Extreme High Register Playing

[Tubaguyjoe]

Hey everyone, im having a few problems with my extreme high register(above F above the staff). I have been approaching it many different ways. One teacher has said that I should physically move my embouchure and have a "high set". This works well, being that I can instantly hit a Double Bb or C without too much trouble. Essentially it turns my tuba embouchure into a Euphonium or Trombone embouchure...providing for less physical effort. Although it changes my tone quite a bit(for the worse) and it would not work for passages that need to be slurred up to that register. I can try to manipulate the tone to sound the way I want it too again, but its not the same, I like the tone I have now, and I dont see a reason I should fix something that isnt broken. The second is the concept of air with the single embouchure. I believe this has more potential in the end for success although it dosent come as easily as the first option for me. I can hit an F and Ab pretty solidly...but it also makes me real tired if I have to stay up there where as the other embouchure allows me to relax a little more. Its a little hard while I have a teacher whom I respect very much who says that I should not bother the embouchure I have now. Im toying with all these options...trying to figure out the way that works for me. Im wondering for those of you who have already worked this problem out...if you had the same issues...or how you did it. If there are any "tricks" or air issues that I have not dealt with yet. For those of you who are teaching this to your students...what do you teach them? Thanks for your input.

-Joe

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

Try leaning forward as you ascend. The angle the air moves into the horn changes, thus making it a little bit easier to play high(er).

[tubatooter1940]

Breath support is vital. No need to be much louder but need plenty-o-air to support the note.
Spend a little more time up high, at first, at your practice sessions. If you feel you're making progress, increase the time somewhat but do not push it to the point where you find yourself using pressure to compensate for a tired embochure.
I was told Doc Severinson would hang a trumpet on a string from the ceiling, and with no hands, put his lips on the mouthpiece and play his highest notes.

[hbcrandy]

If you are not affilcted with perfect pitch, I have a high register building exercise that has worked well for both me and with some of my private students.

On your mouthpiece, alone, buzz the lowest note you that you can buzz. Starting on that note, buzz a major scale up and down without stopping. Also, without stopping, when you hit the bottom of the major scale, go directly up one step to the second degree of the scale that you just buzzed and hold it for a bit to get the pitch in your head. When you stop buzzing, sing the pitch you are buzzing as "Do" (movable do solfege syllable for the tonic of a major scale). Buzz a major scale based on the new note you just assigned as "Do" and repeat the process as described above until the top fo the scale you are buzzing becomes impossible to buzz because it is, as of now, too high.

If you do not have perfect pitch and cannot tell the name of the note you are buzzing, you will have no other perceptual cues to tell how high the top note is. Repeat this exercise daily. It will strengthen your embechoure and solidify your ear for high recgester pitches. With this execise, you will not know it, but the highest pitche that you can buzz will increase over time. When you go back to your instrument, you will find, from the mouthpiece buzzing in general, that the tuba is now easier to play. Also, because you have increased the strength of your musculature, your high register will be better.

[quinterbourne]

Just do what I do when I hit extremely high passages - I scream the pitches through the horn. It's amazing how many people think this is normal.

To be clear, I'm not seriously suggesting that.

I think it is vital to not spend too much time in the upper register. Come back down frequently to give your muscles a rest. I could elaborate... but don't really want to (just got all 4 wisdom teeth removed and am highly medicated).

[Carroll]

Try leaning forward as you ascend. The angle the air moves into the horn changes, thus making it a little bit easier to play high(er).

This is actually the advice I give lots of my students. When you talk to some guy who has high chops they will tell you what they do. What I believe is that they do not really KNOW what they do. Let me elaborate. When we play brass instruments, a lot of things are happening inside our mouth that we cannot see. Some guys say they change the shape of their oral cavities (oh shape to eee shape) some guys say they arch their tongue (raised for higher notes - flat for lower notes) some guys say they aim the air high in the mouthpiece for low notes and low in the mouthpiece for high notes. Some guys lean forward and backwards for register changes. I think that all of these things are essentially the same thing, just conceptualized differently.

Especially when I have non-brass palying student teachers who want to increase trumpet range, I have them hold their hand out in front of their face. Then they form an embouchure and blow on their hand. This would represent the air direction for a "G" in the staff. Then I have them hold their hand above their head and blow on it. This would be low "C". When they do this they push their jaw out, open up the oral cavity and flatten out the tongue. Then I have them hold their hand at belly level. When they blow in their hand they pull the jaw back, reduce the size of the oral cavity, arch the tongue and usaully speed up the airstream. This yeilds a "C" in the staff.

Try these exercises and see if it works in your head. Then you will have a launching point for what you can think of to play higher notes.

[Kevin Hendrick]

I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned Roger Lewis yet in this thread ... check out his posts in the following threads:

viewtopic.php?t=4051

viewtopic.php?t=4196

viewtopic.php?t=4904

viewtopic.php?t=5003

viewtopic.php?t=8489

Hope this helps!

[Kevin Hendrick]

Perhaps poomshanka's thread should be brought, once again, to the fore.

viewtopic.php?t=11582

Now there's exactly what this world needs -- tuba players with an 8-octave range ...

[SplatterTone]

exactly what this world needs -- tuba players with an 8-octave range ...

The music to which is shown here:
viewtopic.php?t=11774

[Shockwave]

Playing that high, the horn really doesnt do anything so you can practice with just the mouthpieces slurring up and down over and over, resting, and slurring up and down over and over again. Never do it when your lips feel tired. It takes a lot of practice, and trust me, nobody wants to hear you practice screech tuba!

-Eric

[Norm in Bellevue]

I was told Doc Severinson would hang a trumpet on a string from the ceiling, and with no hands, put his lips on the mouthpiece and play his highest notes.

Doc Severinson was in Seattle last week for a series of concerts with the Seattle Symphony. My teacher, Ryan Schultz, replaced an ailing Chris Olka. There was a master class which Ryan attended. Some young kid was advocating using pressure for high notes. Then Doc did exactly what was described above. That shut up the kid! BTW, Doc is now 78 years young.

[Haugan]

High is just a faster vibration. Think about it.