Failure to achieve a reliable upper register creates doubt and fear in the player. So rather than risk missing notes, trumpet players experiencing high note difficulty skirt the issue by avoiding high notes.
Confidence as a trumpet player comes from competence as a trumpet player. There is no mystery in developing upper register ability. And one of the best ways happens to be one of the oldest ways: chromatically. Developing in this manner allows the player to take a "stairstep" approach by adding range one-half step at a time.
Some instructors advise the player to curl the lower lip over the top of the bottom teeth. And while it is true high notes can be more easily hit by some players using this method, it is also true notes can be more difficult to control.
Sustaining a single note is one thing. But when the player faces playing a series of high notes spread throughout the octave, control of each note (as well as pitch of each note) can be an issue.
The most reliable way to develop a dependable upper register is to advance range through tongue arch while the lips are directed towards the mouthpiece. This prevents the player from attempting to rely on lip tension alone.
The typical thought process of "Tee" and "Eee" serve high notes the same benefit they serve when ascending mid-range notes. The most notable difference is airstream speed. High notes require a fast moving airstream. So does the arching tongue in order for the airstream to overcome the tongue's resistance and encourage the lips to vibrate faster.
Vibrations have to be doubled to raise each note one octave. For instance, play middle C. Double the vibrations and high C is the result. Double the vibrations again and double high C is sounded. And so on.
Range development takes time. And the player has to be willing to give it time. Most mistakes in attempting to develop a strong upper register comes from player impatience. These are the players who attempt high notes at random. Their attitude is any high note will do. And equally sour can be the manner used to produce the note.
Random pitch placement leaves much to be desired. Rarely is the player certain of the pitch produced. Was it E? G? Who knows? It is high. That is all that counts. The player is better served to play the note one octave lower to establish pitch before attempting to sound the note one octave higher.
Random pitch placement has other drawbacks. One of them is possibly feeding the mouthpiece too much lip. Another drawback is using excessive lip tension or too much mouthpiece pressure. All these needless mistakes take away embouchure balance.
No note, regardless how high, requires strain to produce it. Remember, it is simply a case of doubling lip vibrations. And to double lip vibrations, the airstream speed must be increased as the tongue arches and the lips are drawn towards the mouthpiece. This is what establishes grip (feel for the mouthpiece).
Half-steps are easier to take than are whole steps. And each half-step allows a more natural embouchure adjustment.
Equally important to range development is sufficient rest. Continually trying to hit high notes taxes the embouchure by stiffening facial muscles and numbing (or swelling) lip tissue. This causes the player to lose feel for the mouthpiece.
The ability to perform in the upper register requires proper embouchure development and commonsense. And commonsense is in short supply for players who choose not to adhere to consistent practice procedures.
Another source for range development is making use of the seven valve positions in the form of lip slurs and lip trills. But rather than think in terms of building range through use of the seven valve positions, I think in terms of adding lip flexibility since it is lip flexibility which makes for effortless trumpet playing.
Closing and opening valves does not guarantee pitch. Pitch is controlled by the tongue. Valves simply jet air through additional tubing making the pitch easier to establish as long as there is a sufficient supply of air, proper tongue arch and necessary tension in the embouchure to support the note being produced.
Relaxation is important to range building since it contributes to fullness of sound. In addition, the player should strive to develop playing with a relaxed firmness in the embouchure.
Building range takes time, concerted effort and a sensible practice schedule. Attempting to develop range too fast results in unnecessary setbacks and adds a blow to player confidence.
Imposing a timeline on range acquisition is artificial at best. Since doing so requires the assumption all players advance at the same rate which implies all players are the same. Not so. Building range takes as long as it takes. Be patient.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Trumpet: Achieving Consistency
Consistency results from a well-developed embouchure, focus and forming the habit of practicing accurately. Yet it remains a never-ending battle for some trumpet players. For them, consistency comes and goes. Even the same exercise can be difficult to play the same way twice.
