Re: Help with high register please!


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Posted by Tim on December 06, 2001 at 18:57:08:

In Reply to: Help with high register please! posted by David E-S on December 06, 2001 at 18:00:11:

One major thing that helped me when I started playing in the extreme registers of the tuba(approx. Eb-Bb above the staff) I found that one of the best things for me to do was buzzing with and without the mouthpiece, as free buzzing made me develop the muscles in my face even more, while not allowing myself to use the pressure of the mouthpiece and tuba to inhibit my lips from buzzing. I found that it took quite a while to play up there with confidence, but all it took was patience, and work. Having literature that makes you play up there is a good aid, because if you're not working on something musical up there, it will get boring very quickly. Another way I've found it to pick up another intrument... namely the euph/trombone or trumpet. I played trombone all this last summer in a band and came back to tuba after being on the road for a couple weeks and I busted out a couple solos that I would be working on for my school audition and I swear that after the first hour or so of awkwardness of getting my tone back the way I wanted, my flexibility in my high register was astounding. All I had to do was keep it up. My endurance wasn't all it could be, going from a Bach 3G T-bone mouthpiece to my Shilke Helleburg II. I hurt after about a couple hours of playing in the register, but it was there. Now that I've been working that register regularly all this semester, I'm able to use soft dynamics and finesse up there. I hope this has helped at least some!

-Tim


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