I've struggled with playing above the staff for 15 years. I tried this with no warmup and instantly played the best high C to double high C of my life, effortlessly. James is my hero!
@@johnpiettro4644 its all about vibration. move your mouthpiece to a different position, try further up or further down, roll lips in or out, just try. it takes time and time again but eventually you might get there, its all about vibration. 1860 vibrations for a doubble high C good luck
@@johnpiettro4644 it will be harder and easier for some, but I believe anybody can have a pretty good upper register. Practice a lot, experiment, make sure to keep bad habits out of your playing such as too much pressure, and you’ll figure it out. Dedication is the key to success.
I've thought those same thoughts. Life can really sometimes get in the way. Can you do it with a practice mute? Do you have a car where you can drive to a parking lot? If you think outside the box, there are ways to find time to practice. :)
Andy Cormier LOL, I almost got a ticket for the parking lot playing, some residents didn't appreciate any noise past 7pm....but the practice mute or Harmon is great
You sir are a fantastic teacher. I love how you smile and keep an encouraging tone thoroughout. I teach at a University and this is something I want to emulate in my teaching. Thanks for the trumpet techniques also
Great tutorial James! Nobody has ever explained it so simply and clearly. Trumpet teachers all over the world should demand their students view this video. Thanks so much!
Pure gold. Pure physics! At ITG Sydney 2010, I saw Andrea Tofanelli playing high notes and I saw James Morrison playing even higher, on a bass trumpet. (When I went overseas in ?1985, some schoolkid took over my trumpet chair in a northern Sydney jazz band - he was much better than me. Guess who. Yes, it was James M.)
Brass instruments are pretty universal when physics is concerned. I can play just as high on Tuba as I do on piccolo trumpet. It's all about Aperture Control. Faster Air Speed + Increased Air Pressure + Smaller Vibration Surface (lip length) = Higher Note
@@MrJasonharrelson simply false, the physics here is complete nonsense. The aperture state controls pitch, the air speed does not. Air pressure varies with loudness on a constant pitch, so therefore it does not control pitch. Ad lip "length" is rim to rim, unless you want a weak and puny sound.
One of the best series of trumpet tutorials on the Internet. There are dozens of “experts” that offer all kinds of instruction but Mr. Morrison explains it very well, with no arrogance, and achieves instant credibility. Thank you Mr. Morrison!
The way he explained this just opened a whole new world. Ive heared almost everything he said before, but the way he put it together made me understand all of it! Thank you!
Just getting back to playing trumpet after several decades. Played for 10 years when I was young, but haven't played since. Your teaching videos are immensely helpful!
There were so many teachers, there were so many theories about high notes. But perhaps James Morrison's theory is the most credible. Because he really mastered all the brass instruments. If he does, it is so.
Nice! You and Prof. Faddis have the same approach but coming from different angles. Mark Zauss also does this. And, all three of you have 4+ octaves! Great stuff!
I have been playing trumpet for over 5 years and I am a lead trumpet, high notes are my absolute passion however I tend not to have good tone when I get to atmospheric notes, he has literally solved my problem within the first 3 minutes of the video! He also explains the logic behind it all, he doesn't just say this is what you should do and how you should do it. This video is crucial to any long term trumpet player, very informational! He did a very good job
spent many weeks looking for videos that would show me didderent ways to practise, but this one is the only one that explaims fully what and why i need to be doing certain things
Thanks Aussie, from a Kiwi across the Deetch / Dutch. The next time I take my horn outta its case, will literally be the second time. So discovering you so early in my brass section career is serendipity to the max. I’ve found the ideal teacher at the ideal juncture. I commit myself to aiming to be the ideal student
I have heard the same ideas before, but not explained the same way. It makes so much sense and I find myself playing solid high Fs and some double Gs without too much pressure. With my normal embouchure, I'm struggling (and using pressure) to hit a high E. Now my only concern is being able to take this out of a controlled environment into a "real" playing situation. Thank you James Morrison!
I am absolutely astounded right now. I have been watching a lot of tutorials talking about air and I am glad I have grasped this concept. To hear you give TONS of examples of this concept helped me even more! Thank you James Morrison!
