tobytrumpet

Hello Tony,
I'm a London based player looking for advice on extending range without losing tone quality in the lower registers. After years of asking 'lead'players for tips I have constantly come across 2 schools of thought. The tongue controlled method of creating air speed and the open aperture, small mouthpiece, wedge breath method. Can you recomend an approach to practicing that allows one to work out which method is the best to go for?
As a mainly orchestral player that finds himself doing more and more show work, I want to be able to 'nail' the upper range of the instrument with that broadway sizzle. What do you think the best type of exercises for this? Long tones, flexibilities, scales?
Thanks for your time
T

kadleck

Toby -

If you figure out how to extend range without losing tone quality in the low register let ME know how!

Seriously, I really think that any time you concentrate on one specific area of playing, other areas may suffer. It's really tough (for me anyway) to do "it all". However, playing lip slurs & scales (mezzo piano) have helped me improve range. I just have to remember to play some soft long tones in the low register to stay loose. Equipment can help but is not the ultimate answer.

I know very little about using the tongue to control air speed or about wedge breathing, so I can't comment on those. I will say that most legit players that play broadway end up using a smaller mouthpiece for shows.

Thanks -
Tony

tobytrumpet

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your reply. I will get the Charles Colin books out again! After years of trying to find a smaller mouthpiece that 'works' for me and finding that my fat lips keep filling the cup, what exercises do you recommend to adapting to a smaller mouthpiece?
When I do lip slurs and flexibilities studies, I get to an E or an F above high C and there us just no more progression upwards without resulting in the use of pressure. If I practice like this, not only am I screwed for my show in the evening but the next day too. ! Any suggestions on how to improve without damaging the face!


Thanks for your time again
T

kadleck

Toby -

I highly recommend "Advanced Lip Flexibilities" by Chas. Colin. These exercises have a way of taking you in and out of the upper register without leaving you hanging up there. I would also stress: play these at a semi-soft volume at first. You just want to train the muscles to "find" where these notes "live" without bashing your face. At a later time you can put more air behind them and add the volume.

Thanks -
Tony

tobytrumpet

Hi Tony,
Thanks so much for your advice. Will you be recording Gypsy cast album? Would love to hear your overture rendition! I'm blowing the dust of my advanced lip flex chas colin as I type.....not easy.
Toby

kadleck

Toby -

No word on the recording yet. We open tomorrow. They are probably going to wait until the reviews come out before deciding if they want to sink $ into a cast album.

TK

MJ

Good luck with the show guys. Hope it's a success!

tobytrumpet

Hi Tony, Let's hope the reviews are good then! All the best with your opening night. One more question.........(sorry)... In my never ending quest to try and find ways to extend my range, if I put my lips together as if about to lip buzz a high C and then with trumpet play a gentle mp G on top of the stave, if I concentrate on not increasing pressure I can quite easily 'squeal' chromatically up to a double high C and beyond! It's a completely useless. pathetically small quiet and unusable noise but I'm starting to think that this may be my 'way in' to the upper register. It's a much tighter embouchure than my normal one and my middle range is stiff and stuffy afterwards. It takes rest and gentle persuasion to get it working again. My question ( it's coming I promise) is this, do you think I should continue with this or am I screwing myself up? How do I get it controllable and louder ? and finally, how do I 'link up' the rest of my range? Does any of this sound familiar to you?
Your time and help is appreciated
Toby

dlewis

It maybe be a baby but it will grow

MJ