Increase my range...

[P M]

hey there...

i've been playing the trumpet since 4th grade and i'm currently in 12th grade (senior in high school). The highest note i can get is the E above the staff. I'm getting really worried now because our jazz band last year for high school placed 2nd at the berklee festival in boston and 5th place in the state (New jersey - due to politics probably, we should've gotten something a lot better) and now we're trying to maintain our style and skill. However, the trumpets this year are a little weaker than last year because it's a fresh group (actually an entirely fresh band - entirely new percussion section, new piano player, new bass player, new sax section and halfly new trombone section the trumpets are halfly new as well). So this might be called "a building up year", but i really think we can do well like last year IF the trumpets can improve their range. I play second trumpet and due to the fact that I'm not exactly a hard-core musician like some of the people in the band, I'm very fortunate to be a part of the jazz ensemble. Anyway, we're thinking about playing "Channel One Suite" not exactly the buddy rich version but very similar to it (in the same key). For first trumpet, i understand the range goes up to a double C, which is just wow. Last year, we had this one trumpet player that was incredible (we played maynard ferguson's famous macarthur park and you guessed it, he played the lead trumpet). Of course now he graduated, but back to the main topic here. I play second trumpet for almost all the music, and the notes can be relatively high to what im use to playing. I can play an E above the staff but not in any type of consisten form. I have 3 mouthpieces (3c, 10 & 1/2 c, and a 7e). so far i've found the 10 & 1/2 c to be the best for me because it's the one i've been playing for for a long time. I understand that practice is the key thing (of all types, playing, breathing, and exercising) but what i would like to know is what's the best exercises to do to increase range. Is there any specific way to have the tongue, lip, teeth in?

I don't know, if any of you could please help me (send me links). please. thank you.

Sincerely,

8 years of trumpet,

P M

[tom turner]

Hi,

I'd contact Jerry Callet in NYC for lessons, especially if you are close enough to get there.

At age 73 or so, Jerry still has a powerful TRIPLE C and beyond with power and tone! This is remarkable for a man so weak in embouchere that he was stuck on 3rd in high school and, although a trumpet rep. studying with great teachers, couldn't play a high C until 30!

That was when he began studying the emboucheres of the really great players, especially Harry James and discovered what they were REALLY doing with the chops to play so well. His system is called Superchops (SC for short) and it gives exceptional range, endurance, power and tone!

I'm 50 and switched to Superchops in March. For many years as a performer and soloist I was stuck on a G above high C for maximum range on performances and could squeak a double C on rare occasion. I've picked up an ENTIRE OCTAVE in additional range since switching, with better endurance, power and tone too.

Check out Callet's website. Also, there is a specific section of the Trumpet Herald forum dedicated to Superchops questions and discussions!

BTW, my son switched to SC in April. He's gone from a mediocre high D or E in range to a powerful and sure double C with Superchops, and he's a junior in high school like you! Two of his friends also made the SC switch after our successes. Last year one of them played 3rd cornet part all year . . . this year, as a senior, he's got a big FAT, beautiful double C also!!! The other guy was already a really fine all-state senior trumpeter with a beautiful high G (above high C) range . . . he's also up around double C too now!

Their high school band, West Laurens High School in Dublin, GA has been invited to open the GA Southern/Florida A&M college championship playoff game this Saturday! I don't imagine those colleges and their fans have ever heard a screaming high school trumpet section like they will hear this Saturday. Their trumpets make them sound like a fine college band!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

[Quadruple C]

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 14:43 ]

[scream?]

remeber ....the dub c in channel one is optional......and my advice would be to play lots of clarke very very softly for a long time....like..pppp.....this game me a tremendous build of range in just a few months (and yes, you gotta keep doing it once you have achieved range) good luck

[bachstrad72]

Hey, P M, how ya doin? I was in the band last yr at the State Festival that played Buddy Rich's Timecheck and Give It One (incidentaly I think we both got screwed at state finals). I played the jazz chair, but 4/5 of our trumpet section had a solid high f and our lead player an octave over that, but what we all did was quite simple, we used slight variations on the Louis Maggio system (at least the breathing aspects of it). If you want to try the mouthpieces we used they were Bach 3D, 7D, Reeves 42S, and I used a Warburton 4SV. Nothing really fancy, just something that could handle lots and lots of air. Just remember to take deep relaxed breaths and to get the air moving out at high rates of speed and compression and with TIME your range will increase.
Perry

[ This Message was edited by: bachstrad72 on 2002-01-16 21:47 ]