Consistency is a "have to" thing. Otherwise progress is all but impossible to measure. And players suffering a consistency problem can feel as though they are taking one step forward and two steps backward.
One of the root causes for inconsistency occurs when the player fails to establish sound fundamentals. But inconsistency is only one of many problems to surface when the player fails to establish sound fundamentals.
Each exercise in a routine serves a specific purpose. And the purpose is met only when the player is able to play the exercise accurately and with ease. It is what makes measuring progress possible. Consequently there is no room for inconsistency. So what the player performs satisfactorily on Monday, must be rendered a like performance of the same material for the rest of the week. And only when then the exercise becomes second nature is the player ready to move on to more complex material.
Another cause for consistency problems is impatience. This occurs when the player is in a rush to develop ability. But what the player fails to realize, skill development takes time. And as to how much time depends on the individual player. Some players develop at a rate faster than other players. But if the slower developing player remains patient, they eventually achieve the same goal as the faster developing player.
Lack of focus (concentration) is another enemy of consistency. Music is more than sound. Music is math. Precise math. Each note has a specific contribution to the measure in which it appears. And each measure has a specific contribution to the piece in which it appears.
Over-practice is another problem for consistency. Players who are convinced they can get an exercise right by making countless repetitions of the exercise in a single setting find they are tired and short in physical stamina. And to continue playing when when the player is in this state results in stiff facial muscles, thick tonguing and lips that are less than cooperative. In fact, the player starts losing feel (grip) for the mouthpiece and adds pressure trying to recover it. Once this happens, embouchure balance is lost and performance goes from bad to worse. It is not possible for the player to play their way out of over-practice. And in extreme cases, permanent damage can be dealt the embouchure.
Chronic experimentation causes consistency problems. This comes when the player constantly searches for an easier way to do something such as increase range or by emulating the physical style of another player. It profits the player more to develop their own "voice".
Consistency is something a player must remain on "top of". It is not one of those things that once the player acquires is it guaranteed to remain with them for life. Consistency takes constant effort. Constant vigilance. Ever mindful of the systems on the page on the music stand and the manner in which the embouchure functions in order to meet the systems' demands.
Remember, sound coming out a trumpet is not self-produced. The player puts it there via lip vibrations. And for lip vibrations to remain consistent, the player has to remain consistent in the manner in which the vibrations are produced. This includes no shifting of the mouthpiece on the lips when changing registers or when performing in the upper register. Simply because a certain "tactic" makes high notes easier to reach does not make the tactic correct if it interferes with other playing elements.
Consistency comes with consistent application. All elements of trumpet playing must be developed and coordinated to work together as a unit.
Consistency is a "have to" thing. Otherwise progress is all but impossible to measure. And players suffering a consistency problem can feel as though they are taking one step forward and two steps backward.
One of the root causes for inconsistency occurs when the player fails to establish sound fundamentals. But inconsistency is only one of many problems to surface when the player fails to establish sound fundamentals.
Each exercise in a routine serves a specific purpose. And the purpose is met only when the player is able to play the exercise accurately and with ease. It is what makes measuring progress possible. Consequently there is no room for inconsistency. So what the player performs satisfactorily on Monday, must be rendered a like performance of the same material for the rest of the week. And only when then the exercise becomes second nature is the player ready to move on to more complex material.
Another cause for consistency problems is impatience. This occurs when the player is in a rush to develop ability. But what the player fails to realize, skill development takes time. And as to how much time depends on the individual player. Some players develop at a rate faster than other players. But if the slower developing player remains patient, they eventually achieve the same goal as the faster developing player.
Lack of focus (concentration) is another enemy of consistency. Music is more than sound. Music is math. Precise math. Each note has a specific contribution to the measure in which it appears. And each measure has a specific contribution to the piece in which it appears.
Over-practice is another problem for consistency. Players who are convinced they can get an exercise right by making countless repetitions of the exercise in a single setting find they are tired and short in physical stamina. And to continue playing when when the player is in this state results in stiff facial muscles, thick tonguing and lips that are less than cooperative. In fact, the player starts losing feel (grip) for the mouthpiece and adds pressure trying to recover it. Once this happens, embouchure balance is lost and performance goes from bad to worse. It is not possible for the player to play their way out of over-practice. And in extreme cases, permanent damage can be dealt the embouchure.
