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Thread: expanding my range

  1. expanding my range

    Since I wan maily a woodwinds person who learned nearly all the reeded instruments(flute Included), the euphonium is my frist venture into the land of brass. I am therfore quite new and have no one around me that I know of that really played brass. The whole aspect of playing the higher notes is new to me. Right now im stuck at the f just below the staff to the f off the staff (in B.C.) and no matter what i do i cant seem to easily get any higher. I figure that it will come with muscle build up over time, but i was wondering if you guys had any special excercises or warm ups, or techniques that help work on expandidng their range. Ive never been actually taught how to play so the problem might also be my ombiture... does any one know how to properly explain it or sosmewhere that i can find out.
    Thanks so much!

  2. expanding my range

    A two octave register would seem fine to me, for someone who is new to playing brass. I wouldn't try and get any higher for a few months, until you have really developed a firm embouchure, with plenty of flexibility. If you attempt to play high notes without proper development, you run the risk of developing some very bad habits, such as pressing, or shifting embouchure, that may seem to solve the problem initially, but that will cause severe hassles later on.
    The special exercises that I know consist of LOTS of practice! Seriously!
    If you are confident that your air supply is well-established, daily buzzing will help gradually extend the range. But be very careful not to press, or shift embouchure.
    Sue

  3. expanding my range

    It's not that I'm not satisfied with my range its just that I would prefer to be able to play higher. I have been playing for almost two years, which is not entirely a long time, but I just fell that I should be able to play higher (in all my books I can play anything except when it gets into the higher range) thanks for your advice Sue.
    -FOREVERlearning

    ps people talk a lot about buzzing. what does this actually consist of... thanks

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    178

    expanding my range

    Try doing a lot of work in the low register. Surprisingly, it helps quite a bit with your upper.

    As far as buzzing, I am personally against it unless it involves a new brass player. Buzzing notes on your mouthpiece does not translate on your horn and is thought by some to be detrimental to ones ear for tone.

  5. #5

    expanding my range

    Buzzing usually means playing/practicing with just the mouthpiece. (There's also "free buzzing," where you don't even use the mouthpiece). Take your mouthpiece and blow into it as you would when you're playing your horn.

    For more information on buzzing and how it can be helpful, see Buzzing on the Mouthpiece

    To play high notes, you need LOTS of air support, so do breathing exercises. Curiously enough, playing long, soft notes in the low register helps develop the upper register. Practice scales 'til your sick of them, then practice them some more. Also, lip slurs!

  6. expanding my range

    I've been playing for a while now... well... not for 20 years or anything, but certainly to the point where i'm not a beginning level player. I can that for me, the free buzzing exercises are great. I still use free buzzing to this day, and it really helps to develop your lip muscles. If you can free buzz a high Bb without the aid of a mouthpiece, then once you use the mouthpiece and you have the rim holding your lips in place, you will certainly be able to play significantly higher than you can free buzz. Of course, using the proper amount of air is extremely important. But all the air in the world won't help you unless you have the sheer lip muscle strength to buzz the note that you're trying to play. Thats just my humble two cents.... use free buzzing, it works!
    Gregory E. Lopes
    Euphonium player
    US Navy Band Great Lakes
    US Navy Music Program, 2009-Present

    Besson Prestige 2052

  7. expanding my range

    Several people helped me out with this--lots of long, quiet notes to build the muscles. Add a harmonic a month. Another was to play hymns, in octaves. It has helped, even though I have switched over to tuba.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853

    expanding my range

    These are all good suggestions above. I just saw a post on TubeNet that addresses 'higher range'. Pay particular attention to Roger Lewis' post where he uses the analogy of a bass drum vs snare drum. Pretty informative. Roger Lewis is a professional tubist in the Midwest -- formally from WWBW.

    Here's are both links:

    High register embouchure puzzler

    Roger Lewis' "Okay - High range....."
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  9. expanding my range

    Play marches. Fillmore, Alexander, Sousa and good German marches will help a lot. Any march. Play them slow, play them fast. Some are very melodic but many have low to high ranges. Play long slow notes and don't force anything above the concert F above the scale. Practice at least two hours a day, and maybe split it up. I'll help a lot.

  10. expanding my range

    Oh, if you buzz, do it as softly as possible. Never, ever buzz loud and hard.

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