How to Easily Expand Your Trumpet Range (without Hurting Yourself!)
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Trumpeters often practice the high register loudly and get nowhere, fast and suffer bruised lips along the way. The greatest trumpeters, including many whom I have studied with (such as Jon Faddis, Wynton Marsalis, Maurice Andre, Bobby Shew, etc...) will tell you that you need to practice softly in the high register. Even Cat Anderson wrote in his method book that soft practice was the key to attaining the high register. It shouldn't hurt to play high...if it does, then you are allowing the lips to open up by playing too loudly and then shutting them by pressing too much with the mouthpiece. Find the coordination first, and then grow the soft notes into louder notes. Remember that today's squeaks are tomorrows notes!
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Charlie Porter is such a kickass name for a jazz trumpeter.
I prefer Harry Porter lol. just kidding
Chris Ferrer / Horn Section Studio Ah ha! Yeah, I see what you did there.
I was thinking about saying the same thing
I was thinking that too
I only clicked this because I saw the channel name and thought he was a professional (no offense, he might as well be a professional)
I followed your advice, and in less than a week I have no longer suffered headaches when playing high notes. Thanks.
(I hope my english is clear)
Very clear indeed
English 100
Your English is better than a lot of people who grew up with the language.
Cole DeRusha Why you litt- hey your right
Yea if I play past a High D for more than about 30-45 minutes I begin getting headaches
The "playing softly" aspect is truly invaluable. Less than a week and I'm already reaching two semitones above my previous range. Couldn't be more grateful, feel like I'm actually making progress now!
im 80 years old been playing trumpet for 70 years i just really learned from you how to play high notes thanks trumpet bob key west florida
Trumpet Bob i hope to still be playing at 80
Still alive?
Tyler McCarty bruh
@@tripleforcium8003 what?😂
@@TheMoistyCat bruh
You make that look so easy.
Packfan because it is
amdrew graziano not if you have braces lol
Have you gotten it yet? I just saw this video, and after I was failing at it initially I thought there might be some comments down here about how other people found success with this, and really it just took me around 30 tries to be able to grasp how to reach the high b flat, after that everything else came naturally and now all I have to work on is just hitting partials correctly.
Paze Gonya also if you have bigger lips than an average person. This really makes it difficult to control the embouchure.
I'd just like to point out to everyone who watches this video, that the setting, or position of the mouthpiece on the lips, doesn't change. Yes, the muscles of the face will change around and inside the mouthpiece and this should be kept to a minimum to maximize efficiency but the contact point of where the lips meet the mouthpiece stays the same.
There has been some confusion about my having said that the setting doesn't change when obviously something is changing, but it is not the setting. The contact of the mouthpiece to the lips stays in the same place, just as the reed of a sax mouthpiece stays in the same place. I hope this is clear. I am not contradicting myself...the setting of the mouthpiece on the lips is different from the movement of the outside/inside the mouthpiece.
I think the majority of you watching understood this, but for those of you who did not, I hope this is more clear now. Higher notes require faster air...louder notes require more air. If you follow this philosophy, trumpet playing will become easier. Best of luck!
Charlie, you are a true gentleman and a gift to serious students of the trumpet. A million times, thank you.
I have a bit of a problem that after I shave my lip gets cold and the texture of the mouth piece doesn't feel right. When this happens I can't play any high notes because the mouthpiece doesn't feel right. Another thing that causes me to have trouble is my overbite xD. Do you know anything I could do to help me get to those higher notes. Ive tried what you said in the video, however I'm still having trouble due to my embouchure being so pointed down low. If I bring it up I am unable to play.
this comment helped a lot thanks dude!
ExpertGamerGZ It may be the way you set you lips because you dont feel comfortable
I had to find the right mouth piece to stop having to move the mouthpiece around. When I found a Marcinkiewicz 1.7E that stopped. I guess that mouthpiece matched my embouchure. The cup diameter is huge but I can play an E over double C. I can't wait to try this exercise to increase that range.
Dude! I struggled to play high C's tonight. We had a jazz band Concert at Mars Hill University and I did exactly what you said most trumpet players do. I Would use too much air and blow my lips out and put on pressure to bring them back in. I will be practicing this since I'm going to be the lead trumpet soon. I'm only a Sophomore in college but I'm convinced I can only get better from here! I hope to hear from you!
i'm 4 years late, but since then hows everything going
Jobel The cool kid it’s ok I’m here too
I’m 8 years late what c do you mean the one above the staff or the double high because the on above the staff isn’t that difficult for a college student
Kinda late here but I've tried everything to improve range but nothing really works. I'm wondering if it's just my mouth structure bc I have very very big front teeth and an extreme overbite. Is there anything I can or should do?
