trumpet01

Why is it that I can bend a note down a lot farther than I can bend it up ? Just wondreing. Jim <><

Stile442

Somebody will probably be able to explain it better but here goes....... As you go up in the trumpets range the harmonics (notes) become closer and closer together. Because of that there is less open space to bend a note up than there is when bending a note down. Hopefully that was not too confusing.

trumpet01

I understand that the notes are closer in the upper register. What about a "G" on the staff ? I can bend that sucker down in the basement before it breaks,but bend it up and I cannot bend it even close to that when bending down. Is it just me ? Or is this the norm ?
Thanks, Jim <><

brem

I understand what you mean. I can lip slur an octave up no problem, but an octave down, I gotta work for that.

rowuk

Bending up and down is a function of the control you have over your chops to overcome the slotting of the trumpet.

You have a couple of mechanisms to let the pitch sag: tongue position in the mouth, less breath support (not good) and relaxing your face muscles. To get the pitch to go up, all you have is the ability to increase tension and that requires MUCH more control. Technically each trumpet slot is symmetrical and tones could be bent equally up and down. The higher note has less slot resistance though (see below) and therefore our embouchure takes the easy way out!

Slurring is another story all together. A horn the length of a trumpet amplifies most starting at lower frequencies. That means the trumpet is trying to take ever more control the lower that you play with the biggest "fight" with the pedal tones. The higher that we play, the closer the pitch is, but also the closer the resistance (slot) of the neighboring notes are too. That makes FAST slurring and lip trills possible.
Big intervals= big change in slot resistance
small intervals= little change in resistance
The better a horn slots, the harder it is to bend notes.

brem

rowuk: but why can i slur a low C to middle C easily but middle C to low C less so?

Sorry to hijack the thread :P

rowuk

Brem,
lower notes have more "resistance" from the horn as they are more resonant. This is a function of basic horn theory. It takes more work to get the vibration set up, but once it is set up, the horn does more of the work. When you lip up, you are going to a note with less resistance that means less work (but also less amplification). The differences are not so great that you can conciously "measure" them but your lips respond appropriately.

There may be some that say their horns get harder to play up high. That usually has more to do with their body use, tongue and embouchure than the physics aspect of the horn/mouthpiece. When we stop "leaning" on the upper register, it generally gets much, much easier.

These explanations are very simplified. There is an awful lot going on when playing a trumpet!

ecarroll

TMers,

A short anecdote and then I'll return to watching this thread with interest (and thank you, Robin)...

I once had a fabulous Scottish trumpet student at the Rotterdam Conservatory named Elaine Robertson. She later went on to a career in the BBC Symphony Orchestra. I brought my Stamp book to our first lesson and suggested that we do a few bends. "Like this?" she replied and proceeded to bend chromatically for 2 octaves starting at the g on the top of the staff to the low g and back.

We moved quickly to other things.

Oft-humbled by my students,
EC

Vulgano Brother

Fun to do is the "xylophone" style rips up and down the overtone series--most players can rip up easily, but going down cleanly can be a challange--"slowing down when going down" seems to help. Sergey Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet has a nasty lick involving some quick slurs from high c down to e. Scary.

rowuk

Ed, it was the haggis ( Haggis - you really need to learn how to get your tongue out of the way when ingesting that stuff) or a tongue completely immobilized by single malt scotch! My slurs become pretty chromatic thereafter....................