I've heard so many different overall things relating certain excersizes to increased range and endurance, and while I do believe those excersizes are useful in building the muscles and muscle memory, this video has shown the actual aspects and basic variables of playing higher/lower versus louder/softer. James Morrison is a phenomenal teacher for this stuff. My only question is about his last comment. That "[anyone] can be one of those screaming trumpets on top of a big band". Does he mean that?
Mr Morrison, thank you for this video, it has opened up a whole new portal for me, I finally get it. I’ve been playing all my life and have damaged my lips what I thought was beyond repair with pressure, being forced into playing as high as I could which was just a high C up to an E and never consistently, just saw this video and revelation just hit, again thank you so much, on to practice CORRECTLY
I played trumpet for over 12 years and never knew this before! I even had several great trumpet instructors, but increasing range never worked for me. My range plateaued senior year of high school and never got better, regardless of how much practice I did. I always knew there was something fundamentally wrong with my techniques/principles but no one could tell me what it was until now. Too bad it's after midnight where I'm at otherwise I'd try this out right now lol. Can't wait to start practicing again
I'm a retired professional clarinettist and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. The same principle applies whereby you do next to nothing with your embouchure to gain range but rather push air faster through the mouthpiece/reed, even at a piano dynamic, and the high notes come. I can always tell when a student is biting; equivalent to your left arm analogy, as the sound gets shrill and thin. Thanks, James. Cheers!!
I would be interested to know how you play louder. If you are “pushing the air faster” and doing “next to nothing” with your embouchure” to play higher. What do you differently to play louder?
I'm a beginner. TOTAL Beginner (but I play piano alright). I bought my first trumpet yesterday and I can play a G above middle C straight away (still wavering a bit making a bad tone but I can hear its a G i'm playing), I could not play middle C at all and I tried to open my lips more to get a lower note and kept on just getting air through the horn and got demoralized very quickly. After watching this, I understand exactly why I can't get that C. I have been blowing fast air instead of the slower air. This has helped me immensely. I would actually like to buy this DVD.
As a horn player I came here to understand how to work my embouchure. I laid off the last few months since all the gigs dried up and wanted to get back into it. Thanks for the sage advice.
This is a fantastic explanation of a concept that eludes most players under the professional level. I struggle with range more than any other factor, and this type of approach is exactly what I need to unlock the next level (I think). Big shout out to J.M. for making these videos available to the public!!
It's interesting how I've seen this video a few times but this is the first time it clicked and all just made perfect sense. When the student is ready... !!
James Morrison knows where he is going with his wind with the touch of each valve slow are fast.⁷ His high notes are crisp and clear. From Karl Douroux
I am related to the person that played the trumpet and trombone in each hand. Manuel Manetta from New Orleans when I was 6 years old. I am soon to be 68 years old and still working at my age, not in music though. I would like to see James Morrison perform at the Hollyood Bowl when COVID-19 is gone.
Absolutely outstanding video. That was well worth the 13-14 minutes. I'm a cornet play and am able to play a top C but not comfortably neither is a top A comfortable and I've been playing many many years but this knowledge I have no doubt will help me get more comfortable. Thank you so much.
James, I watched what you did at the 8 min. mark and said to myself if I do that, I'll just end up removing the horn from my lip, so I didn't try it. However, I did try my best to relax and slightly move my lips away from the mouthpiece, when I did, I could effortlessly play high F after High F. For years I could only squeeze out a D above high C, but the F was clear and supported by air flow I am still in shock and wondered if yesterday was a dream, I can't wait to get out of work and try again today. A whole new dimension opened to me!! I've experienced this before on the Piccolo trumpet; I had to back off to 60% of my air flow and not press with the horn to hit the high notes due to the piccolo's built in resistance (it seemed so backwards). But I have a Schilke X3 large bore, so I figured if I backed off on air like the piccolo nothing would come out; I guess I just didn't need as much air when my posture and embouchure were relaxed?? One question: Why does a High F on a B-flat piccolo sound higher than the same note on a B-flat trumpet, aren't they the same note?? Thanks for revolutionizing my playing in one session, I'll let you know in 6 months were it has taken me!! 🎺🎺🎺
James Morrison. Great trumpeter and multi instrumentalist. I saw him a few times live in Melbourne. Range and endurance have always been an issue with me and I blamed my soft lips and broad protruding front incisors. During the formative years my teacher(s) never seriously looked at my problem with low endurance and inability to play high. Being musically talented kept me interested but I went thru long periods of trumpet neglect.. Ive been watching a few videos on the subject and I will try to see if I can reassess my embouchure situation. Thanks for posting these informative videos from one of the best musicians in the world.