@@Stwztry pushing your bottom how forward when you ascend. Keep your horn angle straight rather than angled down because of your overbite.
Charlie, your numerous videos are so helpful and articulate. Thanks for what you do. I’m a 70-year-old man who just started playing again after a 50 years respite. Thanks for being my teacher.
I thought 70 might be the limit til I saw The Doc wailing at 92!
These were the crucial chunks of information I was never taught in lessons, just told to “do drills.” As if doing drills will increase my range in and of themselves.
This is a great explanation and demonstration. In just over 10 minutes, Charlie Porter provides both the theory and the practice of how to improve your range. When it comes to playing high notes, far too many teachers recycle and rehash the same old "conventional" wisdom of blowing harder, not using too much pressure, keeping the air stream going, and so forth, without fully explaining what the tendencies are as you start playing higher. Charlie is a serious pro who knows what he's talking about and can back it up in his playing. Well done!
Thanks Aditya ;)
Charlie Porter
I really mean every word I said Charlie. I know an orchestral player in one of the Big 5 American orchestras and I asked him a few questions about range and he just gave me all kinds of attitude and accused me of trying to get a "free" lesson from him. I was utterly shocked. No wonder people think that trumpet players are arrogant jerks. Here's a guy making over $100,000 a year who hides behind his orchestral credentials but isn't nearly the player or teacher you are.
PhillyOTPT2 There's a reason I didn't give this guy free advice...there is no helping him.
wow what a twist
Holy shit your playing is phenomenal
I know right his range is almost too good
Brandon Fong are you in high school band yet? You must not have any good players. DCI is very impressive too
I thought I had hit a wall about how high I can play, but after this video, not even a week after implementing his technique, my tone and range is far better than before, and I have been playing for like 7 years. This video is seriously so good!
41 years old and I've had a trumpet for week. I've learned so much from you already that makes me not sound like a beginner. Thank you so much
Same here. I'm actually glad I didn't go see some random teacher. Who knows what they might have taught me
thanks for sharing this, I am trying to self learn the trumpet at 22. It's never to late to start something new
i sometimes can play high easily for seconds before the feeling of playing highs are easy goes away
Where have you been all my trumpet career in middleschool/highschool? my teachers have never taught me this!
you know they probably did but i most likely wasnt listening. my brain is still developing so who knows.
I was thought by a percussionist lol “tighter, faster” that was all I got. Now I almost break my teeth to play a D above the staff
@@Choneezi Most trumpet "teachers" can't play so they really don't know crap!!!!
Your teacher probably didn't attend Juilliard. We're getting the elite training here
Thanks for posting, Charlie. It's very generous of you to share your experience. I've been playing for over 40 years, and your videos have helped me tremendously!
Thank you for your lessons. This is great- really demystified the way to high notes. Thank you very much!
Finally i understood. Finally someone who explained in tge way its understanble. Thank u sir. I d needed so much
hi charlie, i need to thank you again. i've been practicing for about a month now and it has definitely improved my range. much easier to hit those high notes without killing myself. cheers for this :)
This video was such a help! I now its about two or three years after you posted the vid, but thank you so much for posting it! Here I was sitting down in my practice session angered about a note I couldnt hit. Then I looked at this vid and it was so much easier! Thank you so much!
-Brandon
I am doing a short turn as trumpet 2 in a swing band so that means improv solos and high register playing. Your channel is essential thank you.
I have been applying some of you methods on range, compression etc, they have helped me improve a lot. Thanks Charlie from a UK cornet player!! Alan, West MIDs UK.
Excellent video and advice. I appreciate the fact that you want to help those that are struggling in this area, like me. Thanks
Hello Charlie. Two years ago I came across your pedal tone video. I forgot which one. after about a year of not playing. I came across this the other day. Great video. This has helped me a whole bunch.
Thank you, I just started about 2 months ago. I ran sound for Phil Driscoll in the late 80's and early 90's. I saw him in concert a few months back and got the bug. This was helpful. I'm also a pilot and remember the high pitch practicing coming from Phil (who is also a pilot 18000 hrs. +)from the back of the King air 200. Keep up the good lessons and sharing. God bless you Charlie.
Thanks for your videos. It really helped me. I know hitting high notes isn't everything there is to playing, but it opens up the number of songs I like to play along with. I followed your tips and just last week I couldn't hit anything higher than a D without turning red. Now I am gradually improving my range and can hit a high A without hurting myself.