Chronic experimentation causes consistency problems. This comes when the player constantly searches for an easier way to do something such as increase range or by emulating the physical style of another player. It profits the player more to develop their own "voice".
Consistency is something a player must remain on "top of". It is not one of those things that once the player acquires is it guaranteed to remain with them for life. Consistency takes constant effort. Constant vigilance. Ever mindful of the systems on the page on the music stand and the manner in which the embouchure functions in order to meet the systems' demands.
Remember, sound coming out a trumpet is not self-produced. The player puts it there via lip vibrations. And for lip vibrations to remain consistent, the player has to remain consistent in the manner in which the vibrations are produced. This includes no shifting of the mouthpiece on the lips when changing registers or when performing in the upper register. Simply because a certain "tactic" makes high notes easier to reach does not make the tactic correct if it interferes with other playing elements.
Consistency comes with consistent application. All elements of trumpet playing must be developed and coordinated to work together as a unit.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Trumpet: Benge, Et Al
Ask trumpeters which brand they associate with pocket trumpets and most of them will say Benge. And they say it for good reason: Louis Duda.
Duda designed the modern-style pocket trumpet in the 1960s for Benge. And it is a design recognized for its folded back third valve slide and its kicked forward second valve slide (a design duplicated by Kanstul).
The pocket trumpet made its original appearance in the 1860s. But these early horns left much to be desired due to their stunted bells and to their mid-size bores. Their intonation was lousy and their dynamic range severely limited. Thus any convenience offered by their size was offset by their playing characteristics.
Duda changed all that by featuring a full size bell and modern bore sizes. At last the pocket trumpet could compete with a standard trumpet in sound, range and dynamics.
There are two designs prevalent in modern pocket trumpets. The first design (older) features a folded forward first valve slide and a straight-out second valve slide (on the left side of the instrument). The bell can be stunted or full-size. And the common bore size is .460 (medium-large bore). The second design is the previously mentioned Duda creation. Bore sizes for the Duda design run from .459 to .470.
People can be amazed when they learn both the pocket trumpet and the standard trumpet have the same tube length (roughly five feet). The difference in length between the two instruments is determined by the number of winds in the tubing.
Players, when first exposed to pocket trumpets, tend to complain about the tiny trumpet's resistance. And this is especially true when the player's experience is limited to the older design with its folded forward first valve slide. These horns are a bit stuffy.
The best resistance reducers in pocket trumpets involve the bore size and the amount (rate) of constriction in the leadpipe. The larger the bore and the more open the leadpipe the less the resistance. And when players are talking about a trumpet wound like a pretzel, they come to appreciate less resistance.
Two popular misconceptions surround pocket trumpets: quality and effectiveness. There are trumpet players who have little to no experience playing pocket trumpets who automatically assign them student quality status which renders the little instrument as being suitable for nothing more serious than daily practice (as if practice is not serious enough). And even then, only when the player cannot lay their hands on a standard trumpet.
Nonsense.
Frequently bias/misinformation is reason for such attitude. But there is a common denominator those quick to condemn pocket trumpets tend to overlook: labor cost. Hello to the union.
Most pocket trumpets are manufactured overseas where labor cost is a fraction of what it is in the United States. Thus quality comparable to the Benge or to the Kanstul pocket trumpet is found in Hoxon Gakki private label pocket trumpets manufactured in Taiwan. And since these trumpets are made in Taiwan, they can be had for roughly half the cost of either the Benge or the Kanstul pocket trumpet. As to the sound quality and the playing characteristics, the Gakki, Benge and Kanstul are close enough to call them the same (provided bore size and leadpipe constriction match).
