Upper Register Breakthrough: How I Learned To Play A Double C In My 40's
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In this video, I take time to break down how I was able to continue developing my range up to double high C in my 40's , even though I was stuck at a high F for many years. Towards the end of the video, I explain a concept I call The Horizontal Approach that was the key that unlocked my upper register, and provide a key exercise that will help you do the same. Wishing you love and music, Tito.
Thumbnail photo by Peacock Images: / peacockimages
Tito Carrillo is professor of jazz trumpet at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: music.illinois...
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Thanks so much for this absolute help. In just this short video I'm been places in the upper register I thought I'd never see. Your the man.
So glad this helped you Walter! 🙏🏽
I’ve been playing trumpet for 59 years and after trying these techniques I’ve experienced playing a full 6 notes higher than before! That’s HUGE for me! Thanks for sharing this technique.
Wow Rich, that's amazing! So glad the techniques are helping, and thanks for watching!
Hi Tito. Like you, I have been playing professionally since my late teens (I’m 67 now). I had the good fortune of studying trumpet with Canada’s great brass teacher Don Johnson and your pedagogy is almost exactly what Don shared with me. After a lifetime of daily practice, performing, teaching (university level) and observation of colleagues as well as students I have only one argument. By doing all of the correct things that you describe, a student should be able to develop their upper register potential but that potential is not the same for everyone. Some people I believe are blessed with physical characteristics that enable them to excel at the physical aspects of trumpet playing. The moment I turned on this video I thought to myself that that guy looks like a trumpet player. My professional life has been based in Toronto, Canada and through the years have worked with many world class lead trumpet players who travelled on the road with different performers. Probably Canada’s all-time great lead player was Arnie Chycoski who played with Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass. I was fortunate to play at his side in the Boss Brass as well countless recording sessions and other gigs. It was always a lesson. All of this to say that he had the same kind of facial characteristics as you and so many other fine players do (not me sadly). I hope this doesn’t sound defeatist. All I mean is that while we are all created equal maybe but not the same. On the other hand, the only way to know what you are capable of is to give it your best shot and in my opinion your ideas on upper register development are exactly right. Sorry for going on this long.
I appreciate your comments here John, thank you. 🙏🏽. My purpose for posting this video is to simply describe the process I went through in order to break through to a new level of upper register control. I don’t expect that everyone will be able to play a double C, but if something that I say here can help someone increase their range Even by a few notes, then I think it was worth posting. I agree with you that people have different facial structures, teeth structures, etc. and those are factors for range development. My goal is to help students make the trumpet easier so that they can play more of the music that they wanna play. Wow, I’ll have to look up Don Johnson, I don’t know him at all. Thank you for watching the video and for your kind words.
Thoughts on Maynard? Was he using a similar approach?
@@jazzmindwithtitocarrillo605 16:38
Why do we rarely (never?) see female lead trumpeters?
I hope it's not because we're not "built right". 🤪😆
I think it’s the teeth as well as oral shape of mouth. I took lessons from Jerome Callet back in 76. You can increase range but some people will be limited. My grandfather was Bunny Berigan and he had power and range and was actually a good lead player.
I love the fact that you start students with middle G. I've always thought this is the place to start and playing low C is teaching students to have difficulty playing high. It solves so many problems.
The coursebook that I started trumpet with, 30 years ago had me start at G also but I couldn't do it. Only this low C wanted to pop out in the first week or 2. Took about 6 months to reach high c and didn't get much further since in any kind of consistent way, besides this freak accident where I suddenly jumped an octave and could not repeat, but sheet music almost never asks for anything over a G on top of the staff, so it wasn't a big handicap.
Maynard Ferguson and Jerry Catlett were important contributors. It's simple physics... smaller the aperture, continuing air stream speed = higher the note. What he describes is 100% scientifically correct. Yep control with tiny air = control.
Hi Tito! When I was young (some 50 years ago) I had a solid G. Since then, my lifestyle and types of bands I played in (loud and louder BS&T, TOP etc.) played havoc with my chops. I found your straw analogy very interesting. When I tried it out I was able to get up to Double C with very little effort! And, the movement of my corners coming in when going up is EXACTLY how the pedal register works for me! So, now I see why people have advocated practicing pedal ones. This is my first practice session utilizing what you showed us but I'm "jazzed"! Thanks so very much.
