In the brass band scene I hear conductors saying "use more air" when someone is struggling to play a high passage. I can expel all the air from my lungs and still play above top C. Not loudly, but the notes are there. I think a major factor is having an instrument that's in tune in the upper register so the notes are where you expect them to be.
This would have been most useful to me thirty years ago. I was learning to play the trumpet, struggling to reach notes above the F. One night, I used a lot of strength to reach what I believe was a high C. But something at the corner of my upper lip gave in and I have not been able to play the trumpet ever since. Now I play saxophone but still feel some pain there sometimes.
The high school trumpet players at our local jazzfest were surprised us alumni trumpets can play so effortlessly. I enjoy knowing how to control my aperture and not killing my chops after a set.
My 1st band teacher was a trumpet player. When I was handed the trumpet for the 1st time I accidentally played a g above the staff when trying to learn to even make a sound. That point I think we both knew trumpet was my instrument. He said well I'm glad you can play that note but let's try to bring it down an octave.
Great advice and guidance! Thank you Jason. Worked at first few tries as you demonstrated. You just give me good hope and motivation doping , as me being at 1 year, 5 months and 26 days of my trumpet journey - 18.5 y. left according to Miles :)
Nunca nunca había escuchado hablar sobre esto, esta explicación tiene sentido, todos hablan de menos y velocidad del aire pero No explican bien como este Maestro. Creo que por fin entendí después de 30 años tratando de Comprender cómo alcanzar el registro agudo en la trompeta 🎺. Gracias por regalarnos esta explicación. Dios le bendiga 🙏🏻
I'm actually a horn player, but since I can get around four octaves on my instrument, I have found that learning to play low notes actually helps me to play higher notes. The downside of this (in my experience) is that my low-middle range (concert G2 +/-) is absolute garbage. Of course, one thing about our two instruments is that we use quite different embouchures, and while my mouthpiece resembles a V-shape, a trumpet mouthpiece resembles a U-shape. I find it extremely difficult to play high trumpet notes, while they seem to come out much better on my horn. My point is that I am certainly more serviceable on lower notes on a trumpet than higher, and overall, I am much more serviceable on horn than trumpet! Enjoy the journey, everyone! And thank you, Mr. Harrelson, for giving me ideas on how to better use my aperture!
I you want to play both trumpet and horn just make sure you aren't playing horn with an ansetzen setting where the lower rim sits on the lower lip. That's an ok setting for lower horn but it won't work on trumpet and it's not ideal for high horn because it's cutting down available lip manipulation with the lower lip . If you can get a balanced upper and lower lip setting then there should be no difference between horn and trumpet. I played horn for 20 years, started trumpet 3 years ago, can now play up to a top G on trumpet on a good day. It should actually be much easier to hit those high notes on trumpet than horn. Something I've noticed is you can roll in much more on trumpet than horn without sacrifice of tone. Horn is trickier because you need to keep that round tone.
Like the fact that you do discuss the aperture control factor. This does help me w practice...along w tongue arch and compression. This was good. Thank you.
Very curious, i'll try this blow out, minimal air technique later tonight, to test. I definitely agree on aperture control; I notice it during the times i'm focusing or thinking about the aperture changes for specific notes - mind muscle connection.
What do you think of the role of aeolian or aeolic tones when starting a sound on the trumpet? Sometimes I play around by just blowing air through a small aperture and when everything is synchronized correctly I hear some soft squeaks before the actual sound comes. Everything feels really easy and sounds resonant that way.
I like the idea of equal amounts top and bottom lips a bit like a golf swing equal power using both arms and legs together makes a more dynamic play! If that makes any sense🏌️🎺
I can see after I finish paying for my trumpet getting a subscription to Trumpet Momentum is a must. Just this quick video has a wealth of information covered in it's contents.
I'm in silicon valley where internet is utter dogshit unless you can pay $1000 a month for a T1 line. A transcript would be REALLY useful for those of us who can't afford 1st-world internet access.
I wonder how many of these extremely high note trumpet players have a reduced life span. You know. Dead at 60. You'd have to make very sure that you approached the technique correctly. Or alternatively, just be satisfied with the normal high range of the Bb instrument (Bb/C or maybe C#/D) just above the stave. Want to go higher ? Get a D/Eb Sopranino Trumpet. Want to go higher still ? Get an A/Bb Piccolo Trumpet.
This is bad advice. Smaller trumpets do not make high notes easier. The lip needs to vibrate at the correct frequency to play a high note. Smaller instruments don't double the frequency or make it easier. The instrument just amplifies what your lips are doing.
Truth! I can play double high C on tuba and piccolo trumpet with generally the same technique, which involves vibrating my lips at the necessary frequency.
This BS obsession for PLAYING FAST and HIGH stratosphere notes , is NOT the end all in Music. If you play the horn as a tool for your inner creative force as a means to express yourself, and not just mimic memorized sheet music , the music will grow organically from your soul and if there is a need to play HIGH it will come. But to force talents that you may NEVER achieve (like learning to walk a high wire , because its cool or drive like an action star down the main street) is just a waste of your time in your very short life on earth. Tone , passion , feeling. The blues has no bearing on someones life who never lived them, its just a template for those who have no idea how or what to create. Once you realize NOTHING is NEW in music , other than synth sound effects, and recording auto tuned "programmed" software loops. Nusic truly has never have gone past the paradigm of parameters established by JS BACH. It is all there in his compositions. Everything. IMHO the single greatest piece of music ever, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LZ48G9UziRs.html Here is a SLOWED down version to illustrate that at any tempo the notes retain their power. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B2ieiUvAnDA.html BACH was a mystic. The magician's musician.