In addition to Gakki pocket trumpets are those pocket trumpets manufactured in China and in India. Quality control seems to be the biggest complaint with these instruments. Valve alignment and sealing of valve slides are frequent issues. And too, many of these less expensive pocket trumpets have poor intonation as well as stunted bells along with a less than desirable fit of the mouthpiece to the leadpipe in the mouthpiece receiver.
Another complaint about pocket trumpets concerns the manner in which they are held. And for those players who insist on the traditional fingers around valve casings hold...yes. Attempting to hold a pocket trumpet in this manner can present challenges. For me, the best grip is to rest the instrument on the palm of my hand and close (or spread) my fingers on both sides of the valve casings. Not only does this allow an easier grip, it allows the grip to occur with less tension in the arm and in the shoulder.
A pocket trumpet takes getting use to. But once the player does, switching back and forth from the pocket trumpet to a full-size trumpet is done with ease.
Duda designed the modern-style pocket trumpet in the 1960s for Benge. And it is a design recognized for its folded back third valve slide and its kicked forward second valve slide (a design duplicated by Kanstul).
The pocket trumpet made its original appearance in the 1860s. But these early horns left much to be desired due to their stunted bells and to their mid-size bores. Their intonation was lousy and their dynamic range severely limited. Thus any convenience offered by their size was offset by their playing characteristics.
Duda changed all that by featuring a full size bell and modern bore sizes. At last the pocket trumpet could compete with a standard trumpet in sound, range and dynamics.
There are two designs prevalent in modern pocket trumpets. The first design (older) features a folded forward first valve slide and a straight-out second valve slide (on the left side of the instrument). The bell can be stunted or full-size. And the common bore size is .460 (medium-large bore). The second design is the previously mentioned Duda creation. Bore sizes for the Duda design run from .459 to .470.
People can be amazed when they learn both the pocket trumpet and the standard trumpet have the same tube length (roughly five feet). The difference in length between the two instruments is determined by the number of winds in the tubing.
Players, when first exposed to pocket trumpets, tend to complain about the tiny trumpet's resistance. And this is especially true when the player's experience is limited to the older design with its folded forward first valve slide. These horns are a bit stuffy.
The best resistance reducers in pocket trumpets involve the bore size and the amount (rate) of constriction in the leadpipe. The larger the bore and the more open the leadpipe the less the resistance. And when players are talking about a trumpet wound like a pretzel, they come to appreciate less resistance.
Two popular misconceptions surround pocket trumpets: quality and effectiveness. There are trumpet players who have little to no experience playing pocket trumpets who automatically assign them student quality status which renders the little instrument as being suitable for nothing more serious than daily practice (as if practice is not serious enough). And even then, only when the player cannot lay their hands on a standard trumpet.
Nonsense.
Frequently bias/misinformation is reason for such attitude. But there is a common denominator those quick to condemn pocket trumpets tend to overlook: labor cost. Hello to the union.
Most pocket trumpets are manufactured overseas where labor cost is a fraction of what it is in the United States. Thus quality comparable to the Benge or to the Kanstul pocket trumpet is found in Hoxon Gakki private label pocket trumpets manufactured in Taiwan. And since these trumpets are made in Taiwan, they can be had for roughly half the cost of either the Benge or the Kanstul pocket trumpet. As to the sound quality and the playing characteristics, the Gakki, Benge and Kanstul are close enough to call them the same (provided bore size and leadpipe constriction match).
In addition to Gakki pocket trumpets are those pocket trumpets manufactured in China and in India. Quality control seems to be the biggest complaint with these instruments. Valve alignment and sealing of valve slides are frequent issues. And too, many of these less expensive pocket trumpets have poor intonation as well as stunted bells along with a less than desirable fit of the mouthpiece to the leadpipe in the mouthpiece receiver.
Another complaint about pocket trumpets concerns the manner in which they are held. And for those players who insist on the traditional fingers around valve casings hold...yes. Attempting to hold a pocket trumpet in this manner can present challenges. For me, the best grip is to rest the instrument on the palm of my hand and close (or spread) my fingers on both sides of the valve casings. Not only does this allow an easier grip, it allows the grip to occur with less tension in the arm and in the shoulder.
