High Notes

wiseone2 · 06-09-2006, 10:35 AM

Screaming, screeching, whistling, squealing are some of the terms associated with playing in the upper register of the trumpet.
After hearing this clip I thought it time to talk about this facet of trumpet playing
Here's the excerpt.
http://www.darylburch.com/musicpain/mahler.mp3
This is sacrilegious!
This is possibly the most tasteless piece of trumpet playing I have ever heard.
It's like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

I have never understood the fixation of trumpet players on high notes.
Taste, musicianship are rarely mentioned among trumpet jocks.
Higher and louder are the words that stir these trumpet players interest.

Jeff Purtle has sound files of great high-note players of the past at this site.
http://www.purtle.com/jeff_sound.html
George Swift is outstanding!

The trumpet is a instrument of music, not a WMD

Wilmer

Eclipsehornplayer · 06-09-2006, 10:56 AM

Ohhhhh Wimer,

I had to stop listening to it... I'm no pro but my amateur ear tells me that piece seemed out of context... Here you have a somber vocal going on with majestic music and then you introduce a SCUD missle....

Yuck!

I think that style has it's place; but I don't know that its where it was being played.

pwillini · 06-09-2006, 11:12 AM

I can't , for the life of me, hear anything musical in that first clip. Wilmer, you hit the nail on the head, WMD!

I'm reading more about Jakob's "song", trying each day to get the song from my head and out the bell. I love his two trumpet philosophy, one in your head and one in your hand! The hardest thing I'm finding is to get the one out of my head out of my bell!

Peyton

NickD · 06-09-2006, 12:13 PM

Things to make you go, 'hmmmm..."

Wilmer, I actually have heard this clip before. It was over a year ago. I forgot about it.

Mahler is one of my favorites. This treatment did seem, um, interpreted to an extreme, shall we say.

I will NEVER slam anyone's performance. I can only wonder with considerable trepidation what folks think of MY playing!

Nevertheless, this SEEMED like musical humor ala the Tastee Bros. I have to believe that. The dude was messing with us.

As to high notes, after my one day at the ITG, I must say that there are PLENTY of folks out there that can hit 'me and I mean hit 'em HARD! I was tickled at how LITTLE of the egregious stuff went down. As an aside, this was a wonderful thing to find out. I have always been afraid that the ITG wold be an outrageous show-off-festival. Instead it was a warm collegial event! I will most certainly go back! But I digress... The point of this paragraph is that high notes are just notes. You don't see piano players whacking away at the far right end in an attempt to try to impress folks. These notes should just be used like any other word in the vocabularly. Given how many folks can do it now, it seems a bit pointless to try to set oneself apart by over indulging in them. Just my humble opinion...

As to this gentelman, I really wouldn't want to be too hard on him. He sure has strong chops and has no doubt worked very hard to achieve this and wants to share his success with the world. Perhaps he'd be better served doing a rendition fo the Shorty Rogers tune, "Here's Maynard Ferguson" instead. Also, I still think he's justr teasing us a bit.

Great points Wilmer and company! I'm just throwing in my $.02 worth!

Peace.

Nick Drozdoff

scream machine · 06-09-2006, 12:50 PM

At first I was like WTF? Then came that horrible noize I think was a trumpet. What is he playing on? 6A4A? That clip sicking's me.

dkelley · 06-09-2006, 02:38 PM

I agree with Nick that the screamer in the Mahler clip is just having some fun. A little (un)music joke. I thought it was funny.

I also have never been all that excited by music that relies on the visceral response from blazing high notes. Pretty soon the feeling of high energy wears off and I'm left wonder what else is to it.

My personal goal is to be able to play double Cs so I will be able to play anything I want with no fear of the range. I'd then be able to play all those sweet baroque trumpet concertos with subtly, grace, and spontaneity.

A guy's got to have dreams!!

