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Thread: Warming up the high notes

  1. #11

    Warming up the high notes

    Originally posted by: PatRyan44

    Thanks to the responses to my original post. The jury passed successfully yesterday. (A listerner told me it was "serious badassery;" made my day.)




    What I discovered worked for me was to warm up carefully, then play the whole solo full out, then not play anything for about 15 minutes, then play the solo for real. All the high range was there with this technique, and the fluffs in the earlier runthrough were gone.




    But I'd still like to know the physiology of the upper lip to understand exactly what is being wamed up -- capillaries, muscles, etc. -- and its effect on the music.




    Thanks to all.
    It's been my theme lately for people with questions about physiology, ergonomics, musculature, etc. etc. to seek a trained (medical) expert as opposed to professional/amateur performers. Brass playing hasn't been nailed down to a strict science yet, which is why everyone does things differently and can have radically different approached.

    Oystein Baadsvik's warmup is the hardest, highest, fastest, and loudest thing he can think of! Might as weel start out flying!!! For me...I need a good hour in the morning to connect myself to my instrument...but that's ME!

    Your procedure is a very good one, with a good warmup, easy runthrough, 15-minute rest..and go for it! In terms of "physiology" of the lips in the high range you must focus more on air movement and oral cavity than the musculature. Think air and shape, not body.

    Hope this helps!

  2. #12
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    Warming up the high notes

    Good points made. Interesting to read the responses. I tell students this, and they never believe me, but I never, EVER practice high range. Especially more recently (within the last year or so) I find myself working more and more on my LOW range (particularly pedal register) and that has improved my high register quite a bit. I tend to just use my ear and hear a nice "singing" pitch up there, and "make" my body produce it. When I was younger, I used to really tense up and force the muscles to play very high notes. Let's face it, we all try to play as high as possible when we're younger...ha! I believe that I "accidentally" got stronger facial muscles because of this! I have gravitated away from that idea and tend to just use strong air support, an open aperture, and constantly think VOCAL. I tend to not close the aperture or make it smaller, as some teachers will teach, nor do I necessarily think of rolling in my bottom lip for high and out for low. I guess most of it is just hearing the pitches with the timbre that I want to produce. Not scientific, I know, but it's what helps me greatly. All great points above made!
    Brandon Jones
    Principal Euphonium - The United States Air Force Band, Washington, D.C.
    bmjones82@gmail.com

  3. #13

    Warming up the high notes

    Great advice as always from Brandon...as a side note you should check his power lessons on the ITEA website!!

  4. #14

    Warming up the high notes

    As an interesting bit of trivia, especially apropos here, Doc Severinsen was said to have been kicked out of the Army/Navy School of Music because he refused to change his embouchure. For a guy to be so "wrong" he sure got great results!

    Thanks.
    Best Regards,
    Don Brown
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  5. Hello, one of my warmup exercises is to take a familiar hymn tune and play it in progressively higher keys until I can't hit the highest note any.
    Last edited by RickF; 09-16-2012 at 07:19 PM.

  6. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    ...
    For future reference, there is an interesting set of videos I have uploaded to my YouTube channel. It's about an hour and a half for all three, and they walk through Doc Severinsen's warmup on trumpet. It was Doc presenting in front of a Trumpet Guild audience, and it sounds as though it really was him warming up - that is, he did not sound at all warmed up when he started. Here is the first:

    http://www.youtube.com/dwerden#p/u/9/7u95lHDPqwI




    Is this link still correct? When I clicked on it, I got a nice recording of Superman, while watching a picture slideshow of Doc Sev.
    My horn: Yamaha 642II Neo. My mouthpieces: Yamaha 51D, Yamaha 53SH, Denis Wick SM4X Ultra, Doug Elliot 104 J8

  7. #17
    If you just click on "Browse Videos" and scroll that page down you'll find them. I linked to my channel, and there has been more stuff added since then.

    Here is the first one to get you started:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u95lHDPqwI
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  8. #18
    Thanks, but I don't like the part where he tells me I need to work hard to be good. I was hoping for the "secret" that makes me awesome!
    My horn: Yamaha 642II Neo. My mouthpieces: Yamaha 51D, Yamaha 53SH, Denis Wick SM4X Ultra, Doug Elliot 104 J8

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