A pocket trumpet takes getting use to. But once the player does, switching back and forth from the pocket trumpet to a full-size trumpet is done with ease.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Trumpet: Shallow Cup
Assuming the embouchure is properly developed, success or failure in using a shallow cup mouthpiece depends on player habits. The shallow cup is designed to aid the player's upper register work. As to how effective the aid depends on the amount of lip fed into the cup and how much pressure is exerted against the lips when playing. Shallow cup mouthpieces are unforgiving. Feed one of them too much lip tissue and the vibrations are affected. Exert too much mouthpiece pressure and vibrations can be stopped altogether.
The Parduba #5 (Parduba & Son) is based on the famous double cup design. This entails the cup being shallow near the rim but opens to conventional depth as the cup progresses.
Unlike the Parduba #5, the Bach 10.5E (Conn-Selmer) is out-and-out shallow. In fact, it is the most shallow of all trumpet mouthpieces.
"Bottoming out" occurs when lip tissue makes contact with the bottom of the cup. This causes air around the tone giving notes an airy sound. It should be noted, however, bottoming out can occur using any trumpet mouthpiece. But it is more prevalent when using a shallow cup. Players experiencing this problem are required to make an embouchure adjustment.
Pedal tones are as easy to produce using a shallow cup as they are when using a more conventional mouthpiece like a 7C. The "key" to pedal tone production (using any mouthpiece) is embouchure relaxation. But the value of pedal tones much below third pedal C can be called into question since the lower lip is all but backed out of the mouthpiece by this point.
Trumpeters fond of valve runs (low to high octave; high to low octave) can be better served using the Parduba #5 instead of Bach's 10.5E since the double cup design allows more embouchure freedom.
I have spent the past thirty years of my career devoted to shallow cup mouthpieces. And since 2000 I have used the Parduba #5 exclusively. I like its wide rim more than I do the more narrow rim on the Bach 10.5E. But other players might take the opposite view. Regardless, both the Parduba #5 and the Bach 10.5E are excellent mouthpieces.
Players who do not possess a properly developed embouchure find shallow cup mouthpieces provide no particular advantage. A shallow cup cannot augment what is not there to augment. And for those players under the impression that a shallow cup can, are in for a disappointment.
There are no miracle workers in trumpet playing.
The Parduba #5 (Parduba & Son) is based on the famous double cup design. This entails the cup being shallow near the rim but opens to conventional depth as the cup progresses.
Unlike the Parduba #5, the Bach 10.5E (Conn-Selmer) is out-and-out shallow. In fact, it is the most shallow of all trumpet mouthpieces.
"Bottoming out" occurs when lip tissue makes contact with the bottom of the cup. This causes air around the tone giving notes an airy sound. It should be noted, however, bottoming out can occur using any trumpet mouthpiece. But it is more prevalent when using a shallow cup. Players experiencing this problem are required to make an embouchure adjustment.
Pedal tones are as easy to produce using a shallow cup as they are when using a more conventional mouthpiece like a 7C. The "key" to pedal tone production (using any mouthpiece) is embouchure relaxation. But the value of pedal tones much below third pedal C can be called into question since the lower lip is all but backed out of the mouthpiece by this point.
Trumpeters fond of valve runs (low to high octave; high to low octave) can be better served using the Parduba #5 instead of Bach's 10.5E since the double cup design allows more embouchure freedom.
I have spent the past thirty years of my career devoted to shallow cup mouthpieces. And since 2000 I have used the Parduba #5 exclusively. I like its wide rim more than I do the more narrow rim on the Bach 10.5E. But other players might take the opposite view. Regardless, both the Parduba #5 and the Bach 10.5E are excellent mouthpieces.
Players who do not possess a properly developed embouchure find shallow cup mouthpieces provide no particular advantage. A shallow cup cannot augment what is not there to augment. And for those players under the impression that a shallow cup can, are in for a disappointment.