From a 76 year old former Las Vegas Relief Band trumpet player! Greg Vanboven
That’s amazing Greg! Thanks for sharing, and keep it going, sounds like you’ve got some more juice left in there! 👊🏽
The hardest part is getting up off my ass and getting out the horn to actually practice and figure out the high notes.
My SUPER hero! ... comeback player after 45 years. I've been back at it consistently for 8 weeks now ... after watching and listening to you here ... first time ever double G ... wasn't held long or very loud but clear and on pitch ... still a very long way to go to be able to consistently reproduce and control anything above a D but it's a decent start. Having watched listened and experimented, I discovered that I already naturally form the tongue arch beginning on E at top of the staff ... (for me the key is) to bring my bottom lip up incrementally to close the aperture ... sounds so simple yet without your help I would not likely have been inspired ... thanks so much Tito!
Hey Tito I'm just a high school student and yet when doing what you said as an exercise it greatly improved not just my range but the control of the note and pitch as well thank you so much man I have been looking for so long on TH-cam for some good advice and I finnaly found it thanks man ❤️
GREAT video, and I'm only 14 minutes in! The other thing about the "internal" idea that makes range difficult to convey to other players is: Everyone is BUILT DIFFERENT. What Jon Faddis or Wayne did to figure it out may not be the same as what you, or I are doing.
Great point Andy!
I put down my trumpet 40 years ago and only recently picked it back up. Of all the videos on TH-cam on how to improve range yours stands out for its clarity and illustrations. Your video described some of the same problems I am having and explained the causes and more importantly, the solutions. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you.
Thank you Willy, I wish you the best on your trumpet journey!
ÀMEN!🎉 I agree completely!!!
I am starting to play some notes in the upper register. I started playing the trompet three years ago. Since I am retired, I have all the time in the world, I practice and rest a lot every day. I never had a teacher, only have my right arm. But I believe I am getting better everyday. Starting to read and play notes. The timing is where I have a little problem, but at my 70 years of age, I am very excited to play my trumpet.
Hey Tito! I just stumbled on this video in my recommended and it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I love the in depth explanation of the tongue arch with the xray video. I wanted to let you know that I had the chance to play alongside you at a jazz club in Phoenix a few years ago! I was a student of Russ Schmidt throughout high school and have continued my jazz studies at Utah State University as a music performance major. You were a major inspiration to me! I hope you’re doing well, and hope to see more videos. -Ronan
I remember you Ronan, small world! I’ll be back in AZ next May 4-6 with Russ Schmidt if you’re around. Thanks for watching!
I’m not a trumpet player but I do play trombone. I just talked to you about how to establish a practice routine at Purdue university. I find it really interesting that you say using a lot of air doesn’t help high notes. One of my band directors told me that you need more air to hit high notes. I’m not too sure why I’m writing this as a comment but it just peaked my interest.
Yeah, I’ve been told that before as well. I’m not necessarily telling you to back off. What I’m saying is that your airstream is getting smaller and smaller in diameter as you ascend, which will mean you’re technically using less air. You’ll be using more air if you play high AND loud, but still not as much air if you’re playing low and loud. Low notes are where we use most of our air.
Excellent video. Dizzy Gillespie used to talk about tightening his ass in the upper register. One thing I hear a lot is "use more air". I never understood that. I can empty my lungs and still play above top C with that little bit of reserve air. Its quiet, but its there. Its a really big subject.
I had a teacher who quoted an opera singer who said, " If your ass ain't tight, the note ain't right."
This video is a revelation for me! Thanks for putting out such great content. I haven't played high note with such an eased feeling ever. This is an entirely different perspective to playing up there. Thanks Tito!
Yes Tito. Absolutely nailed it. Now I'm off to practise again.
Hi Tito, man I may get emotional because I love trumpet playing to death.. you are explaining very clearly what has been my hard and long learning path and when you popped that MRI video i snapped man it's exactly where Im at. that video is so enlightening btw...Paying attention to the tongue, man I love trumpet here's a sub!!
Thank you maestro will try it if you speak Spanish can you do one explaining it in Spanish for the Spanish speaking students
Hidy and THANK YOU for doing the video.
