trjeam

I need more endurance and power in my upper register.

In the past I would do calisthenics (ala Caruso) and lip slurs but I'm afraid that those exercises will hurt my new "prettier" sound...

Actually I'm overly afraid to practice in that register because of the fear that I will loose my new sound...

My main problem is articulating with power in the upper register.

Any advice?

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Jorge Ayala

http://www.soundclick.com/jorgeayala
http://allabouttrumpet.blogspot.com

dbacon

Take that great sound with you into the high register!

Doc said, "If you want to play up there, practice up there..."

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Dave Bacon

trjeam

that might just be crazy enough to work! lol

easier said then done.. but are you saying that doing my usual endurance/power exericises won't harm if I approach them with the sound I want?

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Jorge Ayala

http://www.soundclick.com/jorgeayala
http://allabouttrumpet.blogspot.com

Umyoguy

Playing in the higher registers is like any other technique. If you don't practice it, it won't develop. And don't be fooled - It is a technique like any other. It's possible to learn. Some people are more gifted than others, but that holds true for anything.

Jon

trjeam

I'm just afraid of messing up my tone because of practicing high notes.

__________________
Jorge Ayala

http://www.soundclick.com/jorgeayala
http://allabouttrumpet.blogspot.com

Derek Reaban

Jorge,

I certainly understand your dilemma. I always felt like something changed in my approach to sound production as I went into my higher register. I could hear the change in sound take place, but I knew that to play in that register I needed to spend time up there.

For quite a few years I played through Book 1 of the James Thompson Buzzing Basics material, refining my sound and my general approach to sound production. Most of the exercises went up to a 4th space E and down to a low F. One exercise went to a G at the top of the staff and another went down to the Pedal C. Eventually, my sound has become very even on all of these exercises, and I know that I have pushed out my “breaks”, taking this great sound with me.


Recently, I have diligently been putting in more time with the Buzzing Basics books, and I spend time in Book 2 daily. This book starts to extend above the G. I can feel my sound coming with me as I do these exercises. I know exactly when things begin to shutdown, and I’m very aware of the slightest signs of tension. I’m able to divert my conscious thought, and release my air (as I’ve written about recently), and I can usually do the exercises up to a High C, C#, D. This sound follows me to all of the other playing that I do these days!

The sound and feel above the G is directly related to the rest of my playing registers!

I’ve gone the other route (forcing the sound and trying to play up there), but for me, I’m tired of the inconsistency associated with that approach. I’m playing better now than I ever have, and I attribute this to a daily centering session with the proper focus, and extending these exercises at least up to the High C.

Remember, that “power” and projection comes from resonance. You want to get in phase with the horn, not overpower it.

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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

Jimi Michiel

There might be a few people out there who disagree with me, but I never found that I had a lot of success with method books and teaching techniques designed to boost power and endurance. For me, I just worked on orchestral excerpts that stressed that kind of playing: Alpine Sinfonie, Firebird, Bach picc parts, etc. Maybe my attention span is too small, but when I tried playing out of range building method books I found it really hard to make music, which led to frustration and then tension, which eventually negated any progress I made...

-Jimi

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dizforprez

At what point, note wise, do you start to loose a good sound? what kind of exercises are you already doing for fundamental work?

trjeam

I do a lot of flow studies. I do Eddie Lewis's "Go Flow" studies, then I do this:

http://www.geocities.com/marty_seshul/range

So I spend about 20 mintues do long tones and flow studies..

Then I do clarkes #3 and then #2 Single Tongued...I sometimes will take #2 up the 8va

I also will do a little bit of lip slurs ala Collins.

I also work on 2 8va scales.... and that's pretty much what I do for fundamentals

I guess I start to loose my "tone" at around high B.

The thing is that I have Eb range. I can slur and get a pretty big sound up to Eb but when it comes to articulating and tounging I start to struggle at around B.

__________________
Jorge Ayala

http://www.soundclick.com/jorgeayala
http://allabouttrumpet.blogspot.com

camelbrass

Jorge,

In my experience a fully controlled high B (by that I mean a note you can articulate, shade, crescendo, decrescendo, bend) is nothing to be discouraged about. Don't get too carried away about range that people claim to have on these boards. It's not uncommon for people to claim their range is a 4th above where their actual limit is, and a musical high B is more rare than common. Playing scales and arpeggios to that high Eb is very different than playing music to that level.

My advice is go back to Caruso. If you're doing it properly it will not hurt your sound, ...it will, however, make you a stronger player a bit at a time.You appear to have found a sound you like...great...practising in all registers is the only way to develop that sound.

Just my take on it.

Regards,


Trevor