Play in high register without working chops too hard?

[The Tuba Fish]

I'm a student, and my biggest issue right now in playing is my ability to only play in the high register (from roughly G at the top of the staff to the F above middle C) by tightening my embouchure, and moving my lips to the top of the mouthpiece and pressing tightly. It not only feels awkward to be constantly changing my embouchure as I play higher and lower, but it exhausts my lips very quickly. I've been told and assume that the high register is produced by a very fast, focused airstream, but I can't seem to produce fast enough air to play above the F in the staff with good stability or tone quality, even though I attempt to buzz and play long-tones in this range. From any other student who once dealt with this problem, or from any of the experienced tubists, could I get some advice to help me fix this issue?

[Wes Krygsman]

I can relate a bit. I still struggle with high range and "changing" embouchure positions in the high range from time to time, but I have made a ton of progress recently.

Here are a few suggestions that helped me that could help:

First of all, don't only practice playing high. It can be very tiring and taxing, and doing it incorrectly will make that happen faster. Make sure to have a good "Balanced diet" in your practicing and balance your high playing with low playing and periods of rest. Same with louds and softs. Talk to some of the people with playing jobs and most will tell you that whatever their ensemble is doing that week, (loud, soft, high, low etc) most players will practice the opposite skill that isn't being worked that week to balance it out and stay fresh for their performances.

Next, ask yourself what note/notes do you sound absolutely great on? These usually are in your middle range and can be considered your comfort zone. Take the tone of those great sounding notes, even if it's just one note (an F below the staff maybe), and use them as a sound model to try to "spread" that same sound out to the other notes directly above and below them. (see Chris Olka's DOW Peanut Butter Long tones on youtube)

Hitting the notes you sound good on first helps you remember a great tone each time (like Remington's long tones), before going on to a note that might not be as comfortable. Your goal is to make those "extreme" range notes sound the same(tone quality-wise) as your middle range/comfort zone. By playing as high and as low as you can daily, your body gets used to those notes and they become part of your comfort zone. (same with louds and softs btw). Keep pushing a note or 2 higher or lower weekly or even monthly to keep making progress.

Higher notes are just a faster vibration than low notes. Make sure you are not restricting your air. Many players choke the airstream with the throat or the lips being too tight. I have had success working on this by buzzing on the mouthpiece alone sitting with a piano and doing patterns with it progressing higher and lower, then doing them on the horn, sometimes back to back right. (once again see Chris Olka's recent DOW for the Building Bridges)
Some examples of buzzing exercises(scale degrees used, 1=first note of scale, 2 is next higher note etc.)
1,2,1,(lower)7,1.....1,2,3,2,1.....1 gliss up to 5 gliss back down to 1.....1 gliss to the octave, then back down to 1
Do these starting on every note moving up and down the keyboard. When you hit a note that doesn't sound good anymore, take a break, then start a few notes back in the direction you came from and work back up towards it, trying to retain the comfort and sound of the "easier" notes.

Using scale patterns, major, minor, chromatic, or arpeggios can really help push range. Start with a low F and play a 1 octave scale up and down, then an F#/Gb scale, then a G scale, going up each scale chromatically until you reach F again. Then do F 2 octaves and do the same thing. Then 3, then 4, then 5(start in the pedal octave). Do the arpeggios same way, both slurred and tongued, pushing higher and lower.

An obvious one that escaped me for years was to take all the music I was playing (mostly etudes) and do it as written, then up and down an octave. I usually go up an octave first, then try it down. If that works out easily, try up and down 2 octaves. Try to retain all great qualities of the "easy" range.

Lastly, just jump octaves. Start on an F below the staff, play 3 half notes then jump up an octave to 3 F half notes, and try not to let much change happen in tone or physical motion. Then do the same going up and down chromatically.

THE SUMMATION
Challenge yourself to go higher and lower (and louder and softer) everyday doing anything you can think of, but make sure you keep your best sound throughout your range as the most important factor. No one wants to hear tubas squeaking and squawking above the staff, or farting and flapping lower and lower, if the tubist has bad tone. But if you sound good going all the way down and up your range, people will take notice for the right reasons, and there will be little music that you can't play.

or just get a teacher and ask them

Good Luck!

