I love how you talk about the mental aspects of playing. I think playing is more mental than technical but so many people focus most on the technical aspects.
dude same. I am playing trombone in 6th grade band and every time i would mess up he ( my band teacher) would say" Tighten your lips" and no matter how hard I tighten my lips i couldn't hit the note. Me listening to this with my trombone in my hand and finally being able to play the notes makes me feel on cloud 9. I am with you all the way
I know you made this years ago but I wanna thank you, I’m a freshman in high school at the moment and the only freshman trombonist in my class, so playing with the upperclassmen is a bit intimidating, and high notes are the bane of my existence. This was really helpful!
i’m a senior now but i was in your shoes my freshman year! i kept with it, and i’m really glad i did. i’m the best brass player in our program now! keep up with it! music has taught me so much over the years. you won’t regret it :)
Depending on how long it is before your chops break down, you may just need to build up strength in your lips by playing long tones. No matter how much endurance you have, you're going to hit a point where things break down. The trick is for it not to happen in performance! If you know you're going to be playing into the treble clef on a regular basis, you may also need to select equipment that makes that easier: shallower-cup mouthpieces, smaller-bore horns. Depends on the type of sound the music requires.
Oh my god Ive only been playing baritone horn for a month for the marching band and watched half of this video and went from barely pump out a d to a full F# in a matter of seconds. Thank you so much
Hey man your tips are amazing I am playing trombone and baritone currently trombone for my jazz band I’m in eighth grader and in six regular and play trombone but then my band teacher need me to play baritone for seventh grade and now that’s what I play in my main class but in jazz band I had to relearn trombone and right now your tips are helping me to an extreme level
We only have 4 trombones in the eight grade band, me being one of them. But the rest of the trombones play like shit. Not to be disrespectful, but they all agree with that too so.
You just changed my life Paul! Totally serious. No one ever told me that it was having my core engaged was how I needed to support my high range. Sometimes the notes would come out and sometimes not .. thank you so so much! Loving you tombstone secrets too
@@Jonny-xj7hj when my brother got his tuba he taught me how to play even though I play trombone and when I went back I was able to play notes I never could before
this is helping so much, since I’m trying to play Allegro Vivace, and I’ve only been playing three years :/ and I’m auditioning for my all-state band sooo this really is helpful. thanks, man!
Yup excellent lesson I like the speed thought. I am a golf teacher and we know that if we stay relax throughout our swing we hit the ball much farther as soon as we tense up our swing becomes short and slow and we cannot generate that effortless power we all seek. Playing brass is the same thing. Strive for zero tension and allow the body to generate fast air…..thanks Paul great reminder for upper register play and it applies for our low register as well 🎺
Fast air had nothing to do with it. We actually tension the lips to produce higher frequency tones. (Not higher "speed" vibrations) The air "speed" is not relevant to pitch since it also obviously varies with dynamics on a constant pitch . Lip posture controls pitch. Period.
@@pebblebeach8517 yet that is what he is doing then claiming air "speed" is the cause. It's just popular hearsay that brass players love to repeat. Every brass player varies the lip tension to play various pitches. EVERY SINGLE ONE. To claim otherwise is either ignorant or disingenuous.
@@trumpettech456 it is true the lips have to form a smaller aperture to create higher notes and there is tension involved. I’ll split the difference with you. Relaxed body ( back, chest, arms, cheeks etc.) while forming and holding that tight aperture while other parts of your body remain relaxed. Nevertheless thanks for your input. I am always looking to learn😀👍
@@pebblebeach8517 you can not create air pressure by relaxing. Nor can you effectively inhale "relaxed ". Most are taught to use excessive lip tension for low notes as beginners . There is then little headroom available for higher pitches without maximizing embouchure effort. The mouthpiece buzzing approach is the problem.
When I started playing trombone a year ago, the tenor trombone I was given by a friend uses an alto mouth piece which I got used to. With that I can rich even high D, which my more advanced colleagues also struggles with. When I bought the Yamaha YSL student bone I couldn't use that mouth piece, but now I'm trying to use it and even the f above bass clef is a struggle, but I will keep focusing on faster air though I currently move the mouth piece a bit to play lower and higher pitches. Thx Paul, though I would have love to see this jingle's score to try to sound like you.
Between this video and a similar video done by James Morrison, I now know yet another thing that I need to fix in my playing. Which kinda sucks, since my range has dropped an octave for the time being. These next few months are going to be extremely frustrating trying to build back up to a high D. Thank you, Paul
I have always struggle any notes that are higher than high D, now I can be playing up to high G with this listen,. This video is definitely amazing and inspiring, much appreciated!!!!
