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The Physics of High Notes on Trumpet

8/18/2014

26 Comments

 
I have reserved discussions on range, endurance and playing efficiency for master classes and visitors to the HT shops. But today I will make an exception and shed some light on the physics of playing in the upper register. In reality, this is mostly the same as playing in the mid and low registers, but most players like to think playing high notes is different.

So why would anyone expect that producing a big beautiful tone in the upper register is any different than playing low notes? Well, any trumpet player will tell you that the higher the note, the more effort is involved. Right? My answer is a firm, "No".

To understand this better, I first need to define my variables so that we're all on the same page. My definition of low, mid and high notes is probably different than yours so I'll start there. These are an example of one way to define registers and I'm sure you will have your own ideas on this subject.

  • Low notes are produced by vibrating the longest lip in the mouthpiece. For most players, this is the lower lip and for me personally, the notes from G in the staff and below.

  • The mid-range is defined by the lowest note produced by the shortest lip in the mouthpiece (my upper lip), G# in the staff up to the highest note I can play comfortably with the trumpet balanced on three fingers, which is high C. In reality, I can play up to the G above high C with the trumpet balanced, but there is much more effort so high C is the realistic top of my mid-range.

  • The high register begins on the very next note and continues upward into the dog whistle zone that is silly and mostly unnecessary.

In the following video, I demonstrate playing a C scale with no fingerings (open valves) from high C to double high C.
This video was recorded three days after taking a 6-week hiatus from playing trumpet. I was traveling this summer and did not play as there was not time in my schedule. So when I returned, I began playing my regular lip slurs, scales, arpeggios and music. My range the very first day back was G above double high C, which diminished by a few half steps on day two. However, by day four my range was back to triple high C, which is the top of my range.

I am not really a high note player in the sense that I do not strive to play lead in latin, commercial or big bands. Even though I've performed these genres regularly over the years, I prefer to play lyrical, technical and melodic solo trumpet so screaming high notes are not important to me. Performing up to double high C at mf or p within a lyrical melody is more my style. However, to demonstrate the efficiency, control and the potential of my trumpets, I do scream a few high notes now and then.

So what's all this talk of physics and trumpet playing? Well, when I was a teenager in college, I began modeling the mechanics of trumpet playing to better understand my own playing deficiencies. Despite taking lessons from some very reputable trumpet players and professors, I was experiencing problems that my teachers told me to outright ignore. My range and endurance was seriously limited at the time and I truly wanted to become a great musician on trumpet. So I turned to physics since the vast majority of my successes up to that point could be explained by science.

This blog entry is not intended to explain every piece of the physics model I have put together over the past 20+ years. My goal is simply to introduce you to the concept of exploring science as a way of improving your own abilities on a brass instrument. In a world full of books and methods offering solutions through visualization, exercises and abstract thinking to achieve the almighty super C, I challenge you to take a more logical approach. Science holds the answers to your questions if you only take the time to create your own working model of brass playing.

So rather than giving you a list of variables, exercises and solutions, I challenge you to answer the following questions to better define and explore the mechanics of brass playing for yourself. Every player is different so your answers may be slightly or drastically different from other players.
And these differences could be the key ingredients that have been holding you back from moving forward in your playing.

Watch my video again and write down your answers to the following questions:

  1. Describe my use of air throughout the demonstration. Did the air volume change as I played higher and lower? What about air speed?

  2. I played most of this clip with one hand to keep my right arm out of the equation. How much mouthpiece pressure was present on my lips? Explain my use of mouthpiece pressure in detail.

  3. It can be difficult to gauge volume in terms of decibels in an online video. Describe your impressions of volume in this example and how this may apply to brass playing in general.

  4. I mentioned longer and shorter lips in my definitions of range above. What are your thoughts on lip length as it relates to range? Why is there a break between the top and bottom lip as it relates to range?

Before building trumpets became my full time job, I taught a brass studio of 80 students. Yes, it was a full time job that I balanced with nightly rehearsals and performances. My approach to teaching all instruments has been to engage the student in a discussion of all aspects of performance including the physical mechanics.

Most of my younger trumpet students played a two octave chromatic scale from low C to high C and back down as part of their warm-up in 4th and 5th grade. Their most difficult notes were often below low C as their lips were not long enough to produce these pitches in a 7c mouthpiece. I never told my students that high C was a difficult note. In reality, we discussed the mechanics of playing trumpet eventually expanding our understanding to notes above the staff and then they simply played those notes.

Each of these kids had a working physics model of how and why the embouchure, air stream, instrument and mind worked together to produce specific results. And those who internalized this model became the most proficient. In fact, many of the kids excelled so quickly that they lost interest in practicing until I gave them much more challenging musical goals.

I no longer offer regular brass lessons as I have more than enough trumpets to build for clients. However, I have considered offering an online course or possibly publishing a real workbook/text designed to create and expand your own physics model of brass playing. Until then, please engage within this blog entry by leaving a message of your answers and additional questions. I will likely post a series of follow-up
blog entries for those of you interested in receiving complimentary group lessons within this format.

Remember, the accuracy of your personal understanding of a problem will determine the results. If you do not understand the concept of a computer mouse, you cannot direct the cursor to access the vast potential of a computer. Likewise, a limited understanding of any aspect of brass playing will in turn limit your results as a brass musician.