Tongue/Jaw + Lower Breath Support + Horizontal Airstream = a centered tone in all registers. Make it easy & sound great. Now to do all that and stretch my mouth into the look of a ghoulish hillbilly. I can do that, but It's taking the time to learn it all. I don't deserve a shortcut to playing big band stuff, but it gives me a place to strive for. THANK YOU, for your input.
As I sit here browsing TH-cam and wearing a grey flat cap I am hoping this will help me get up there.
What's crazy with me is that I had a DHC LONG before I could play a double A. It took me forever to get that A. The A doesn't exist on the Bb Trumpet, you have to find it by backing off and finding the "slot" for it and then gradually opening it up. There are also alternate fingerings you can try. Most cats use either the 2nd or 3rd valve to play the A.
Arnie Chycoski played it open. Bill Chase was the ONLY guy I know to play the A with all 3 valves-he also could play his Ab that way and on my Schilke B6, sure enough, the Ab and A CAN be played with all 3 valves down, but the A tends to be under pitch-you have to lip it up into pitch. Crazy. Now my Bb doesn't exist for 50 grand. And my psychiatrist wonders why I'm insane.
Hi Tito I wish I had your video when I used to play. I took lessons back in 1976 from Jerry Callet and it did help me go from a strong hi C to a good high F . But I could never get higher with power and a good sound. Jerry told me use a lot of air but press the tongue against the lower lip. Keep the tongue forward. It helped but I went back to my old way I was taught because it felt too uncomfortable for me. My grandfather was Bunny Berigan and he was strong on the trumpet. He used a traditional way of playing. I am not sure but it worked. I think you make sense to me. I don’t play anymore but it fun to learn. Thanks and you sound great.
Wow, Bunny Berigan was a true trumpet legend! Thanks for watching Wayne, I appreciate you! 🙏🏽
Great tip that energy has to come from somewhere. 68 yr old comeback player, just for self, to try to do what I used to do in the 70's. Found I was pushing the air from lower body far too little. Think I've picked up D and E over high C, and could barely get D in my best days. Fun! Thanks!
ThankYou so Much for this video✨❤️🔥✨
Been playing as a rank amateur for 60 years now tinkering with piccolo trumpet to be concert tuba and everything in between. With piccolo trumpet I have learned that only a little air is needed just like you say in regards to the higher register. Thanks and I'll work on the tongue
Hi thanks, the straw description is maybe the best advice i ever got for my playing trumpet❤️
But with your straws you make it look like your air stream is always directed straight forward. Most say that the air stream is gradually pointed in a downward direction as pitch increases...
outstanding.. my teacher 55 years ago started every lesson with long tones on g , bored me stupid but it worked . great lesson
Great lesson, thanks! Can Tito or others watching
(a) suggest exercises, with or without a trumpet, to strength the lips, tongue, muscles around lips to carry out the approaches taught in this lesson (I saw Tito's cheek dimples created by muscles); (b) explain where the interior surface of your mouthpiece touches your top lip -- just the red/pink part or also a bit into the skin above the red/pink; and
(c) provide thoughts on the side-to-side location of the mouthpiece on the lips because my aperture normally forms a bit to the right of center -- should I align to that or realign to center? Thx!
I love all music and all the great musicians that do it. but I gotta ask, why so do many Jazz guys do these screaming notes? I don't think I have ever heard these screamers being articulated with double or triple tonguing with beautiful clarity. I am far more impressed with a player who could do a high F# or G and be able to play it without distortion, and little pressure and being articulated well. how much pressure is being used here? Because guys like Ferguson and other high register jazz guys do use a hell of a lot of pressure to achieve those screamers. I am able to play beautifully to a high A above the staff and on good days I can beautifully articulate a high C. I would be perfectly happy to have my range increased to an F# or G to be able to play the 'clarino' register on a natural Trumpet. but I still appreciate that these are very high notes. just not my thing I guess.
Hello, I'm from Brazil and here "we" value a lot the range on trumpet, but we don't have many good teachers here... Who understand a little english can watch content like this, but they are the minority (unfortunately).
Tito you think as I have thought regarding the tongue & jaw relationship, congratulations my friend!
Yes Yes and Yes! I have been dealing with all of this recently and this video is a light bulb moment especially Identifying with the specific breathing for me! Wishing you well for your recovery also! We need you🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾!!!!!!
Much love, Ryan, thank you! 🙏🏽
Dizzy Gillespie once said that the energy comes from the ass.😂 He did.