The Carol Jarvis "I Think of You" video really brings home what you are saying. I just began to realize exactly what you are saying. Thanks for the great video. This is one I needed. Listen to Carol's video and watch her embouchre... No effort, beautiful tone... She nails it!
I borrowed a trombone from a friend, it's actually surprisingly easy to get it to make noise but getting the lips to stay in place and the slide to actually go and hit the right notes is crazy mind bending for me xD It's fun though, I might also try to get a cornet because it's higher up on the range so the intervals are closer together.
My director says I have horrible tone because I struggle on high notes. I felt angered because I felt that I couldn’t play. He says there no excuse for bad tone. I can’t just play notes like you tell me too. He says he is giving me all the tools I just got to execute them. I need some advice
great video! As you said some people are born with the ability to play in the high register. That leaves me thinking: are people also being born with the physical inability to play high notes?
I think there are some instruments that just are easier for different people. I have a friend who plays trumpet and is great at hitting high notes but can’t get higher than a D on clarinet. He can even play flute, but reed instruments he just cabt
This is why I've been struggling with and I just start playing but after watching this video I finally understand how to play a Gb thanks!!! You are my inspiration and my idle #tromboneemoji
Actually, incorrect. Hitting high notes on a clarinet is horrid. Hitting high notes on a flute is painful. High notes aren't easy for anyone. Don't say for brass it is easier when woodwinds it's not easier
I want to learn how to play high notes on my trombone so I can play smoothly like Glenn Miller in "I know why (and so do you) and Tommy Dorsey and his song "I'm getting sentimental over you"
am i the only one that like started playing super high notes like this? im a freshman now and can hit these notes pretty easily, i sturggle more on the lower notes and i just fade out
Those screaming trumpet guys are only playing tight way up there because that's how they reach their absolute peak notes. Bro might be squeezing out a Triple C....but for Double C he can hit it "soft-touch" on the lips. The key is to figure out how to push the limits of your soft touch up the scale step by step. For DBZ fans I compare it to learning how to transform into a super saiyan with absolute minimal effort, that way you can only go higher from there, pushing all the way up to Super Saiyan 2 and beyond once you really press-in. If you try to pinch and press right out of the gate, your limit will only be Ultra Super Saiyan 1.
thank you for this help. I am in band and started playing trombone and every time i tried to plays something past B flat it would always sound lower. TH=he D note has been htting me hard. Do you have any tips on playing it
try your best not to press your mouth into the mouthpiece, its how I got mine stuck once. It's mostly using more air and training and gaining control of your muscles, and make sure you don't strain, feel more relaxed, open up your throat and your mouth and embouchure, lots of stuff other low brass players say. Oh, and practice!
Its not the speed of the air, it is the vibration state of the aperture,. More air pressure is required due to increasing embouchure resistance as you ascend. The relaxed notes have less air speed through the aperture, not more, air speed is a liability and should be the lowest required. Your claims about " twice as fast" air would require some actual measurements . Can you show that measured speed? How did you measure it?
★Trombone Exercises That Will Make You A Great Player Download Your Copy Here!★
www.paulthetrombonist.com/books
toca viva la vida
I love and hate playing my trombone it’s just so hard but I enjoy how it turns out
I can relate. The satisfaction from completing and mastering a piece is like nothing else
Samee
Same
same
I love how you talk about the mental aspects of playing. I think playing is more mental than technical but so many people focus most on the technical aspects.
dude same. I am playing trombone in 6th grade band and every time i would mess up he ( my band teacher) would say" Tighten your lips" and no matter how hard I tighten my lips i couldn't hit the note. Me listening to this with my trombone in my hand and finally being able to play the notes makes me feel on cloud 9. I am with you all the way
High notes smell fear, if you don't play confidently they will not come out.
IKR
But if you have braces, it’s different. At least for me.
