplish this?

Thanks

vivace · Posted: Mon May 06, 2002 5:37 pm Post subject:

i got a couple of ideas...

one is the colin lip flexibilities. That stuff is helping me out...

the second is to play a lot of pedal notes.. like really low...

this is what has been helping me.

good luck on getting lead.
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NCTrumpet · Veteran Member Joined: 03 Jan 2002 Posts: 113

Start by playing the full extent of your current range everyday. Both high and low.

Get the Earl Irons 27 Lip flexibilities book. Find the ones you like, and play them everyday.

Do octave slurs. Do two octave slurs.

Do two-octave chromatic scales from low F#, then G, then G#, etc., as high as you can go.

Play ascending scales, articulating the highest pitch of each scale multiple times, then sustain it.

Think that you need to "play" your high range, not just "hit" these notes. Think that the quality of every note in your range must be of the same beauty, clarity and control.

Stop if it hurts.

Try using a tad bit more upper lip in the mouthpiece. You never know. I've seen it work wonders.

Be patient. If you can increase your range upward by 1/2 step every two weeks, you've got it made.

Good luck.

JC.

Max Reverb · Posted: Tue May 07, 2002 1:28 pm Post subject:

Hey NC~Great no frills post. I would like to incorporate this into my daily practice and was wondering how many reps you would suggest:

How many exercises out of Irons?
The octave/2 octave slurs-go as high as I can once, or more?
What about chromatic scales and ascending scales, one rep or more?

I like the goal of a 1/2 step every two weeks. Of course I would imagine there is a point of diminishing return. But it looks like a great program. I have a block during my day of about 1 to 2 hrs., so whatever you'd recommend. Thanks NC!

Kenman · Posted: Tue May 07, 2002 2:02 pm Post subject:

I've got several things I do with my students that seems to help ..

Scales:
Start with C scale slur up the scale to C then back down.. then do it again up to D and back down.. and so on up to high C. Remember to play big and full through out the entire range of the horn.

Lip Bends:
Start with second line G.
G-F#-G with valve
G-F#-G without valve
G-F-G with valve
and so on.. as far as you can go.. make sure after this you do some soft slurs and pedals to relax.

8va music:
Take your favorite tunes and play them 8va. You can use books like Concone, Getchel.. etc.

Long tones:
practice long tones with varied dynamics.. such as ppp.. or ppp < ff > ppp.

It's also good to get clarinet duet books .. I read these with my high school students. They usually take you from pedal E to high F above C.

Hope this helps.

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

Trumpet326 writes>>>

>>>I need to increase my range. Right now may range is about up to high C, fairly consistantly, though my comfortable range is B. I'd like to increase my range to at least a D before we start up again<<<

GET ....

"Progressive studies for the high register" by Keith Johnson and play with a beautiful mezzoforte sound.

Concentrate on fillng your lungs with air and ride the airstream. Tongue each ex. aswell as slur. DON'T MOVE ON TOO QUICKLY. PLAY WITH EASE OF OPERAETION.

Don't play it every day, play it on alternate days. When you do this book don't do anything else before or after it. Make it the only thing you do on that day.

Enjoy!!

I betcha that'll do it!!

Roddy o-iii<O
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TheDubbaDubbaD · Regular Member Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 26

Talk to the guys in the Superchops forum.

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

I think you would find the Ollie-Arnie routine from Chase Sanborn's book helpful, along with the Hickman range extension exercises.
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_Don Herman · Posted: Sat May 11, 2002 4:10 pm Post subject:

George Graham also has a short and sweet routine for increasing range. He says it's how he did it, and he's no slouch! It's about $5 or so, I think -- couple of pages plus a note sheet. I like the short and simple ones -- long ones leave me spending half my practice time on range, too long for good sound.

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

_bugleboy · Posted: Sat May 11, 2002 4:49 pm Post subject:

I would challenge any other method to give you a usable increase in range faster than Caruso. With Caruso you will start the dance from day one.

