Do I need to change my embrochure? How long could it take? (I play the Trumpet)?

Question

I am a high school Junior and have been playing trumpet since 4th grade. My range usually can go to getting a somewhat clear high e flat above high c. I have not been able to play anything above that for a long time. I practice 1 and a half to 2 hours a day mostly in Arbans and Clarke. I have found that I apply more pressure to the mouthpiece to play higher. My sound while playing high Ds and E flats is good not thin. I tried playing without pressing my lips hard against the trumpet to play high and it's easier to manuver around but it's hard to play a high c. If I change embrochures will my range go up. How long could it take (important). HELP HELP HELP!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Ok. So before I give you this secret, you must promise that it never replaces your practicing!! Nothing can ever replace your practicing. Here's the secret and some other pointers

The Secret- (now the cats out of the bag on the internet!)

*the pencil trick*

My friend who went to BYU for trumpet performance was given this trick before he went on his mission (he's Mormon) so that he wouldn't lose his chops when he couldn't practice.

For him, he would lose his chops (he could scream the upper register...) for you, you'll get chops of steal.

Take a pencil and place the tip (just a little of it) of the eraser just under your top lip. Hold it there for 5 minutes. If your doing it right you'll feel the corners of your mouth get hot and tight within a minute or so. If you can't hold it for 5, don't force it. I gave this trick to my buddy who was last chair trumpet in the Wind Ensemble a few weeks before auditions and he took the principal seat.

The pencil trick is like lifting weights for your chops, so when you pick your trumpet up after your pencil work out, you'll have greater strength for the high notes! This works real well. I can play higher then 99% of the trumpet players I meet.

#2 - No pressure. This is one for the long run, but you won't be able to change this real quickly without sacrificing range. The more muscles you build the less pressure you'll need to use. (For some of the real high notes a little pressure is necessary). Practice moving the trumpet away from your face as you play. Pressing the mouthpiece against your lips will let you play higher, but at the expense of endurance, because your not using your muscles to play higher, your using the pressure. The less you press the longer you can play high and the nicer your being to your body.

#3 - Short Tones and Long Tones.

The old idea is that long tones are a great way to warm up. After a lot of new scientific research, people have found that Long tones work your muscles really hard and that warming up with them doesn't make sense. It's like trying to run a 5 mile marathon before a 3 mile race. What would you want to do instead of run 5 miles? You'd want to stretch!

Stretching equals short tones.

Here's what you do:

Start at G (second line), focus your chops and play a short note (not real short, maybe like a quarter note at 120bpm) then after the tone happens (or doesn't happen) while keeping your emboucher focused, take the instrument off of your face, then relax your face and lightly rub the corners of your mouth then relax for 5 seconds. Next do the same thing, but go up chromatically to G# , then down to F# continue to balance going up a note with going down a note. If your chops don't focus properly for the note you want, try again, but only after you take the instrument off of your mouth and release your emboucher. if you haven't got the note in three tries, put the instrument down for a few seconds and start back a little.

There's your warm up! This is great because it forces you to focus your chops properly for each note chromatically, so when you need to play it, your chops are perfect! Unlike with long tones you've got a while to focus. Do your short tones with a tuner.

The long tones will really strengthen your chops....Do you long tones in the middle of your practice, but balance high and low just like you did with the short tones. When you practice long tones, practice with a tuner. Also add something so you don't get bored like practicing a crescendo or Fp on each note.

#4 - Air - Without air, you've got no sound. If you're not using your air properly you wont be able to play well, high or low...

How to breathe. Lay on your back and place a book on your stomach. You should see the book rise naturally without trying to raise it! When you take in a breath take in all the air you can. Breathe in through your mouth! musicians don't breath in through their nose (unless their circular breathing!), it's too restricted, slow and you could never play if you were stuffed up and sick and I've played many a gig stuffed up!

Because there is normally so much air around, people aren't used to taking in all the air they can... they don't need to. Practice taking large, comfortable breaths with an open throat, making sure your stomach is coming out. If your stomach is coming in, you're restricting your lung capacity. Take in your breathe first with your stomach and then your chest. Make sure your throat is open so that you can get as much air as possible into your lungs as quick as possible! You should never tighten your throat! It's never good to tighten anything related to breathing when playing a musical instrument. Tightening creates problems with not only tone quality, but intonation (being in tune), comfort, ease of air flow and stamina!

Posture is very important as it determines how much air can travel into your lungs. If you are slouched your lungs are slouched and restricted. If you are sitting up straight your lungs are open and free to take in the maximum amount of air!

NOTE:

Actually you never want to control your diaphragm. It's actually impossible. The Diaphragm is an involuntary muscle! You never want to push! Let the air come out naturally. Sax players who push normally have a sharp and stuffy sound. Sax players who let their body work naturally have a free, in tune and beautiful sound!

How you use your air:

It's not just about how much, it's about how your air is used. Here's what you need.

- Consistency of Speed. Your air needs to maintain a consistent speed while playing. If your air slows down, you'll go flat.

- Amount. More air gives you a louder volume, less air a softer volume. NOTE* you need fast air to play soft! Most people say speed up your air to play loud and slow air for fast... this is FALSE!

Understanding/Comprehension of technique. Think of your air like a sink faucet. Turn on the faucet and the water comes out at a steady speed, no matter how much or how little water you're using. Your air should be the same way. Ideally, you have an unlimited air source (obviously impossible, so get as much as you can) and you maintain a steady speed while playing, adding more air when you need to crescendo (louden) and decrescendo (soften).

Air is the fuel of your sound, to say you don't need a lot is like saying it's smart to fill your car up ever 2 miles with 1/2 gallon of gas.

Good luck! I think you've got a lot to work with now... it won't cost you a dime (well, if you don't have a pencil lying around maybe a few cents!)

Answer 2

Don't really apply more pressure. Then your forcing it out and it will sound pretty bad. Firm up. Tighten the corners of your mouth to get high. Also if you practice a lot for a long time, you can get tired and you will also sound bad. I had to change my embrochure after I got my braces off and I sounded a lot better. I can reach the high notes way better. Just practice going low and high and try to not force it out. Good luck!