Exercises/Notes for the Extended Ranges

[Argus]

One of my focuses last semester has been the extended registers, both high and low. While I have made some progress, I believe there are bad habits and/or incorrect technique with my embochure. The highs (past C5) are thin, and puffy-sounding. The lows are not full, and sound almost growling at times (using the trigger exacerbates this).

One thing I've also noticed with my playing is that I often set my embochure for the first note's range that I will play, however, I cannot transition to one more suited for the register above/below it when I ascend or descend (e.g, playing a Bb major scale from bottom of bass clef two octaves up, I have to pause at a certain point to readjust my embochure in order to play up high).

How can I revamp the way I approach transitioning between registers, and set myself up for success later on when studying the extended ranges themselves? Any books or exercises catering to this would be appreciated, as well as instruction on the mechanics of these topics.

[Burgerbob]

There are many things that need to align for ranges to all function with each other. The exercise that helped me the most (again, out of many things) was playing two octave scales, all 12 keys, starting going up and also going down. You have to play them all in one setting, perhaps with one breath, and with an articulation that will work for the entire range. This will REALLY tie together ranges that were disparate before.

[Bach5G]

William Lang has several videos on YouTube on developing range. Worth checking out.

[norbie2018]

I've been using William's suggestions re 2 octave arpeggios for about a month and things are slowly coming together.

[tbdana]

I do two-octave scales daily. I start on low B flat and go up to high B flat, and back down. Then I move up a half-step at a time chromatically until I get to the double high B flat or as high as I can go. Just as important as playing the scales up and down, is playing them down and up, starting on the high note and going down two octaves.

I’m no embouchure expert, but from your description, it sounds like you might be able to benefit from one of the things that I’ve been doing from the moment I started playing again. That is to start by playing a note in the middle register somewhere with a natural feel. Middle B flat or the F above it. Then, without taking a breath or changing anything, move to the starting note and do the two-octave scale.

As you get better at doing this, you can then try doing three-octave scales. And what I end every scale exercise session with is to start on a pedal be flat and play scale to high double B flat (or as high as I can go) and back down, just to set one embouchure for the entire range of the horn.

Those who are experts in embouchures can tell you if this is a good technique for the average person trying to improve range, but it's what has worked for me.

[Wilktone]

Sorry to hear that you're having some struggles, Argus.

Keep in mind that I haven't watched you play, but from what you described my guess is that you're embouchure type switching. There are three basic embouchure patterns that all players fall into, depending on the musician's anatomy. If you play with an embouchure type that doesn't fit your face it will be harder. If you switch around between two of them it can be even worse.

What you'll want to do is figure out if your high register embouchure or low register setting is correct for your anatomy and then learn to play that way. Without watching you play, I would suggest starting off with the high range setting and see if you can learn to descend from there.

If you are able to post video to look at I might get a better idea. Better still, if you're interested in taking online lessons I can recommend my teacher, Doug Elliott, who is one of the moderators here and will probably see this topic sooner or later. I also teach online lessons, if you can't connect with Doug.

Dave

[baileyman]

...start by playing a note in the middle register somewhere. Middle B flat or the F above it. Then, without taking a breath or changing anything, move to the starting note and do the two active scale.
...

Les Benedict guided me toward starting on that F and then moving away. It flat-out works. We now call it "the effing set".

[Doug Elliott]

I'm here if you need help.
Skype...

[UrbanaDave]

…Then, without taking a breath or changing anything, move to the starting note and do the two-octave scale.

I don’t quite understand this part. Help me understand?

[Doug Elliott]

I use the same aporoach.
Let's say you want to play a two octave scale, low F to high F. Play the high F first, then immediately drop to the low F starting note of the scale. So your initial "set" is F above the staff. Instead of setting for the low F.

"without taking a breath or changing anything" is the important part.
Well you actually do need to change some things a bit, but not your mouthpiece placement.

[UrbanaDave]

I use the same aporoach.
Let's say you want to play a two octave scale, low F to high F. Play the high F first, then immediately drop to the low F starting note of the scale. So your initial "set" is F above the staff. Instead of setting for the low F.

"without taking a breath or changing anything" is the important part.
Well you actually do need to change some things a bit, but not your mouthpiece placement.

… And taking breaths as needed throughout the scale, I assume. Or can everyone do this in one breath? If so, I will just quit now.

[tbdana]

I use the same aporoach.
Let's say you want to play a two octave scale, low F to high F. Play the high F first, then immediately drop to the low F starting note of the scale. So your initial "set" is F above the staff. Instead of setting for the low F.

"without taking a breath or changing anything" is the important part.
Well you actually do need to change some things a bit, but not your mouthpiece placement.

… And taking breaths as needed throughout the scale, I assume. Or can everyone do this in one breath? If so, I will just quit now.

If you play 8th notes at 120bpm it takes only 10 seconds.

[Bach5G]

I found this thread very instructive and helpful.

[WilliamLang]

On the relationship between a good low range and a good high range...

I think practicing the low range only and hoping to magically have a high range would be misguided. But making sure then it's a connection between registers and a timbral consistency from low to high can be really nice.

One view that like to encourage my students to think about: if you want to build a tall house, would you rather build it on sand or concrete?

[tbdana]

One view that like to encourage my students to think about: if you want to build a tall house, would you rather build it on sand or concrete?

Sand, for sure. It means I live at the beach rather than in the concrete jungle.

Oh, wait a minute. Hmm, I think I must have misunderstood the assignment. Never mind!

[UrbanaDave]

This strand opened my eyes to the notion of working downward from a good embouchure setting in the middle/upper register. I’ve found this quite helpful.

[Wilktone]

One view that like to encourage my students to think about: if you want to build a tall house, would you rather build it on sand or concrete?

Minor quibble on this analogy - when we are discussing "building" the upper register sometimes it gets framed as the lower register is the "foundation" that builds up to the high register. Sometimes (maybe even more often than not?) we should be thinking of the upper register as the foundation.

[Doug Elliott]

Dave beat me to it

[baileyman]

I use the same aporoach.
Let's say you want to play a two octave scale, low F to high F. Play the high F first, then immediately drop to the low F starting note of the scale. So your initial "set" is F above the staff. Instead of setting for the low F.

"without taking a breath or changing anything" is the important part.
Well you actually do need to change some things a bit, but not your mouthpiece placement.

… And taking breaths as needed throughout the scale, I assume. Or can everyone do this in one breath? If so, I will just quit now.

Sure, you can take breaths, if you do it the way Sam Burtis did.

When you need a breathe, pause, don't change anything, just suck in, then continue where you were on the same note.

This will mean getting a lot of air through your nose and through the horn through your set backwards, and maybe some will sneak in through the corners, but those should be sealed as usual. Sam thought this is the only way to do a breath without changing anything.

These scales are not tryout pieces. Just get from top to bottom and back or as far as you can without changing things along the way. Slur and smear is a great way to avoid changing things with your tongue.