@@crarytrombone9672 same it leaves imprints on my lips
Bro speaking facts
@@NotABot3959it hurts so bad im in 9th grade and I’m getting my braces off next month and I’m so excited
I know you made this years ago but I wanna thank you, I’m a freshman in high school at the moment and the only freshman trombonist in my class, so playing with the upperclassmen is a bit intimidating, and high notes are the bane of my existence. This was really helpful!
i’m a senior now but i was in your shoes my freshman year! i kept with it, and i’m really glad i did. i’m the best brass player in our program now! keep up with it! music has taught me so much over the years. you won’t regret it :)
Same
you're a sophomore now but now i'm in your situation lol and I've never played a brass instrument before so this is pretty scary 😬
I am also now in your situation 😅
fell asleep in band class trying to get the feeling of waking up from bed...
dude, i was so relaxed, i dropped my rag when i went to clean my spit valve!! lol
how does that happen especially during warm up
EpicPpl 1 while others are warming up, I guess… idk
My problem is more after I play a bunch of high notes my lips tighten up and then I can’t play high notes anymore. It’s really weird
maybe u cld arm up? rem to warm up slowly and softly
Depending on how long it is before your chops break down, you may just need to build up strength in your lips by playing long tones. No matter how much endurance you have, you're going to hit a point where things break down. The trick is for it not to happen in performance! If you know you're going to be playing into the treble clef on a regular basis, you may also need to select equipment that makes that easier: shallower-cup mouthpieces, smaller-bore horns. Depends on the type of sound the music requires.
Pedal tones might help you loosen up, and as John Miller said, long tones.
Lucas Lamacchia SAME
Trumpets say the same thing, they lose their high notes first. I cannot help, I play the clarinet, but my twin plays the trumpet.
3:31 to 4:00 in my opinion is the most helpful and useful part of the video
The word just came to me to think of "graceful"! . Not tough but graceful
😊
this video was very helpful. I've been struggling with high notes for a while now .
Oh my god Ive only been playing baritone horn for a month for the marching band and watched half of this video and went from barely pump out a d to a full F# in a matter of seconds. Thank you so much
Hey man your tips are amazing I am playing trombone and baritone currently trombone for my jazz band I’m in eighth grader and in six regular and play trombone but then my band teacher need me to play baritone for seventh grade and now that’s what I play in my main class but in jazz band I had to relearn trombone and right now your tips are helping me to an extreme level
Dude are you a clone of me? I play in jazz band with the trombone and I play baritone for my regular band lol
NIGHTWOLF 2181 nice 👌👌👌👌👌
Same but i just can play trombone and im in jazz band and in 7th grade
We only have 4 trombones in the eight grade band, me being one of them. But the rest of the trombones play like shit. Not to be disrespectful, but they all agree with that too so.
We only have 2 trombones in our jazz band (2 quit )
You just changed my life Paul! Totally serious. No one ever told me that it was having my core engaged was how I needed to support my high range. Sometimes the notes would come out and sometimes not .. thank you so so much! Loving you tombstone secrets too
Very helpful. I needed these tips to constantly hit that Db (2nd Db above staff) at the end of Cavatine.
"some people were born with just hitting the high notes straight away" me: wait that's a thing? H O W
I kinda was I bought a trumpet and played it a lot and then when I went to trombone I could play high no trouble lol
@@Jonny-xj7hj when my brother got his tuba he taught me how to play even though I play trombone and when I went back I was able to play notes I never could before
this is helping so much, since I’m trying to play Allegro Vivace, and I’ve only been playing three years :/ and I’m auditioning for my all-state band sooo this really is helpful. thanks, man!
Yup excellent lesson I like the speed thought. I am a golf teacher and we know that if we stay relax throughout our swing we hit the ball much farther as soon as we tense up our swing becomes short and slow and we cannot generate that effortless power we all seek. Playing brass is the same thing. Strive for zero tension and allow the body to generate fast air…..thanks Paul great reminder for upper register play and it applies for our low register as well 🎺
Fast air had nothing to do with it. We actually tension the lips to produce higher frequency tones. (Not higher "speed" vibrations)
The air "speed" is not relevant to pitch since it also obviously varies with dynamics on a constant pitch .
Lip posture controls pitch. Period.
That isn’t what Paul is teaching….seems to me tense lips produces a lousy sound.
@@pebblebeach8517 yet that is what he is doing then claiming air "speed" is the cause. It's just popular hearsay that brass players love to repeat.
Every brass player varies the lip tension to play various pitches. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
To claim otherwise is either ignorant or disingenuous.
@@trumpettech456 it is true the lips have to form a smaller aperture to create higher notes and there is tension involved. I’ll split the difference with you. Relaxed body ( back, chest, arms, cheeks etc.) while forming and holding that tight aperture while other parts of your body remain relaxed. Nevertheless thanks for your input. I am always looking to learn😀👍
@@pebblebeach8517 you can not create air pressure by relaxing. Nor can you effectively inhale "relaxed ".