Greetings from Ireland Tito! You are a great teacher! Thank you! You have a new subscriber! I have been playing trumpet since the early mid "80" and I am unfortunately totally self taught. I'd get a few pointers with my father in law who was a fine trumpeter who started playing in his twenties in big band music in his brass group on a luxury liner from the USA to Britain in the mid 1930s. And went on playing most of his life. He put it down for awhile but, when he saw how much I loved playing he picked it back up. I purchased the "trumpet practice books and learned on my own. Fortunately I was fortunate enough to get a clear sound the first blowing into a trumpet. I wanted to play since I was a small child.
Luis Armstrong was my favourite to listen to as a child. I have been playing since the mid "80s". I am now now 64. I can transpose on sight into different keys and have a clear sound. I practice 3 to 6 hours. But I have trouble playing very fast jazz. And I can only easily go up to F# to A but, can't go higher, only once in a while awhile. I used to love playing with my Father in law and he was happy to have someone to play with. We played a few times into the wee hours of the moring. We moved to Ireland and sadly He past away 😢. He was so kind to me and left me his fabulous and even a slide trumpet or more aptly called a saprano trombone. I have yet to learn it. I wish I had someone who could help me with the areas I have trouble. I have trouble doing the FAST Jazz articulations with many accidentals and fast double and triple tonguing. The ka ta ka ta ka... I need someone to help. There doesn't seem to be anymore here in Ireland accept someone who teaches trumpet to a marching band. And from the way they sound, I am probably beyond his teaching. I am truly hoping you can help me in these areas. I used to always play at church, but where we are now the musicians, accept for my hubby who is a classically trained violinist, all are guitarist who play by ear and have no idea and no way way of telling what key they are in most the time. I can't really play with them at this time, so I play the various Irish flutes in sifferent keys. My hubby can here what key they are in. So I play the flute with them. It's difficult to explain how I must transpose, it sounds like Japanese to them. I could play tthe trumpet if they would practice more than just awhile befor the meeting starts. So I play alone at home and somes with my hubby. I keep playing and LOVE to practice! I know someday I will play for my God and Saviour and I pray He is blessed. I willl pray that your operation is a success and our Lord who lloves yoou, give you the desire of yuour heart!❤✝️🕊🙏🏻
I have found the same things! Excellent!
What trumpet are you using in this video? And what mouthpiece/size?
I knew two different Illinois trumpet players that hit double high C with a shake.
I have hopes but I get air leakage outside the mouthpiece. Seems to be starting over with everything I have been doing.
What type of mouthpiece are you using when you hit those high notes? I doubt it’s the standard 7C.
Thanks for the nice Vid. I enjoyed it. Pops
Wow .Thanks for this education on what is practical , possible on the trumpet and showing the effort needed . Composers rely on your type of video so we can write with some knowledge . Thankyou . The A 5 sounds impossible .The C is indefinite pitched but it's there . I wrote a trumpet concerto that inches up to a g 5 . I won't write above that now that I've seen this .
hi, how many time did they told you you look like Dizzy Gillespie???
How do you alter your articulation when playing in the upper register? Where does your tongue strike? On your hard palette or teeth, or right where the gum line meets the teeth? curious
Thank you ! If even a pro like you could have such limitations, this gives us amateurs hope as well. I was not able to break that high barrier on my tuba for 20+ years. I know that easy is crucial here as I occasionally blew (almost in error) a very high note without effort, but never managed to reproduce it consistently.
This is great. A full explanation and clear.
Hello Tito,
I have struggled with range and endurance for a long time. That tongue-jaw concept made a huge difference in just one day of practicing it. Like you, I made a decent career playing the trumpet without the ability to play anything above high F. Even then, it sucked that I could not figure out how to break through it. Thank you!
The f right about the bar?
Dynamite lesson! Your tips were great. Including the MRI video put it over the top.
Please get to it. Please - you’re rattling - share it
“All that leads to is back-pressure, headaches, and sadness 😅”
Yo Tito I need to get another lesson with you, last time was WAY back in 1996 when you were still around DeKalb occasionally. Still got my high E ceiling (with occasional F’s) my early 40s. Would love to pick your brain over Zoom sometime when you have free time over break perhaps. You sound incredible as always Tito! Talk to you later bro.
