The Mysteriously Disappeared High Register

[trombonesLOUDERplease]

I'm a comeback player, into classical playing. My once glorious high register has mysteriously disappeared, despite weeks now of slowly getting back in shape.

I can manage a few high B-flat long tones, but they get airy-sounding pretty quickly, and eventually just cave, entirely.



Just for context...the following playing technique and gear USED TO afford me with easy-peasy high-Cs...and if necessary, solid Ds and Es. However, this no longer seems to be the case.

My approach to playing/practicing involves the following, even tho it longer results in an easy high register:

• Plenty of air

• Lots (and lots) of long tones, especially above the staff

• Two-plus hours per day on the horn, with plenty of breaks

• Scales, etudes, and excerpts

• More scales, etudes, and excerpts

• Relaxed breathing

• Aligned neck, and shoulders

• Pivoting with low/middle/high registers, like you do

• A clean, open, and warm tone in low and middle registers

...not even with the following hardware, which previously worked just fine in all registers!

• Rath R4...which practically plays itself, just sayin'

• Monette TT5 (original, pre-STC)

• (and any number of different Rath R4 lead pipes)

With all that, my high register is as thin as can be (compared to its former glory)!

I tried two 6-ish mouthpieces for a week (a Bach 6 1/2M and a Monette TT6s1). Neither helped my high register, but both killed my tone AND my low register...and both just felt WAAAY too small the entire time.

I'm toying with the idea of a slightly shallower mouthpiece (than the TT5). For instance, the TT5 Shallow (MB V3). Or perhaps a mouthpiece with a thinner rim (than the TT5), but I don't have access to any alternatives other than the Bach 6 1/2M and the TT6s1, mentioned above.

Any thoughts?

[Doug Elliott]

I could give you valid advice if I could see you play.

But regarding your list:
"Plenty of air" will not help high range
"Long tones" will not help high range
"Pivoting" the wrong way will not help high range
"A smaller mouthpiece" will not help high range.
and more practice time will not generally help high range.

[baileyman]

...
I can manage a few high B-flat long tones, but they get airy-sounding pretty quickly, and eventually just cave, entirely.
...

Well, this part suggests to me a couple things. The airy sound can be your muscular strength reaching its limit. The caving could be the collapse of your setup due to that muscular strength limit.

But I think there could be more.

Muscular strength partially substitutes for a resonant setup. Ideally you are able to set your chops so that a breath through them causes them to vibrate at the frequency you want, like the Bb. Then that vibration excites the horn, similarly tuned. The muscular strength method I recall is to form a tight embouchure and then force the air through.

The resonant setup just plays the note. It's not chop strength so much as its "posture", its orientation of all the parts. The pitch of the setup seems to be mostly determined by the mouth volume controlled by the tongue. The same effort holding the chops in position then applies over a wide range.

What I think you'll find with a resonant setup is that the Bb would be accessible like other notes, but different in feel due to the setup that vibrates at that frequency.

To find this resonance, I would suggest trying to find the note that sounds with your very least effort. The one that happens when your relaxed chops meet the piece. From there you can feel your way up and down with your attention directed to least effort at every step. It's possible to get pretty far away from that relaxed note just by modifying mouth volumes. This region of the horn you can practice a lot because the effort is very low. The way this region works is similar to the way the higher and lower regions work, so it makes an example to remember elsewhere. When you have a resonant setup at maybe the F below the Bb, you may be able to retune for the Bb in the same way. Then when you have a resonant setup for the Bb, other notes can show up. Same for below into the pedals.

Later on, effort shows up again but in a different way, where controlling chop posture becomes more of the effort rather than just "tight" or "loose".

Hope that helps.

[Vegasbound]

Have a Skype lesson with Doug

[ssking2b]

Doug Elliot is right! I would add one thing: all the practice and equipment in the world won't help of you arent using it right. Maybe you should consider a few follow up lessons with a good teacher to get back on track.

Also take a look at this video about trombone embouchure:


The end of the video demonstrates high range. BTW the video was shot last Sunday. I'm 68 and not slowing down yet.