Another tip. I switched to tuba in jr. high from trumpet. After playing tuba for a while I found when I picked up the trumpet I could hit notes way higher than I ever could playing trumpet alone. I think the embouchure for the large mouthpiece strengthened the right muscles to help on the smaller.
Hi Charlie! Great from you to share this incredibly helpful toughts. I study in a great Conservatory (probably the best in Italy) and the basic principles are almost the same. Keep up the good work!
This was so useful! I've been playing trumpet for 6/7 years and I've always pushed out loads of air when trying to do the high notes..but with your method it's so much easier to reach the notes and make them sound better too. I don't know how I never found this out, Thank you!
Thank you I'm 13 and have been playing trumpet for 3 years and I have been having trouble with those high notes which I have to play in the orchestra this year in Indianapolis so thank you that has helped me reach those notes that most people can not
Nice lesson, Charlie! You have a wonderful sound!
I'm using your videos for my own playing, and to help my teenage son as well. He's primarily a piano player, but plays trumpet in the high school band. He has an excellent piano teacher, but I can't afford a formal teacher for trumpet as well, and hearing someone besides "Dad" say these things helps a lot!
Thanks again for all the videos, please keep them coming.
Thanks, Charlie, been wondering why my top notes sometimes work and sometimes don't! Great stuff will put it into my practice routine.
yep... everything you described I can relate to in things I have done and things I still do. Thank you for sharing these tips
Omg man thank you so much. This is insanely valuable. Am just beginning with the trumpet and I was already struggling with the first high C. With this I went 2 notes higher with open values and with much less effort. So THANK YOU. Liked and subs.
Thank you Mr. Porter, This video even being a simple step for many player, I"m a beginner and have been having extreme difficulties achieving any notes pass A c flat.
Holy crap this really works! I have been learnin La Vie En Rose, the Louis Armstrong version. The second solo ends on a high D which I haven't been able to reach despite trying for weeks. I followed these instructions and just blew a high D. Thanks so much for posting this Charlie.
Final a video on range that speaks to without the ego or arrogance of the lead player videos! 10/10!
Hell of a lesson. Going to start working on this immediately. Thanks, Charlie.
thank you so much you are so awesome I just hit the most highest and notes that I would never have thought that I will hit before you just literally change the way I think about trumpet
Paying close attention to his embouchure training and this lesson I'm playing G above double high C (on a Cornet with a Curry 5C no less). It only took me a few days once I corrected things. Before that I would only get the highest notes randomly or I would get up to the correct range but couldn't nail the correct note because my aperture kept breaking up. I think the shape of your embouchure and aperture become super critical the higher you go. Give yourself time and patience and keep reinforcing correct embouchure until it becomes second nature. Thank you Charlie Porter.
I’m very late on this bus literally as soon as I did that B flat exercise along with you I somehow his the high b flat without even trying. I love you.
Thank you so much! This video is a godsend. I used to only be able to play a C above the staff, but using your tips, that expanded to a double G. Thank you!
Best high note drill I’ve used so far...I’ve been player louder and tighter....holding the same embouchure as the lower setting has changed all things the way I think about getting to the high notes...hopefully this will add to my overall endurance. Charlie has no teaching rivals, he’s the very best.
I would like to say this video was incredibly helpful and cleared up a lot of my confusion!
Thanks Chris - a GREAT reminder - so very helpful to get me thinking straight again!
invaluable... as you can read from comments. I am a returning player, just noodled a bit through covid. I want to return and join the local ensemble after a 15 or so serious break... I have no stamina, no range, but this has extended my range above what i could do when i was playing regularly 15 years ago. Thank you for this tip.
Charly, I want to thank you for all your videos, they are really helping me, you are a great player, all the best.
This is really nice.. I switched from clarinet to brass and I haven't had a problem except with some of my higher range on the trumpet.. I have no problem with it on my French horn though.. but this helped me with my technique a lot.. I also believe art of my problem is my mouth piece.. thanks!
Great video. You explain it so well. I have only been playing a few months and I managed to work up to the E in the top of the staff and sometimes the G above the staff. Above the 2nd C I can only sound the note - not play up there. But a few days ago, my range dropped to a major seventh (Low F# to the first G). I couldn't figure out why. Then I thought I would check out your video. It worked really well. I was able to play those notes with much less effort - But I lost some accuracy. Also, I live in an apartment so I use the Yamaha Silent Brass. Stupid me! I realized I had the volume turned down and I was compensating by blowing harder. Turned it up and used this technique and my higher notes are sounding much better. Thank you so much Charlie Porter, you have really helped my playing.