Hmu in December when school lets out. I remember that lesson in DeKalb, you were killing it way back then! Best to you Ray 🙏🏽
Great tutorial thank you ,keep well ,regards Jack
Extremely well put. Could not agree more. Thank you!!
This video is very interesting. It was fascinating to see the tongue working in the MRI scans. However one thing you can't see is the contour of the tongue. Can you say whether the tongue is concave like a spoon, is flat, or bulges up in the middle? Supposedly it is genetic whether you are able to curl your tongue. This ability or perhaps the inability could be a factor which allows some to play high notes more naturally. Or maybe it's not relevant. Any ideas?
I cannot tell those things from the MRI videos. The purpose of me posting them is to illustrate more of a general movement of the tongue, and when I saw these for the first time, I knew that my tongue was not getting as high in the mouth as both of these examples. The rest, as far as I’m concerned, is personal experimentation guided by the principles that it should sound great and it should feel easy.
@@jazzmindwithtitocarrillo605 Thanks Tito. I totally agree with your principles. I think it should also look easy, which is sort of connected to feeling easy. Really good players (as well as other types of artists and sports people) make everything they do look effortless. If you want it to feel easy and you can't figure out how, then trying to figure out how to make it look easy often helps. Things like eliminating all excess movement and looking relaxed rather than tense. Because these things are easier to see they can often be easier to work on and hopefully have the side effect of actually making it feel easy.
This is the best tutorial on this subject I've seen so far.
It is very interesting to me watching this video again after a year. I've applying exactly these principles, using Flexus and other lip slur methods, playing 2-octave scales and arpeggios etc for the last year and it's definitely paying off. Whereas I was struggling to hit high Cs in practice before and anything above the staff felt hard I am now playing up to high Es on a good practice day (with a nice open sound) and hitting high Cs and Ds in band when everything's working properly. I think I'm getting way more lip in the mouthpiece and then using that to control the aperture.
Thanks again for the great instruction.
Thanks Tito for your great video. I am a non professional trumpet player from bavaria, Germany. I've been doing some exercises quite similar to yours and it really helped to expand my upper register. Your video confirmed that in have been doing many things correctly, which is great and it makes me think more about abdominal breathing. I'm really excited to try your exercises and hopefully gain even more range. Thanks a lot. Auf Wiedersehen 😁
Thank you Johannes! 🙏🏽
Hey Tito any tips on playing with scar tissue in the lips? I've had a scar throughout my upper lips for 2 years now and it has hampered my range and endurance. Lately it's gotten better but I'm worried it will affect my playing for the rest of my life. Right now my highest playable note is a high A to B flat. Before it was near a high D, so obviously it has a big effect on the notes I want to play. Thanks!
I don’t have any experience dealing with scar tissue issues, I’m sorry. I’m afraid I cannot be of much help in that regard, apart from what I’ve shared here you may want to try reaching out to Brad Goode out at the University of Colorado Boulder.
I love you videos! Quick question! You mention a horizontal airstream. Do you mean physically it is horizontal or it's supposed to feel that way like you slotting into the center of the note? I ask because as I do buzzing exercises or breathing exercises (like your straw examples) by airstream points downward. I've been playing for sometime and have a good solid D/Eb but haven't been able to consistently play higher than that.
When I say horizontal, I mean roughly horizontal. There is definitely a shifting of the airstream direction as I change registers, and I believe that is normal. But, the shifting is different based on your embouchure type. With my embouchure, I start shifting up and to the left a little, that’s where my high notes open up. But you very well may need to direct your airstream downward the higher you go. It’s not the same for everyone and doesn’t have to be. This knowledge comes from Dr. Donald Reinhardt, who studied thousands of brass embouchures and classified them into specific types. I’m no expert in this stuff, by any means.
Every time i try to utilize the tongue/jaw apparatus, nothing happens and my note just becomes sharp. Is there any way to fix this?
If you’re accustomed to pinching your lips to play higher, then even when you add the tongue/jaw movements your lips may still be pinching out of habit. If this is you, then this really will feel like a new and different way of playing than before, because I don’t want you to pinch your lips at all. If you’re practicing an ascending one octave scale, I want your lips to feel like they’re simply sustaining the first note throughout, then move your fingers and tongue/jaw to change notes. You’ll know when you’re doing it right when it sounds great and and feels easy. Good luck!
