Posted by Daryl on October 13, 1999 at 21:15:25:
Hi list,
I'm sure this is a subject that's been hit on MANY times, but I thought I'd ask again just for the amusement of it all...:)
I'm preparing some pieces for a recital, and one of the demands of the music that I am performing is that I develop a consistant, musically pleasant high register up to approximately Gb 3. In order to feel confident about my ability to play that high under duress, I would like to develop my high register to about A-Bb 3. I currently call F3 my extreme musically satisfying high note. Some of the means I am using to try and reach that goal are -
extensive mouthpiece practice; buzzing pitches on mouthpiece without use of excess pressure or resistance.
lip slurs in mid register
octave displacement - playing passages in lower octave to gain confidence and recreating in the upper register with the same "feel"
smaller mouthpiece buzzing - trombone and trumpet
If anyone has any methods of developing their upper register that they found highly effective or that I haven't mentioned yet, please feel free to chime in!
Daryl