Manny Laureano · 06-09-2006, 02:58 PM

I heard that about two years ago and I have to admit (blushing) that I laughed my butt off. The timing of the first entrance of the screamer was well done and that's what set me to laughing so hard.

ML

wiseone2 · 06-09-2006, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkelley

I agree with Nick that the screamer in the Mahler clip is just having some fun. A little (un)music joke. I thought it was funny.

I also have never been all that excited by music that relies on the visceral response from blazing high notes. Pretty soon the feeling of high energy wears off and I'm left wonder what else is to it.

My personal goal is to be able to play double Cs so I will be able to play anything I want with no fear of the range. I'd then be able to play all those sweet baroque trumpet concertos with subtly, grace, and spontaneity.

A guy's got to have dreams!!

Making rude noises like those on the clip have nothing to do with baroque trumpet playing. Sledge hammer attacks don't work on the higher pitched trumpets.
If I played like that I would be frightened out of my wits to stand up and play Telemann, I might deafen the first row

If you want spectacular high note playing, get the lost Diz and Bird Carnagie Hall concert recording. Diz made music up there, not just high notes.
Wilmer

trumpjosh · 06-09-2006, 04:12 PM

I am quite sure the whole thing was intended as a joke. When I first heard it a year or so ago, I thought it was pretty amusing, if a bit long.

trumpettrax · 06-09-2006, 04:34 PM

To me it sounds like the "screamer" had a mic huh? When you can play that lound do you really need a mic?

And yea! It sounded really really bad to me!

Wilmer, you said you didn't know what the big fixation on playing high is with trumpeters. From the time I started playing the trumpet I wanted to play high (can't, but wanted to). That was from the moment I picked it up! Now, I've never worked on range. My teacher says it will come, but we (his philosophy) just don't work on it! Alot of trumpeters make you feel inadequate if you can't play high. It's always been there as far as I know and think it will always be there huh?

06-09-2006, 10:35 AM	#1
wiseone2 Artitst in Residence Fortissimo User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 2,860	High Notes Screaming, screeching, whistling, squealing are some of the terms associated with playing in the upper register of the trumpet. After hearing this clip I thought it time to talk about this facet of trumpet playing Here's the excerpt. http://www.darylburch.com/musicpain/mahler.mp3 This is sacrilegious! This is possibly the most tasteless piece of trumpet playing I have ever heard. It's like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa. I have never understood the fixation of trumpet players on high notes. Taste, musicianship are rarely mentioned among trumpet jocks. Higher and louder are the words that stir these trumpet players interest. Jeff Purtle has sound files of great high-note players of the past at this site. http://www.purtle.com/jeff_sound.html George Swift is outstanding! The trumpet is a instrument of music, not a WMD Wilmer __________________ Be sure Brain is engaged before putting Mouthpiece in gear. S.Suark 1951

06-09-2006, 10:56 AM	#2
Eclipsehornplayer Forte User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Flat Rock, Michigan Posts: 2,395	Ohhhhh Wimer, I had to stop listening to it... I'm no pro but my amateur ear tells me that piece seemed out of context... Here you have a somber vocal going on with majestic music and then you introduce a SCUD missle.... Yuck! I think that style has it's place; but I don't know that its where it was being played. __________________ Eclipse MHY Bb Trumpet with interchangable leadpipes Bach 229 25A C Trumpet Getzen Capri Bb Cornet GR & Monette mouthpieces

06-09-2006, 11:12 AM	#3
pwillini Pianissimo User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 135	I can't , for the life of me, hear anything musical in that first clip. Wilmer, you hit the nail on the head, WMD! I'm reading more about Jakob's "song", trying each day to get the song from my head and out the bell. I love his two trumpet philosophy, one in your head and one in your hand! The hardest thing I'm finding is to get the one out of my head out of my bell! Peyton __________________ Music's only purpose should be the glory of God and the recreation of the human spirit - J. S. Bach 2004 ZeuS Olympus ARLX 1976 Bach 37 Strad 1990 Blessing ML1-G Artist Edition 1917 Conn Victor New Wonder Cornet