Glad you’re doing well after surgery, Tito.
Hi Tito - at the end, you introduced the left-handed approach, but didn’t explain this significance of why it’s important to hold the trumpet with your left hand during the exercise. Can you please explain?
The reason I do the left-handed exercise is to isolate only the elements that I mention (tongue/jaw + lower body breath support + horizontal airstream) and relax the rest of my body as I play the harmonic series as high as I can go. It’s the opposite of the grip it and rip it approach.
very good video, sometimes i reach high notes and i don't know how and that helped me to find. Thank you
Tito - around minute 24 you are demonstrating the different levels of the tongue arch and say that you are thinking of them as shifting between the different sizes of the straws. This is confusing because the way you initially demonstrated the straws it made it sound like that was more of a lips and aperture size concept (each straw was a different aperture size ) but here you’re implying it’s a tongue concept; can you explain these two things?
With the straw analogy, I am referring to the changing shape of the airstream itself as we shift registers, and I deliberately do not mention the lips or aperture size. With my approach, I chose to focus on the inner mouth environment (tongue arch + jaw movement) to alter the shape of the airstream more so than focusing on the lips and/or aperture size, even though I know they are changing as I shift registers. My goal is to avoid over manipulating the lips and maintaining a consistently robust vibration in all registers.
This is incredible guidance Dr. C!!! It's helping me instantly!
But Jason, you were already terrifyingly good at this stuff!!! Thank you for watching, you are a huge inspiration to me, especially how you are able to fluidly incorporate your upper register into your improvisations. Much love! 🙏🏽
One night I was toying with my trumpet and I put it on my lips while thinking about something else and out came this clear loud double C. A whole octave beyond normal. I was like wtf?? It felt dead easy when it came out but I could not repeat it.
Yeah, almost like you let it happen rather than trying to make it happen.
Thank you Tito. I find your approach extremely helpful. No one I’ve heard explains the inner mechanisms of trumpet playing as well as you You’re a great teacher.
Omg u looks like dizzy soo much, lost son
Great job Tito!! Love your approach! And Blessings with your health…I feel ‘ya Brother!
Peace!!😎🎺
i did my breath support by doing ha- ha-ha- ha-ha ( like laughing) with my diaphragm. So that is wrong?
If you’re achieving your desired musical result, then it’s not wrong. This is the technique vocalists use especially with moving notes. Personally, I don’t really use this technique. I prefer a sustained long tone approach to the use of my lower body with no interruption in core engagement, especially with moving lines, scalar passages, etc. Are you familiar with the Cichowicz wind patterns? To get an idea of what I do, practice a wind pattern for any scale exercise, and place your hand on your abdomen to ensure steady core engagement. For articulations, I simply feel like I’m making indentions in the continuous airstream. This simplifies everything for me, rather than pulsating the air.
Great video. Sounds like you’re just using the wedge breath (as Bobby Shew describes it) but without the first bit (bringing your lower abdomen out as you inhale).
Basically, though I don’t lift the shoulders either, which is one of the steps in the wedge breath. But the abdomen coming inward has really helped me.
Very nicely explained Tito. Will begin working on this daily. Simple (as in not complex), and obviously effective.
Thank you James! 🙏🏽
Excellent advice. Mark Zauss has exercises on his web site where you play as softly as possible, because you need to learn the coordination and control before you can increase the dynamics of the sound. I wasted a lot of years trying to blow and muscle my way into the high range. More air doesn’t equal higher, it equals louder.
Nailed it!
Many thanks tito u r great❤
Good info! Practicing in the upper register SOFTLY is critical in developing an easy and playable upper register.... saying that, most upper register playing while playing music is LOUD... this is why PRACTICING softly in the upper register is so important... if you are only playing music in the upper register, you will almost always be approaching the upper register with your embouchure way too open.
Clear mouthpiece.
Hola Tito! Excellent material, thanks. Another factor, perhaps, is slight variations in the pressure of the mouthpiece against the lips. I can see it in the videos (fingers come closer), and from personal experience. Very subtle movements. In short, more pressure in higher notes for a better "seal".
Thank you so much for this video. I always felt doing too much "wrong" pressure, like you said giving headaches... Besides the tongue/jaw + lower body + horizontal feel, I feel that I don't have enought strength on my face muscles to hold the lips position, and I get tired so fast because of this "no face muscles". Can you elaborate on this? Thank you again!