[k001k47]

As I understand the definition, this is "anaerobic".

When you're watching TV, driving your car, riding your bike, walking between classes, riding in a bus (anywhere...as long as you don't think someone is going to alert the authorities because you have a weird expression on your face) you can form a "firm" embouchure and hold it for an extended period of time. Those muscles (aside from regular tuba practice) will eventually become stronger and more able to endure.

This. One wouldn't waltz into a gym, sit on a bench and try to bench press 300 pounds right away. It's a process, and really just takes doing and finding your own way.

[Donn]

I'm for more skill and less strength, somewhat as your thread title puts it.

One thing that has been a little help with me lately is getting the air on it a hair earlier. It's kind of like surfing, your lips being the board and the air being the wave.

[Jay Bertolet]

I guess much of this is pretty subjective, as in how do you define "too hard"? That said, my first reaction to the original poster's thread title was that you will work your chops too hard in the high range if you're doing it wrong.

This is a very complex playing issue that spans a whole lot of areas of your playing (physical, mechanical, mental, etc.) so there is no one easy answer. My best advice is to find a private teacher who understands how to play with limited physical exertion in the upper range and spend time with that person to learn the process. Understand that there is no guarantee that the professional player down the street from you, who may be a really excellent player and teacher, will be able to help in this area. Not everyone solves this issue the same way. As alluded to in previous posts in this thread, some players choose the route of strengthening their embouchure rather than changing production technique to make upper range playing easier for them by virtue of increased embouchure strength. My opinion is that this will work but it is unsustainable in the long term. My choice was to pursue a less physical approach to upper range playing such that I could rely on my ability to continue to play that way for a very long time. When deciding on an instructor to help you in this area, be sure to ask the right questions regarding this topic to determine which method that teacher employs.

If you're ever in South Florida, look me up. I use and teach this technique with all my students. Good luck!

[pwhitaker]

http://www.chisham.com/tips/bbs/jan2003 ... 20672.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Roger Lewis]

Go here. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4051&p=29149&hilit= ... nge#p29149" target="_blank

Roger

[Donn]

http://www.chisham.com/tips/bbs/jan2003 ... 20672.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

Note though, that part of that could be upside down, for the OP. Specifically going on this --

moving my lips to the top of the mouthpiece

-- and granted, he's not happy with how it's working and this could be part of the problem, but assuming it's his natural correct-for-him placement, then he's presumably an "upstream" player, right? That's how I roll, and detailed instructions like the above, that try to take you in the opposite direction, caused me a lot of grief.

[Doug Elliott]

Exactly. That's the problem with generic instructions, even if they work great for the vast majority of players.

An upstream embouchure is basically an upside-down version of the most common downstream embouchure, but not entirely.

[J.c. Sherman]

Two things I always preach; the second lesson I had to have slapped across my face:

1) fast air... if it's hard work, you're doing it wrong. Ask a flautist.

2) If you want to learn to play high - play high. It will not come otherwise.

Experimentation and practice is the key. We are the only ones with us every single time we play... if it ain't workin', we must try something else.

My favorite access exercise? Arpeggios: low F-A-C-F.... (down) C-A-F. G-B-D-G....D-B-G... etc. until I get to the next octave F... then I add the lower octave (F-A-C-F-A-C-F.... back down). I move up diatonically - I've not got all day! When it starts to sound like a pigeon fart in an empty silo, you're done. Try again tomorrow.

Nothing is as hard as our minds can make it! play tunes you know that ascend. Use finale, and pump out a tune a tone higher every week. Whatever it takes... including patience. Just don't make un-pretty sounds.

Off soapbox.

J.c.S.

[swillafew]

If you can't afford the teacher, get the book "The Art of Trombone Playing" by Edward Kleinhammer, and take a look at the range on the exercises, and read what he has to say about an acceptable amount of mouthpiece buzzing.