B6L · Posted: Sun May 12, 2002 12:36 am Post subject:

Do whatever Mr. Raymond says!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been following his routine to the Caruso method (getting started 1&2) for 8 weeks now and I can't begin to explain how much this has improved my playing!! even in areas I didnt expect like intonation and sightreading!.........and yes the double C is now in my back pocket.
Nate
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trjeam · Posted: Tue May 28, 2002 6:06 pm Post subject:

trumpetdiva1 · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2002 9:19 am Post subject:

I agree with Kenman and Lip Bend. Lip bends and long tones are extremely helpful. I also try to rely on air as much as possible and find it easier on the lips. I absolutely agree with Raymond and B6L about the Caruso method. I have been only using it for one month, and I hit my first double C this week and almost one dozen double B’s. I highly recommend the Caruso method, as it was also mentioned that it would improve more than your range. I’ve noticed improvements in other aspects of my playing as well.
Good luck!
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Janell Carter

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DSR · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2002 4:18 pm Post subject:

Assuming your placement is correct for your physical type, and your air is working and all that...then you need to strenghten your natural lip pucker (corners). Just this weekend I was informed of the Caruso method...this should suffice to accomplish the task.

Remember...chase the horn, don't let it chase you.

Other calisthetics include the pencil trick (clench your teeth and hold the pencil with only your lips), free lip buzzing, and jaw retention.

The truth is is that there are probably hundreds of range routines that are all potentially a different (some more effective than others) way of achieving the same goal. So pick one and go with it.

Also...bear in mind that most of these routines are designed to go out of your normal playing comfort zone. In other words, they can be quite strenuous and therefore should be not taken to an extreme degree.

_bugleboy · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2002 6:42 pm Post subject:

DSR wrote,

***** Other calisthetics include the pencil trick (clench your teeth and hold the pencil with only your lips), free lip buzzing, and jaw retention. *****

I, for one, have never done pencil calisthenics; but have heard much about it. So I tried it, holding the pencil straight out with just the lips. After five minutes I got bored and stopped. Here's the point. I have trained my embouchure with Caruso calisthenics for years and that training has evidently made my lips capable of passing the pencil test. I wonder if the opposite would be true. Would doing pencil calisthenics for years make my lips capable of playing Caruso calisthenics to the level that I am able to do them? In other words, I wonder exactly what benefit, if any, is really derived from doing pencil exercises that couldn't be derived from regular calisthenic exercises, Caruso or otherwise.

There is another aspect of the pencil drill that I wonder about. Most people believe that the lips are touching when they vibrate. Others might believe that there is some separation. I'm curious if anyone would hold that the lips would be as separated while playing as they are when doing the pencil drill. The question here is whether training the lips to sustain a pretty large aperture for several minutes is truly in their best interest, since this is, IMO, pretty far from the kind of set up they will have while actually playing. Maybe this kind of training is detrimental. Don't know. But it definitely seems unnecessary.

CR

DSR · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2002 8:28 pm Post subject:

Bugleboy...I should elaborate.

Don't get me wrong...the pencil trick should definately not be used as a substitute for hard work on the trumpet doing range drills (caruso ect...) It can be used when you can't get to horn or as a side drill for young and developing players. For ME, it works to enhance compression (over time of course), but that doesn't mean it will be as effective for all players. If you do it for 2-4 minutes a day, I honestly believe it can do no harm.

We could sit here for hours argueing the effectiveness of the drill and how it sensitizes or desensitizes the lip but I would prefer not to do that.

Thanks

trptsbaker · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2002 8:44 pm Post subject:

The most obvious solution to increasing your range over the summer, to me, would be to find a trumpet teacher who can actually play in the upper register and pay him or her money to show you how to do it in the manner that is most appropriate to your personal needs. I know this might sound radical, but hey, it's worth a shot. Tom.