I really enjoyed this video. I'm in 40s, like you, but I'm far from a pro, I've struggled with an apparent "cap" in my range at D-Eb above the staff for years. I have tried some of these techniques, and I really think they will help. One thing that I'm struggling with is playing through the harmonic series and finding "false partials". For example, if an open horn I will settle get to an above-staff C fine and then somehow settle on a D. Do you have any tips to remedy that? I can feel how the tongue/jaw positions and breath support really change my playing from a tense neck and closed throat...maybe I just need to practice more to build endurance, I'm not sure.
This has been the coolest most thorough video I’ve ever seen!!!! Woah!! Thank you for this!!!!!! I couldn’t even stand about 10 mins of other videos but this one, I couldn’t get enough. However, after the video, I tried to apply all concepts and still am having trouble getting past the c above the staff. I’m trying not to strain and let it be easy, but I’m still struggling!!! 😖 how do you distinguish between the jaw and tightening the lips so much you block the sound?
Thank you! 🙏🏽 Even though you’re trying to use the new concepts, your old habits may still be blocking the air/sound. Usually the blockage occurs either at the lips, the throat, or both. You want to be aware of where the blockage is occurring, and try to unlock that while doing the concepts I discuss in the video. I know it’s a lot to think about at first, but that’s normal whenever you’re trying something new. Learning how to ride a bike took some coordination in the beginning, and I know I fell down a few times. But with many repetitions, your body begins to internalize the new techniques until they feel so easy that you don’t really have to think about them anymore, and it’s the same with this. I wish you the best with this stuff!
@@jazzmindwithtitocarrillo605 thank you so much!!! This was literally THE most incredibly helpful video. And you’re right - with time, it will be natural! Thank you!! God bless!
A really great video with a lot of helpful information and advice concerning to improve the upper register. One of the best I ever had seen. Thank you so much
I bounced around this video looking for a discussion on how he uses the embouchure muscles in conjunction with the tongue and the jaw to form the smaller or larger airstream and vibrating surfaces that he talked about at the beginning. For me, this is the most important issue and it's the most important thing that the jaw & tongue are primarily involved with helping to occur. Nobody talks about how to use the muscles in the embouchure, and what you want them to do. Farkas did somewhat, but Farkas never created a Faddis.
My first college instructor had me make subtle adjustments to my jaw position to find my "sound center". He had me do that throughout my range. That alone went a long way with helping improve my range. Other things just fell into place for me.
Thanks so much for your sharing. I’m looking forward to trying the tips.
A few months ago I picked my trumpet back up after about 35 years. High notes have always been lip splitting punishment for me. Your video has really help me. I liked the part about Horizontal playing too. I also have hit some high notes that I’m amazed at. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
I took lessons in the 1970s with Jerry Callet in NYC. The explanations in your video are a more detailed and understandable version of Jerry's lessons then. This should be very valuable to trumpet players everywhere who wish to expand their registers, whether up OR down.
Thank you for the compliment Duane, and thanks for watching! 🙏🏽
This is wonderful Tito! I would like to ask you for your opinion on Trumpet players that double on Saxophone. Do you feel that my doubling on Saxophone would impede my progress as it relates to the proper re-re-development of my embouchure on the Trumpet? I Love both instruments and would like to continue working on building my Trumpet embouchure.
We’ll I’ve never tried playing both, but I know it can be done. James Morrison, Bill Prince, Michael Dease, and Marcus Tenney are a few musicians I know who play both. I don’t see why you shouldn’t try!
@@jazzmindwithtitocarrillo605 Thank you for taking the time to Reply Tito and the references. Kind regards...
Tito - thanks so much for this. Great tips. Can’t wait to leverage these to improve upper register efficiency for myself and son.
This is a great video. Thank you for sharing 👍
Great video . The one thing I question is what you say about the throat. If you look at both Sarah's video and the trumbone video, maybe the biggest movement from low to high after the tongue is actually the larynx which is low in the low range and high in the high range. This indicates to me that the larynx is being used as a resistance point and is rising for greater stability up top. On the dvd of the study which Sarah took part of there was a laryngoscopic study done of Schneider, who unlike Sarah is a high horn wizard, he had a high degree of ariepiglotic narrowing while playing high and the larynx was clearly a big determiner of his ability to shift notes and achieve the famous horn lip trill.
