Range issues?

[Euphonium15]

Hello, this is my very first post on here and I'm hoping I'm in the right spot haha. I've been having issues with my range when I'm playing a piece, like say there is a High A flat in a piece.. I can hit the note comfortably when I am doing a scale or warm up, but when it comes to putting it into context in a piece it comes out very sloppy and out of tune. Any tips or is it just a matter of air?

[davewerden]

Welcome to the forum!

I did move the thread you created to a more fitting topic.

There is one overwhelming principle to keep in mind. Anything that is at the "edges" of your technique will be undependable in many circumstances. So you need to work on your range so you have several notes above the Ab. And the high notes should have fullness of tone and be playable at piano and at forte (within your scale practice). That's the foundation for your goal.

Next you can build on that foundation. You need to be able to hit the Ab in other contexts. While you're at it, work on the other high notes, too. There are probably plenty of exercises that could be used, but let's look at a simply concept - extending your scales to create an exercise.

Let's start on a Bb scale (I assume you are talking about bass clef notes). Start on your low Bb and play a scale up and down one octave. Make sure all the notes sound good, with center and tone. Play the scales slurred, then play them again tongued. The tempo should not be too fast.

Go back to the lower scale. Play the low Bb and slur up to the middle Bb. Then go to the C and do the same thing. And so on. Tempo and rhythm are not important - do it as you please. At all times strive for a good sound on each note.

Do this again, but this time tongue each note.

Now get a little more creative. Play 2 eighth notes on the low octave followed immediately by a quarter note on the octave above. If that is too difficult to make it sound good, then instead play Bb-F-Bb (16th, 16th, 8th). Bb-F are the 1st and 5th note of the scale. Use that pattern when you move to C: C-G-C.

Next play 8th-note low Bb, 8th-note Bb an octave up, quarter-note Bb in the low octave again.

You can vary the patterns more with dotted rhythms, varied dynamics, etc.

If none of this works well, then you might also do some mouthpiece practice, playing simple songs you know on the mouthpiece alone. It could be your chops need help to be accurate - the horn can't do it alone! But I think the exercises above will get you where you want to go. The nice thing is they are "portable". You don't need to have a book with you. Any place you are as you warm up or practice you can do some of these. Just don't overdo at first. If you reach a point of diminishing returns, move on to some other stuff and come back to the exercises the next day.

[TheJH]

something I picked up when struggling with my high range (I still do as a matter of fact) is that you need to have the sound and pitch of the note you want to play in your head. Also, practicing lip slurs help me in making my muscles stronger and more flexible, so I have more control over them when I go into the high range.
Air is important of course. along with general tone/soundbuilding, try to practice long notes in your high range to know how they sound, how the 'feedback' of your instrument feels when you play that note, and to let your lips get used to playing that note.