This video has helped me so much since i have braces and for anyone who has played the trumpet with braces knows how painful and hard it is on your lips. I'm so glad i found this video and thank you so much for the good advice.
you're probably the best teacher in the world ( I've had a few here in Brazil!). I was about to give up. it's not just what you say but how you say it. thank you, thank you!
I did a thesis on how a cornet (therefore trumpet) works from a physics point of view. James is right, though he didn’t go a little further to explain the resonant cavity that exists inside your mouth. For low notes, the tongue lowers and throat open up to resonate through the lips at a lower frequency. Higher, the throat closes and the tongue rises to create a smaller resonant cavity. The tongue rising also squeezes the airflow through a narrower opening speeding it up, to vibrate the lips faster as James explained. Trumpet mouthpiece design plays its part, because the cup depth creates another resonant cavity. Hence why 'screamer' mouthpieces are so shallow, creating a smaller high frequency cavity. If you try screaming on a bucket mouthpiece, then you’ll be fighting against the larger cavity here, that wants to resonate more slowly. Try moving your tongue up next time you play, to see what happens. Happy trumpeting
Awesome information! I am a trombone player, and this is critical for us too! and I've been trying to teach this for many years! Your presentation is much easier to understand and will try to use Your method of teaching it. Air is almost ALWAYS the answer to problems with range, tone and endurance. Trombone has the advantage of a 3 foot tuning slide and we don't have to use our chops as much to adjust for the out of tune overtones, so our endurance is not as dependant on facial muscle strength, but the concepts of controlling air are the same!! thank You. Love hearing You play! Loved Your "Snappy Too" video, wish there were more videos like this!
As a sax player this is actually quite eye opening. Playing overtones on saxophone you're supposed to avoid squeezing the reed. This way of looking at trumpet seems to explain it: you want the depth of sound from the reed freely vibrating, so instead of using your embouchure you increase your air speed!
Compressing the air in your lungs just before tonguing the high note, by consciously pushing the diaphragm mosso upwards. Imagine blowing a very spaghetti thin airstream through the mouth cavity whilst continuing the upward compressing of the diaphragm. And simultaneously following James' embouchure advice, practicing the diaphragm-embouchure coordination will give reliable high range.
I play tuba and I've always struggled with higher notes, never low notes. After watching this, I'll definitely be trying this stuff out next time I practice.
Perfect analogy to prove what I'm saying in my previous comment. Blow up a balloon full of air. Hold the rubber at the opening of the balloon with the thumb and forefinger of each hand, and imagine that they are the lips when playing the trumpet. Let the air out of the balloon using faster air. To do so, the "lips" must be opened wider. As you let the air out quickly you'll notice the lips of the balloon are vibrating relatively slowly and are not making a high-pitched sound. But stretch the lips of the balloon tighter and you'll get the high-pitched sound and you'll notice that the air flows out a lot more slowly the higher you go. It's compression that's making the lips vibrate faster. The only difference between the balloon analogy and trumpet playing is that when playing the trumpet, you don't stretch your lips back to achieve the compression. You pucker, or bunch the lips together, thus making the aperture smaller and creating the higher compression. Stretching the lips on the trumpet will work, to a point, but it will harm the lips. The piece of paper out the car window is a bad analogy because there is no aperture and you're only talking about one piece of paper versus two lips closing in on each other not only from top to bottom, but also from the sides in, just like the aperture of a camera lense, or the balloon that I was talking about. See that Jim, even a great player like you can learn something new. Cheers!