06-09-2006, 12:13 PM	#4
NickD Forte User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago northern suburbs Posts: 1,047	Ummmmmmmmmmmm.... Things to make you go, 'hmmmm..." Wilmer, I actually have heard this clip before. It was over a year ago. I forgot about it. Mahler is one of my favorites. This treatment did seem, um, interpreted to an extreme, shall we say. I will NEVER slam anyone's performance. I can only wonder with considerable trepidation what folks think of MY playing! Nevertheless, this SEEMED like musical humor ala the Tastee Bros. I have to believe that. The dude was messing with us. As to high notes, after my one day at the ITG, I must say that there are PLENTY of folks out there that can hit 'me and I mean hit 'em HARD! I was tickled at how LITTLE of the egregious stuff went down. As an aside, this was a wonderful thing to find out. I have always been afraid that the ITG wold be an outrageous show-off-festival. Instead it was a warm collegial event! I will most certainly go back! But I digress... The point of this paragraph is that high notes are just notes. You don't see piano players whacking away at the far right end in an attempt to try to impress folks. These notes should just be used like any other word in the vocabularly. Given how many folks can do it now, it seems a bit pointless to try to set oneself apart by over indulging in them. Just my humble opinion... As to this gentelman, I really wouldn't want to be too hard on him. He sure has strong chops and has no doubt worked very hard to achieve this and wants to share his success with the world. Perhaps he'd be better served doing a rendition fo the Shorty Rogers tune, "Here's Maynard Ferguson" instead. Also, I still think he's justr teasing us a bit. Great points Wilmer and company! I'm just throwing in my $.02 worth! Peace. Nick Drozdoff __________________ NickD "Live Webcam Lessons Now Available with NickD" http://www.nickdrozdoff.com http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com http://www.myspace.com/nickdrozdoff

06-09-2006, 12:50 PM	#5
scream machine Pianissimo User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Woodland, AL Posts: 135	At first I was like WTF? Then came that horrible noize I think was a trumpet. What is he playing on? 6A4A? That clip sicking's me. __________________ "I'm not a fighting man, but I really wasted that cat."- Maynard ferguson

06-09-2006, 02:38 PM	#6
dkelley New Friend Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 45	I agree with Nick that the screamer in the Mahler clip is just having some fun. A little (un)music joke. I thought it was funny. I also have never been all that excited by music that relies on the visceral response from blazing high notes. Pretty soon the feeling of high energy wears off and I'm left wonder what else is to it. My personal goal is to be able to play double Cs so I will be able to play anything I want with no fear of the range. I'd then be able to play all those sweet baroque trumpet concertos with subtly, grace, and spontaneity. A guy's got to have dreams!! __________________ -David Kelley

06-09-2006, 02:58 PM	#7
Manny Laureano Utimate User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: USA Posts: 5,989	I heard that about two years ago and I have to admit (blushing) that I laughed my butt off. The timing of the first entrance of the screamer was well done and that's what set me to laughing so hard. ML

06-09-2006, 04:12 PM	#9
trumpjosh Pianissimo User Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 117	I am quite sure the whole thing was intended as a joke. When I first heard it a year or so ago, I thought it was pretty amusing, if a bit long.

06-09-2006, 04:34 PM	#10
trumpettrax Pianissimo User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 170	To me it sounds like the "screamer" had a mic huh? When you can play that lound do you really need a mic? And yea! It sounded really really bad to me! Wilmer, you said you didn't know what the big fixation on playing high is with trumpeters. From the time I started playing the trumpet I wanted to play high (can't, but wanted to). That was from the moment I picked it up! Now, I've never worked on range. My teacher says it will come, but we (his philosophy) just don't work on it! Alot of trumpeters make you feel inadequate if you can't play high. It's always been there as far as I know and think it will always be there huh?

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