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rowuk · 04-30-2007, 10:56 AM

The key to playing high is most often more subtraction than addition.
Assuming that you practice a fair amount (an hour a day or so) and have been playing for a couple of years, there is probably more in your playing that BLOCKS high range than things that you can add to play higher.
Step one is an analysis of how you play now. Can you play up to some high note and then nothing above comes, or does it keep getting thinner and thinner.
In both cases, you may have some body use issues. You need to learn about good playing posture. There are some very good tips for body use at the Monette web site, even if you don't own their horns or mouthpieces. I have also NEVER met a player with perfect breathing. That means we can all work on that and relieve tension issues allowing us to take a more relaxed BIG breath!

The first case generally means that you use pressure to play high (like most all trumpet players) and there is a point where you just squeeze off any vibration of the lips. If this is the case, you need to reduce the pressure especially on the top lip. Just try angling the trumpet down a bit.
Of course this can be a lot more involved, but without seeing you play, we can only assume that everything else is 100%.........................
If your range doesn't stop at one note but just gets gradually thinner, congratulations- you belong to a very seldom species of trumpet player!! All you need is better breath support and the Earl Irons slur book and you are good to go!
You will certainly have to work on other aspects of your playing to get that smooth liquid high register - I just can't diagnose anything on the internet. You don't know what to tell me, and I don't know what to believe even if you describe it because we do not know one another. A real (good) teacher will always be more efficient in a situation like this

04-30-2007, 10:56 AM	#11 (permalink)
rowuk Moderator Fortissimo User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 4,640	Re: Stretching Range The key to playing high is most often more subtraction than addition. Assuming that you practice a fair amount (an hour a day or so) and have been playing for a couple of years, there is probably more in your playing that BLOCKS high range than things that you can add to play higher. Step one is an analysis of how you play now. Can you play up to some high note and then nothing above comes, or does it keep getting thinner and thinner. In both cases, you may have some body use issues. You need to learn about good playing posture. There are some very good tips for body use at the Monette web site, even if you don't own their horns or mouthpieces. I have also NEVER met a player with perfect breathing. That means we can all work on that and relieve tension issues allowing us to take a more relaxed BIG breath! The first case generally means that you use pressure to play high (like most all trumpet players) and there is a point where you just squeeze off any vibration of the lips. If this is the case, you need to reduce the pressure especially on the top lip. Just try angling the trumpet down a bit. Of course this can be a lot more involved, but without seeing you play, we can only assume that everything else is 100%......................... If your range doesn't stop at one note but just gets gradually thinner, congratulations- you belong to a very seldom species of trumpet player!! All you need is better breath support and the Earl Irons slur book and you are good to go! You will certainly have to work on other aspects of your playing to get that smooth liquid high register - I just can't diagnose anything on the internet. You don't know what to tell me, and I don't know what to believe even if you describe it because we do not know one another. A real (good) teacher will always be more efficient in a situation like this __________________ Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.