There are no miracle workers in trumpet playing.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Trumpet: Endurance
Endurance is something every trumpet player wishes they had. In spades. But endurance can be a confusing creature. Therefore it is a subject best considered individually rather than collectively.
Why?
Endurance varies. And there are a host of reasons for this. Among the more common reasons are: embouchure development, amount of mouthpiece pressure, practice schedule, performance schedule, frame of mind, health, age as well as commonsense (the ability to evaluate).
Proper embouchure development is essential to building satisfactory endurance. The trumpet player should be able to lay the instrument aside for ten to fifteen minutes (when experiencing minor fatigue) and then be ready to resume playing. Once again, this applies to those players possessing a properly developed embouchure. Even so, the amount of rest can vary from player to player. Some players might require more than ten to fifteen minutes while other players might require less time. Regardless, trumpet players keep in mind not overextending. And this is where emotional maturity proves an asset.
The trumpet is non tolerant of the Me Generation mentality. In fact, the instrument could care less what the player wants on demand. It is interested in what the player can deliver. And this is reflected in tone, technique as well as overall playing skill.
There are no legitimate shortcuts to trumpet playing. Ask those players who attempt one. The reason shortcuts are not possible involves the requirements of physical development (embouchure) and coordination of tongue, fingers, tension (embouchure) and breath control. All must work together as a unit. All go together to help the player build an acceptable endurance level.
But to the observer, a rapid developing player can appear benefactor in "beating" the system. One of those rare individuals who come upon some magic elixir that takes all the work out of trumpet playing. Not so. Regardless in how fast a player develops skill, the same muscles are involved as is essential coordination. There is no subtraction of elements. Simply subtraction of time.
Excessive mouthpiece pressure makes endurance impossible to build. In fact, the player begins to tire almost immediately. Thus three to four songs is about the limit for players using excessive mouthpiece pressure before they require several hours to rest. Not minutes. Hours. As a result the player is unable to sustain playing long enough (at any one time) to further endurance.
For "pressure lip" trumpet players playing is a painful experience. Their upper lip bears a noticeable ring and many times underside of the same lip bears imprint of the upper teeth. Swelling, bruising and soreness are commonplace for lips forced to bear excessive mouthpiece pressure. In effect the player remains in a state of perpetual over-practice. Style of execution is unbending and double and triple tonguing are rarely executed properly. In fact, the whole system suffers.
While it is true players who use excessive mouthpiece pressure are still capable of producing a pleasing tone, it is not enough. All playing elements must receive equal attention and equal development.
Endurance is built over time. And its acquisition depends on proper embouchure development, consistent practice, patience and commonsense.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Trumpet: Valve Fingers
The importance of finger position on finger buttons is left to individual discretion. Some players keep their fingers linear while other players curl their fingers to make button contact with fingertips or pads. And then there are those players who advise lifting the fingers off the buttons and return them to the buttons smartly to literally smack the valves closed. Each to their own. So long as finger movement on the valves is coordinated with tongue movement in the mouth, it is thought to make little difference as to how the player closes the valves.
But there are exceptions. In my experience I found a single positive for smacking valves closed: slurring. It can make for crisper sounding notes. Lifting fingers off finger buttons to make forced contact with buttons does two things. First, it creates tension in the lifted fingers. Second, removing fingers from the buttons only to re-establish button contact takes time. This creates an interesting situation when the player is zipping through a staccato.
Opposite to lifting fingers is keeping too much pressure on the buttons to slow valve movement. Or, in a worse case scenario, not allowing the valves to open completely or in time. Either has a deleterious effect on playing by disrupting coordination of finger and tongue movement.
Another potential problem occurs when the player approaches finger buttons from an angle. This exerts side pressure on pistons and can slow their movement inside valve casings. And if the pistons are not well-oiled, side pressure can cause the valves to be sluggish or to stick.
Like most aspects of trumpet playing, finger position is habit. It is whatever the player is use to and feels comfortable doing. But if the fingers and the tongue seem out of sync (chronically) finger position on finger buttons deserves a second look.