Most are taught to use excessive lip tension for low notes as beginners . There is then little headroom available for higher pitches without maximizing embouchure effort.
The mouthpiece buzzing approach is the problem.
When I started playing trombone a year ago, the tenor trombone I was given by a friend uses an alto mouth piece which I got used to. With that I can rich even high D, which my more advanced colleagues also struggles with. When I bought the Yamaha YSL student bone I couldn't use that mouth piece, but now I'm trying to use it and even the f above bass clef is a struggle, but I will keep focusing on faster air though I currently move the mouth piece a bit to play lower and higher pitches. Thx Paul, though I would have love to see this jingle's score to try to sound like you.
I've been playing for less than a year and this is so helpful for the imperial march
Ah yes, a star wars fan.
Also be aware of what part of the body is tensing up because you could be desensitized to it
The 3 compressions method by Charlie Porter (trumpet), on flexibility&range building helped me on the trombone, with a setup and approach process,
I can finally play again tomorrow!!! Can’t wait to try this and all your other videos out!!! Have a nice day, Paul!
Between this video and a similar video done by James Morrison, I now know yet another thing that I need to fix in my playing. Which kinda sucks, since my range has dropped an octave for the time being. These next few months are going to be extremely frustrating trying to build back up to a high D.
Thank you, Paul
Wait a minute! Paul THE Trombonist? Now I remember where I saw you.
I have always struggle any notes that are higher than high D, now I can be playing up to high G with this listen,. This video is definitely amazing and inspiring, much appreciated!!!!
You're such a life saver. Thank you so much.
The Carol Jarvis "I Think of You" video really brings home what you are saying. I just began to realize exactly what you are saying. Thanks for the great video. This is one I needed. Listen to Carol's video and watch her embouchre... No effort, beautiful tone... She nails it!
John Dias yes that video is classic!!
I borrowed a trombone from a friend, it's actually surprisingly easy to get it to make noise but getting the lips to stay in place and the slide to actually go and hit the right notes is crazy mind bending for me xD
It's fun though, I might also try to get a cornet because it's higher up on the range so the intervals are closer together.
My director says I have horrible tone because I struggle on high notes. I felt angered because I felt that I couldn’t play. He says there no excuse for bad tone. I can’t just play notes like you tell me too. He says he is giving me all the tools I just got to execute them. I need some advice
Just get good
Nate Murphy That’s some good advice, I gotta try that sometime
I've been playing tuba for the past 3 years and am trying to learn trombone and I can't seem to make it to that high b flat so this helps :)
Very good lesson. Take notes and calm-down.
You're so calm. I love it ❤ thank you!
I just started playing so I’m thankful for this 😂
I tried this out and it worked at once, great advice👍
great video! As you said some people are born with the ability to play in the high register. That leaves me thinking: are people also being born with the physical inability to play high notes?
I think there are some instruments that just are easier for different people. I have a friend who plays trumpet and is great at hitting high notes but can’t get higher than a D on clarinet. He can even play flute, but reed instruments he just cabt
Double the air speed? Exactly how? Air speed where? Define air "speed". How did you measure it and determine that it was doubled?
I mean all I do is sit right and tighten my lips I started in the beginning of 4th grade and became good and high notes was like January
I have really struggled with high notes, thank you so much for this video!
Can’t wait til tomorrow morning when I can implement this! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great work Paul!!! Thank you!
Thank you for the video Paul. You're a true inspiration for me!
Interesting how you went more into the mental aspect, I need to work more on that. Also, great outro XD
Thanks this video really did help me
Wow, can’t wait to implement this into my playing!
This will help a lot. Thanks paul
This is why I've been struggling with and I just start playing but after watching this video I finally understand how to play a Gb thanks!!! You are my inspiration and my idle #tromboneemoji
Nice tips that will definitely help me out!
I am new to playing the trombone and have one question. What can I do to increase my air when buzzing into the mouthpiece?
Thanks for the info, I'm gonna test it out later
Woodwinds are lucky they don't need to struggle did bad to play high, but we brass players have to go through these things
Raging Duck we brass players have to mentally prepare ourselves weeks in advanced
Actually, incorrect. Hitting high notes on a clarinet is horrid. Hitting high notes on a flute is painful. High notes aren't easy for anyone. Don't say for brass it is easier when woodwinds it's not easier
Alayna Phillips okay Dwight Schrute... (I’m jk thank you for letting me know)
@@mxrcus584 Haha np. I just get quite defensive when people make statements that aren't totally true and biased.
