triplej_38118

Should the horn vibrate in the upper register? When I play from Fsharp to G on the staff, I know when I'm playing a full, resonant note by the subtle vibration of my horn and valve casing. However, once I play above G, (notes like A,B, and C) I can't get the horn to vibrate. Is the lack of vibration a sign that I'm not playing the note as efficiently and resonantly as possible? Or is it common for the horn not to vibrate on these notes?

camelbrass

In my experience different trumpets provide different levels of feedback to the player. This is not necessarily an indication that what is being heard at the back of the hall is what your hearing at the mouthpiece. Get an experienced somebody to listen to you play and see if they can hear a difference in your tonal quality between registers.

Regards,

Trevor

Manny Laureano

JJJ.

There are two things going on:

Even if you are the worlds most effecient trumpeter and are getting a pure sound, as you ascend the vibrations are going to get quicker and less discernible from your standpoint as the player.

If you aren't terribly efficient, yes, the vibrations are going to be less discernible but the sound is go to be the clear indicator that the sound is unpure and lacks resonance not how the horn feels in your hands.

Think about the opening of "Zarathustra"... it's easy to hear ALMOST the individual vibrations and when your siting next to or near the contrabasoon, your body fairly rattles. A piccolo flute playing 5 octaves higher doesn't give you the same sensation.

What you should sense, if you are an efficient player, is the sound expnding with litle effort as you ascend.

ML

camelbrass

Manny,

My apologies, I jumped into that topic off the home page without noticing in was in your forum.

Regards,

Trevor

Manny Laureano

No worries, amigo! Besides, you are right! Different horns will react differently, too.

ML

Jimi Michiel

I think that the placement of the brace between the leadpipe and bell (after the valve casing) is also important. I've found that if you move that brace closer to the valve casing, you will get much more "feedback." I'm not reallt sure why that is.
-Jimi

sublmbadfish

When I play B in the staff with a full, rich, warm breath, i get a lot of vibration and resonance in my horn and sound...i really like playing that note.

W Scott

There are a couple of things that make a horn ring. You need to be hitting the note in the 'center' of the pitch---that will really help the horn to ring. You also can't be squashing the heck out of your lips---and since you mention the problem is mostly in the higher register that may be what's going on. Try (and try, and try, and try) to use less pressure as you go higher and you may find that the horn rings well after all.

Also, as Manny says, different horns will resonate differently depending on bracing and what material the bell is made out of. My Connstellation seems to ring best in the staff, my Conn 22B resonates nicely all the way up to high C before the vibrations get to close to notice very well.