This is an interesting point because whereas Farkas in his foundational book said that the larynx was one of the 3 resistance points, most players seem to have decided that is wrong and that Farkas was wrong . Well but I've watched a lot of these various mri videos and I'm yet to see someone navigate the range without a high degree of laringeal involvement seen . That said, if the air versus resistance ratio is good the player may not feel his larynx at all, but it's problematic to say the throat isn't involved. There is a way to prove it, take a very deep breath and put your finger on your larynx, it should be very low, then play and see how high you can get without I lifting. I actually do this as an exercise while playing horn and trumpet for singing and I can barely get to an A above the staff that way and the technique while a good trainer is very unnatural, I dont believe any pro trumpeter plays the high range that way
I'm in my 3rd year of playing trumpet and the highest note I've ever been able to reach was the high f above 5th line.. (3 1/2 lines above the 5th).. and I always struggle with getting good tone with notes that are higher than the g above the staff................ this video helped a lot... thanks
My experience is that the main barrier to playing high is a mental barrier. Also, the essential elements book often used for beginning band does start you on middle G rather than low C.
Hello Tito...Another comment/question. At the end, with your left hand exercise regarding leaving the lips alone, yet thinking about the various straw sizes analogy earlier in your video; are you saying when you leave the lips alone & just use your tongue/jaw; that you are NOT changing the size of your aperture opening? That the "diameter" so to speak of your aperture hole when you started on middle G, was still the same size as when you ended in the stratosphere? If so, then it was your jaw/tongue combo that enabled you to play high, coupled with your breath support? Thank you again Tito!!!!
I mention in the video that I know that my aperture is changing sizes (i.e. getting smaller) in the upper register, but that I chose to focus on the movement of the tongue & jaw instead of the lips in order to avoid over manipulation (crunching) of the lips. The tongue/jaw is already shrinking the size of my aperture, my lips don’t need to “help”.
@@jazzmindwithtitocarrillo605 Ok, I think I get it now. The aperture size IS getting smaller hence the straw examples. BUT, you're saying that the way you're using your tongue & jaw as you go up, is itself affecting the aperture size. So flattening the chin & pulling your corners in (seeing the dimples) in turn pulls your lips against your teeth. That is what makes the aperture smaller. So the lips are along for the ride so to speak. They don't initiate anything on their own. They remain passive & adjust only due to the tongue & jaw position. Is that right? Thank you once again Tito!!
@@JVFBryant That’s right, that’s how I process it.
Hi Tito, I wanna thank you for your lesson on playing high in the upper register. I've played trumpet since 4th grade and I'm 62yrs old. I never gave it a try...of playing every day softly in the upper register. I can finally hit a high E above the staff but, I'm struggling with trying to hit a F. I can hit it but, it comes out without any strong sound...so, I'm gonna give this lesson of playing everyday softly in the upper register and see where it takes me. I'll definitely let you know the results of my practice....sign Craig..
great helps. And glad to hear you are doing great after your surgery! I'm almost 67 years old and have started playing again a year ago after laying off since high school. Woohoo, I'm in the second section of the city concert band! How long do you think I've got to work up to high D and then how long can I hold on to the range? Till I'm 80? Just wondering what you think. You sound great, Tito!
Manipulate the oral cavity space to adjust air compression and speed for lip vibration frequency, I guess. or like whistling.
Bingo, leave the lips along!
I like everything you said. For the jaw, this sounds like Reinhardts Pivot system, but I don't know much about it. It's kinda lost in time, afaik
Sos el mejor Tito!!! Mil gracias por compartir este video con todos nosotros!!! (You are the best Tito!!! Thank you so much for sharing this video with all of us!!! you changed my life)
I'm a trombonist but think the theory behind this would be the same. I am going to try applying this to help my upper range. One question I can't seem to solve: in my upper range I have a lot of difficulty with my tongueing. Double-tongueing or Doodle tongueing is an issue. My tongue is also getting in the way of me hitting notes above a certain point so I know this is wrong.
Any insight you could share?
Syllables are hugely important for tonguing in the upper register. Tee tee or dee dee, or deedle-eedle-ee will up you articulate up there without risking lowering the back of the tongue and falling off of the note, as opposed to tay-tay, tah-tah, or tututu
Excellent! thanks!