No brass are lucky because with intense practice our range can always increase, unlike a woodwind player which has limited range.
Nice video man, I play trombone and this method really works.
Thanks so much for this video. It was incredibly insightful
Paul. You talk so good. And what's the instrument you're holding by the way?
How do you “feel it”
Thank u my dude
I don’t struggle with getting up high. If I hear the sound I can play it. I JUST DONT KNOW WHAT THE HIGHEST I FREAKING A NATURAL SOUNDS LIKE.
Thank You
Nice work Paul
Hey bro
Nice to meet u
Am a Trombonist from Nigeria
This helped a lot! Thank you :)
this helped me instantly lol
thanks
I want to learn how to play high notes on my trombone so I can play smoothly like Glenn Miller in "I know why (and so do you) and Tommy Dorsey and his song "I'm getting sentimental over you"
ESPN first trombone kills me every time but it really helps playing that song as much as I need to
am i the only one that like started playing super high notes like this? im a freshman now and can hit these notes pretty easily, i sturggle more on the lower notes and i just fade out
the highest note i've been able to hit is a G two octaves above staff i've been stuck here for 2 months
Those screaming trumpet guys are only playing tight way up there because that's how they reach their absolute peak notes. Bro might be squeezing out a Triple C....but for Double C he can hit it "soft-touch" on the lips.
The key is to figure out how to push the limits of your soft touch up the scale step by step. For DBZ fans I compare it to learning how to transform into a super saiyan with absolute minimal effort, that way you can only go higher from there, pushing all the way up to Super Saiyan 2 and beyond once you really press-in. If you try to pinch and press right out of the gate, your limit will only be Ultra Super Saiyan 1.
Should my airstream go little bit downward, instead of straight into the mouthpiece?
It is comfortable to play high notes but hurts chops
I'm watching this because I have a majestic March test right now
I still have trouble and I've played for 5-6 years
When I see people play high notes I think 1:21
Nice
Me who struggles to play notes below an F because I’m too used to playing above the staff ☠️
thank you for this help. I am in band and started playing trombone and every time i tried to plays something past B flat it would always sound lower. TH=he D note has been htting me hard. Do you have any tips on playing it
try your best not to press your mouth into the mouthpiece, its how I got mine stuck once. It's mostly using more air and training and gaining control of your muscles, and make sure you don't strain, feel more relaxed, open up your throat and your mouth and embouchure, lots of stuff other low brass players say. Oh, and practice!
Yeah
What mouthpiece are you using
this one www.paulthetrombonist.com/equipment/
Here's the link to Carol's video. Listen to Paul's tips and visualize them while you watch her. Effortless!
ruclips.net/video/6c0lG9gnmvY/видео.html
I hate it when I sound like a tuba and people think I play the tuba 😀
this technic work on eupho??
that’s what i was thinking too but i think it does since they have the same mouth piece
I press much the moutpiece in the lips but i can't solve this, help please.
Low notes are a struggle for me
is it just me or does this guy remind me of the actor for The Great Gatsby?
You are my lifs
Its not the speed of the air, it is the vibration state of the aperture,.
More air pressure is required due to increasing embouchure resistance as you ascend.
The relaxed notes have less air speed through the aperture, not more, air speed is a liability and should be the lowest required.
Your claims about " twice as fast" air would require some actual measurements . Can you show that measured speed? How did you measure it?
My trombone becomes poppy if I go from a high to low note, like a G to an A
l'm froon brazil ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
vamos tocar várias músicas internacional e nacionais e falar menos ! Se não vai ganhar mais ibope!
i had to search this bc there was nothing on euphonium 😭
me tryna hit that really high d in black and blues
this video is great and all but the two notes on the piano behind you that are stuck are giving me anxiety
Oh god, I can't unsee it anymore.
I’m in 8th grade, the highest note I can play is A in third octave
For some reason, I can only play high notes. I can’t do low ones I thought high ones were supposed to be hard and low ones supposed to be easy😭
I can hit an A5 but I can never hit a D5, always blip up to an E
Flexibility
You know there is a trombone that can make you sound higher
Hey there Hi there Ho there✋🏼😂
Nope 7 months i still cant do this i am officially out of ideas
I hate the trombone idk why I play it
i’m a swole body mf and i can’t hit over a double D
Why is it so hard