IMHO you are one of the best trumpet players ever. And the best teacher. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Charlie… straight line, three compressions and this one are really helpful. I go back to them every few weeks and always pick up on something i overlooked. Cheers from Oz
You're an amazing teacher. I never understand anything unless something is explained WHY.
Would be great to see how your lips move in a transparent mouthpiece. I'd like to know more of this. I'm trying this and it worked way beter, only I pull my whole jaw back and it's straining :P
THANKS AGAIN CHARLIE! The most helpful, coolest, most versatile trumpet virtuoso!!
Charlie ... I used to play a lot. Played at a high level but squandered it all away. Didn't touch my horn for years. I have been teaching my son to play for the past 2 years, trying to focus on great habits that encourage endurance, coordination, ease of play and, above all else, sound quality. To say the least, as he grows, it is inspiring me to start practising again.
That all said, I have been trying to remember the little things that I learned from trumpet greats (Aaron Doyle, Brad Turner) that I had the privilege to study with. I ended up stumbling across your video here which touches on a point I have been trying to articulate to my son, but have struggled with being clear about it. Your explanation is almost identical to how Aaron helped me expand my range. When I was watching, those many years ago started flooding back. I have used the same explanation of "effortless play" to my son.
Anyway... just wanted to say hello and thank you for your video here. I look forward to watching through some more and doing so with my son.
Amazing man! I've been playing trumpet for 10 years and had so much problems with the higher range! Then my teacher told me the same as you and now I am one of his students who can play really really high! So this method is magic! Well done!
P.S. I am from Germany
dude, thank you for this so much, I was having a bit of trouble hitting above e over high C, I'm am now a half step off of double c after watching this and following your tips, thanks dude
I keep getting light headed from straining to reach the third octave. I really need to practice. Everything above a certain point just becomes noise.
Synthesizer Wiggler 303
Thank you so much! This video has helped me a lot. I am currently part of a marching band and the show requires a higher range than what I am used to and these tips really helped.
I’m a comeback trumpet player. This explanation is amazing. Thank you so much.
I'm a 9th grader doing marching band throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and the junior who usually plays the top divided part on our 1st trumpet pieces will not be participating this year so I have to increase my range to a D above the scale in a few weeks time. So thanks for this exercise!
Bro? Are you me?
well done, my teacher says to me from a long time "play on the air" ("jouer sur l'air" in french)I don't know if you have the same expression but thanks to your video because i definitly undestand what he means.
Thanks a lot for your videos, Charlie! Each time that I watch one I remove some bad practices and blockings. Regarding this one, I was doing the same thing but not for the whole range (ex: low Bb to three octaves higher as you do... I was doing two ocataves only). Now I'm forcing myself to keep the setting and everything is getting more logical and consistent. Sure that "something"changes but indeed you can keep the setting as you say. Apart from a super musician you're also a super teacher. Thanks a lot again!!
Great job debunking these myths. Bent mouthpieces are a lifesaver.
Hi Blaise
Your video is full of YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I agree with everything you said and demonstrated in your video. Thanks!
I've applied these principals (particularly playing high notes softer and not resetting) to my trombone practicing and I have gotten a LOT more comfortable above a high F. I've always been able to hit Cs and Ds but I never really considered them part of my vocabulary unless I was going to belt them out in a loud solo. I'm really getting there though. This is a great video and I wish I had gotten this advice decades ago.
After having taken a 30 year hyatis from playing the trumpet, I finally picked it back up last year. Even though I was making progress, the high notes always eluded me. But the exercise you demonstrated has truly shown me that I can reach those notes without straining my emboucher. I'm looking forward now to working on the high register. Thank you again for posting this video.
Thanks a lot man, two weeks on trumpet and these are the advices I needed
This is great Charlie, thanks once for a fantastic demonstration and explanation.
Charlie you are genius. I start to feel what you mean. It really works if I blow it easy going on high register. I reached high D to high F quit easily without trying to give it an extremely high pressure which makes me feel dizzy and lift my blood pressure dangerously high. I'm sure it will getting higher day after day and I'm studying playing the trumpet only for one month.
charlie, thanks for all you share.. You and lynn nicholson are my favorite teachers
Yeahhhhh! I was doing it right! I always practiced at whisper volumes (plus a Le Blanc mute) because of the neighbors and was worried I was doing it wrong. But you reassured me. Thank you!
