Building Strength and High Range

[davewerden]

One strength-building technique that was popular while I was in college (many years ago) was to blow through the overtone series. You should press all 3 valves and start on a low F-sharp at ff. (Or press all 4 and start on treble clef D or C# an octave below the staff, for bass clef that would be low C or B natural below the staff.) Then slur at that volume up and down the overtone series trying to hit every partial along the way. It sounds pretty gross but does help build strength.

I learned a great technique for building range from jazz euphoniumist Rich Matteson. He would use 2-octave major scales, starting on a low, comfortable note at about mf and doing a crescendo to the top of the scale. He tried to keep the tone quality about the same as he went up the scale. Then he would start a half-step higher and do the same thing, continuing this way until he reaches the highest note he can play. The trick is to keep the crescendo and tone quality as you go up. Because of that, you need to slur the scales - you want to keep the air uninterrupted all the way up.

As you get stronger and better at doing this exercise, try sustaining the top note longer. Also, when you get to the top note, hold it for a couple seconds and then continue by playing down the scale. That helps develop control of your new-found strength. As you turn around and start down the scale, you'll find that you have more "opportunities" to lose control of the notes. It's much better to have the control to do something flexible with those high notes rather than just getting there and stopping.

The "Matteson technique" will force you to use lots of air and will build your high-range strength like nothing else I have found. Not using enough air means that the horn is acting more as a megaphone. But as you use more and more air strength, you are encouraging the horn to resonate. Once that happens you will find that your high notes are "slotted" into a real pitch, which makes you sound dramatically better!

I demonstrate this in the video below:

https://youtu.be/VTJ4Gb9aBTE



Keyword: highrange

[fsung]

Building Strength and High Range

Quick question: are these exercises to be done in one breath? Seems that that should be the case.

[davewerden]

Building Strength and High Range

Originally posted by: fsung

Quick question: are these exercises to be done in one breath? Seems that that should be the case.

Yes, that's the idea. The main goal of the exercise is to get you to use your air effectively, keeping a steady flow throughout the scale. That's why I always slur the exercise - it keeps the air moving and helps you get the idea of increasing the effort as you go higher (because you are trying to create a crescendo).

If you can't make the full two octaves in one breath, then stop in the middle, breathe, and start the 2nd octave at the same volume you just arrived at. As long as you keep the crescendo to the top it should still work.

[Tubatasm]

Building Strength and High Range

This should help with me increasing my range on the Bass Trombone. Thanks Dave!

[Snorlax]

Building Strength and High Range

Rich also worked through this with me at the Tubaranch many years ago, and the payoff is quick and long-lasting if you maintain it.

Chester Schmitz has also said on many occasions that ascending lip slurs are the key to building a strong embouchure.

Matteson-Schmitz-Werden...I'll heed that advice!! ;-)

Jim W.

[qwertre]

Building Strength and High Range

Overtone Series?

[DaveBj]

Building Strength and High Range

I've been short-winded all my life (even before I started smoking, and in spite of the fact that 1) I haven't smoked since 1972, and 2) I'm a middle-distance bicycle rider. Two-octave scales ascending and descending are not quite doable for me.

I do a one-octave ascending scale with a hold on the top note, and then a 7-8-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 descent. I start this on a low Eb, and take it up chromatically until I'm bouncing off a high C or Db at the top.

Then I play through whatever familiar hymn tune comes to my head, starting on a low key and taking it chromatically up until I can't go any higher.

Another thing I do to work the extremes of the range is to do a 5-8 (hold)-5-3-1 and on down into the pedal range. On a good night I can start from a high Bb and go to and hold a high Eb. The Eb ain't pretty, but if I can do that, I should be to do a Db that's sort of pretty.

One of my tuba-playing friends in the community band is always challenging me on pedal notes. It will be interesting how that works out after the Schiller arrives.

[TomErvin]

Building Strength and High Range

Try it faster, the scales part, hustle. I'd like to suggest my book, "Rangebuilding on the Trombone," which will be just fine for euphs also. $8, heck, why not?

The book addresses range, accuracy, endurance, agility, flexibility and more.

Now, I did use Concert Treble Clef for the high stuff in that book, not Bflat treble. You'll manage.

[ChristianeSparkle]

Just double checking, so basically, I try to slur from the low Bb chromatically up as high as I can, try to hold the highest hold with the same quality, then slur back down?

[davewerden]

Just double checking, so basically, I try to slur from the low Bb chromatically up as high as I can, try to hold the highest hold with the same quality, then slur back down?

Not exactly. The very first exercise I mention is not a scale - you just blow through all the notes you can get with one fingering. But the scale exercise is a normal, major scale. The key ingredient there is to crescendo toward the top. If coming back down is too much for your air supply, then just finish at the top note.

[ChristianeSparkle]

Not exactly. The very first exercise I mention is not a scale - you just blow through all the notes you can get with one fingering. But the scale exercise is a normal, major scale. The key ingredient there is to crescendo toward the top. If coming back down is too much for your air supply, then just finish at the top note.

Oh, I misread it!

So

1) 1st exercise is the strength building one where you hold down 3 valves and blow through all the notes.

2) 2nd is the Matteson Technique, involves playing 2 octaves of a major scale upwards, while doing a crescendo. So there's no need to play every chromatic notes while going up. I am guessing the following means playing the next major scale?

Then he would start a half-step higher and do the same thing

is that correct?

Thank you so much, sir!

[davewerden]

Oh, I misread it!

So

1) 1st exercise is the strength building one where you hold down 3 valves and blow through all the notes.

2) 2nd is the Matteson Technique, involves playing 2 octaves of a major scale upwards, while doing a crescendo. So there's no need to play every chromatic notes while going up. I am guessing the following means playing the next major scale?


is that correct?

Thank you so much, sir!

Yes, that's it. For the first one you can also use all 4 valves, which I find more valuable.

[iiipopes]

One strength-building technique that was popular while I was in college (many years ago) was to blow through the overtone series. You should press all 3 valves and start on a low F-sharp at ff. (Or press all 4 and start on treble clef D or C# an octave below the staff, for bass clef that would be low C or B natural below the staff.) Then slur at that volume up and down the overtone series trying to hit every partial along the way. It sounds pretty gross but does help build strength.

I learned a great technique for building range from jazz euphoniumist Rich Matteson. He would use 2-octave major scales, starting on a low, comfortable note at about mf and doing a crescendo to the top of the scale. He tried to keep the tone quality about the same as he went up the scale. Then he would start a half-step higher and do the same thing, continuing this way until he reaches the highest note he can play. The trick is to keep the crescendo and tone quality as you go up. Because of that, you need to slur the scales - you want to keep the air uninterrupted all the way up.

As you get stronger and better at doing this exercise, try sustaining the top note longer. Also, when you get to the top note, hold it for a couple seconds and then continue by playing down the scale. That helps develop control of your new-found strength. As you turn around and start down the scale, you'll find that you have more "opportunities" to lose control of the notes. It's much better to have the control to do something flexible with those high notes rather than just getting there and stopping.

The "Matteson technique" will force you to use lots of air and will build your high-range strength like nothing else I have found. Not using enough air means that the horn is acting more as a megaphone. But as you use more and more air strength, you are encouraging the horn to resonate. Once that happens you will find that your high notes are "slotted" into a real pitch, which makes you sound dramatically better!

Keyword: highrange

This. ^

[gmck2101]

about how fast should these scales be played

[davewerden]

about how fast should these scales be played

Medium or slow, depending on your air supply. You have to be able to hear the tone/volume of each note.