I just started playing trumpet and i learned more from you than my teacher who i pay....thanks Charlie Porter
Thanks Charlie, really made progress with upper C & D after this lesson.
Keep up the good work!
;)
I'm not a trumpet player but it makes me smile to see how a lot of the terms could be used to describe light or electricity!
Thank you, I will be practicing this, I see now what I keep doing wrong, Thank you so much, all the best!!
Finally an explanation that worked for me. Thanks Charlie.
Incredibly useful advice! I started with an upper limit of d above the staff, with two ledger lines. This got me up to f immediately, without putting any significant effort in. I can only imagine what this will do in the long run, as I continue to practice more. Thanks, Charlie, for putting your precious knowledge out there for us all to use and apply!
Looking into the physics of tone production, it all becomes perfectly logical. The frequency of a vibrating object (the lips) is given by ½·sqrt(F/m/l), where F is the force that stretches the vibrating length l with the mass m. The length is given by the mouthpiece's cup diameter. The "intuitive" way people go about playing higher is to increase lip tension sideways, i.e. increase force F. Unfortunately because of the square root, if I go up one octave (double the frequency), I have to quadruple lip tension. If I go up two octaves (four times the frequency), I have to apply 16x the lip tension. It's clear that this will not end well, since we can only tense the lips so much without overexerting or hurting ourselves. Fortunately there's another term in the equation which is mass. If we bring the lips in to make the aperture smaller, as Charlie describes in the video, the outer portions of the lip won't vibrate at all any more, but only the small area around the aperture. This leads to drastically reduced vibrating mass and thereby higher notes without resorting to force.
Holy crap my range increased by 2 notes thank you so much
soft and alignment is the key. good tutorial.
Very great video. I've been playing for about 18 years and can play my high note OK. But I realized how much energy and force I waste in PITCHING my high notes. I am used to my style of playing but trying to use my facial muscles as this video says and now I can pitch way higher than I use to with just a little bit of AIR and ENERGY. God BLESS YOU
Thank you for the video. I needed this when I was playing in school.
This video has helped me go above my range of a c above the staff to a g and I'm only a junior in high school
I'm a trombone player and I'm finding your videos very thoughtful and helpful. There is a school of thought in the trombone world that says to play higher you need to keep the aperture open and increase airflow (blow harder). It's really messed me up. When I had good range, my approach was more aperture based, and not over blowing. Now my high range sounds like garbage and starting on high notes is a big struggle. My playing feels very tense these days. You're right about doing a decrescendo as you ascend. Many trombone players are taught to crescendo as they ascend. Lots of music calls for that, but it's not the best way to learn how to play high notes.
Great video, and thanks. It is requiring me to break a 50+-year bad habit of pressing in when I went higher, and that is a struggle. But the technique you showed WORKS! Takes some work to keep the pressure off (and that sort of puts pressure on, but that's ok).
Great Vid charlie, so glad you`re back, they are all a great help to me. Peace 57D.
Oh my god this has been so helpful! Thank you so much!
You have such a good way to explain it. Even simple minds like me can understand what the point is.
Thanks Charlie. Just what I needed for right now.
Fantastic dude! I accidentally played higher than I intended while more relaxed. Thanks for pointing out how not to obstruct our own progress by trying too hard.
I was able to (somewhat) consistently hit a high c in eighth grade and then got my braces off. I still haven’t gotten back to my full range without braces, but this was a huge help!
Thanks Charlie for posting this information.
What an interesting and informative video. Back in the early 70's in high school, I studied with Carmine Caruso on and off for a year; he got my chops up from a G above staff to high F'. But ultimately, Carmine's "dont think, just blow" approach failed and I've struggled with range ever since. Your explanation sounds so reasonable, though, I just might give it a shot. Thanks.
i did this for 2 minutes and can already hit super high notes thank you so much
Man just like that 4th time picking up the trumpet i was reching near the top of the stave without much effort. I play trombone decided to learn tthe trumpet and this helped out a lot. Thanks, seriously.
Thanks, Charlie! You're awesome!
This guy really has some great information. Great video!!
Okay this video is magic. Unbelievably helpful.
thank you so much so making this video, you have been of super much help
I'm a beginner and my highest note is a c treble clef 3rd space. Will keep trying, have had trumpet for 2 weeks now. I already play Trombone, but interested in trumpet. Hope I can work little harder though I'm careful not to learn wrong habits. Thanks for videos.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I never had good training with the mechanics of playing as a youth. For example, did not know what an aperture was.