Read the follow up Physics of High Notes continued after you've answered the questions above.
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26 Comments
Chris Ahrens link
8/19/2014 07:59:04 am

1. volume and air speed seem to be constant.
2. seems to be same pressure along the range
3. i would say mezzoforte.
4. it seems to be logigal the theory that a shorter lip can create higher pitches, because it is so with string instruments.

Jason - I would like to find out more about your way of playing in the high range because that is something I have problems with. I come not really higher than high g. after that no sound or sound but no control.

Thanks, Chris

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:50:33 am

You are welcome to watch any of my masterclasses on YouTube at no charge.

Reply
Chris Ahrens
8/19/2014 07:59:37 am

....

Reply
Michael Holliday
8/19/2014 09:25:05 am

1) .Air volume appears to be consistent through out. Air speed increase as going up.
2) Probably just enough pressure to create a seal for the air. Does no appear to increase as going higher.
3) MF. More of a clear sound as oppose to a loud sound.
4) Have no idea. Never thought about it in those terms before.

Reply
Stan Illich
8/19/2014 10:33:19 pm

Reply
Jason
8/20/2014 12:53:04 am

Hi Stan,
I had posting comments to my own website when I first began using this system. There is a reply button and a submit button. When you have finished typing your comment, press "submit" and it should appear here. -Jason

Reply
James Caplik
8/20/2014 08:29:59 am

1. Air volume appears to be consistent throughout. While I can't tell what your air speed is, I would think based on my understanding of physics that if everything else remains the same then air speed would have to increase as you go up in range.
2. Your mouthpiece pressure was minimal. Especially given the fact of the way you held your horn.
3. Your volume was also consistent which would make sense if your air volume remained the same.
4. Not sure what you mean by longer or shorter lip or a break between the top and bottom lip.

Reply
Jeff McMillin
8/22/2014 06:14:08 am

1 air stream consistent and steady throughout. The air pressure Is probably increasing as you go higher but I didn't notice a change physically.

2 I didn't see an increase in arm pressure, it seemed to be the same throughout.

3 Probably mp- mf on dynamics

4 It sounded that it might have shortened slightly.


Reply
Mike Sheppard
8/23/2014 01:04:07 am

My only comment is really a question. For lip length, it would be the lower lip shorter for those of us who play 2/3 upper 1/3 lower and vice versa. Would a 1/2 placement have a smoother transition or would it be awkward to decide which lip would vibrate at any given point. Also, does the longer lip vibrate more freely? Does the lower lip have as much control as the upper under any of the embouchure positions?

Reply
Jerry Sussman
8/23/2014 10:45:03 pm

1) It seemed to me that you were using very little air. You were using less air as you ascended, more air as you descended. My understanding is that air speed increases as you ascend.

2) It didn't seem like you were using much pressure. Pressure didn't seem to change as you ascended or descended.

3) mp/mf. You don't need to play loud to play high.

4) I haven't grasped the concept of lip length. I don't know which of my lips is longer. My sense is that my top lip is doing most (if not all) of the vibrating in the pedal register. I don't perceive how your lips are vibrating. I can't differentiate your top lip vibration from your bottom lip vibration.

Reply
JiCe
10/6/2015 01:04:30 am

Hi Jason

+1 for the Book you maybe plan to write someday.
Very, very interesting stuff
Thanks

Reply
JH
4/18/2016 02:33:17 pm

Someone recently sent me a message telling me that this blog entry is complete nonsense. Okay, that's your perspective, but I often wonder why there is a tendency for some players to get upset about people like myself working hard to explain and demonstrate the mechanics of the embouchure. To each their own!

Reply
mark
12/24/2018 05:10:53 pm

Whoever said your blog is nonsense is stupid. What part of watching you play in the upper register and asking the audience what they noticed nonsense? As for me, I don't need an in service on the upper register, I'm already there for decades now. This is what I see;
It appears that
1. You know what the note feels like in your mouth. If it ain't in your mouth, it ain't comin' outta the horn.
2. You appear to use your tongue to increase the velocity of the air. Lifting the tongue towards the roof of the mouth increases the speed of the air that hits the aperture.
3.You didn't use high compression. You backed off and played notes, not screams.
You remained calm, not going red faced showing control
4. You displayed control.

As for the fool that thought your question was stupid, I wouldn't give you a penny for their work ethic. As with anything, if you don't have a goal and work your ass off toward that goal then your left bouncing around. You had a goal of expanding your range and stuck with it and realized your goal. Yes, I'm sure that the person calling your thought study nonsense wants to play in the upper register but just doesn't want to work for it. I wonder how many mouthpieces (really shallow ones!) this person owns. Your demonstration and questions make complete sense to me.

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:55:22 am

Thank you Mark, I appreciate your feedback :)

Anonymous
5/12/2020 09:27:40 am

ok, so what i know is wrong about yours is that you're supposed to anchor the trumpet on the bottom lip and keep pressure off of the top lip so that the top lip can provide a nice sound. if you anchor on the top lip and have the bottom lip vibrate, then the sounds aren't going to be as good.

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:51:28 am

Interesting concept, but you offer no evidence to support your conclusion.

beginners trumpets link
8/18/2016 04:04:16 am

trumpets for all levels of players on offer with trumpets in all price ranges, with fast delivery.

Reply
Norman M Canter link
9/30/2016 06:09:10 pm

In Max Schlossberg's Daily Drills, Harry Freistadt writes that low, middle and high notes are accompanied by ta, tu, tee respectively, which, I guess, changes the shape of the oral cavity. This seems to correlate with Lilli Lehmann's diagrams in her book How To Sing. The 3 zone method seems to work for me. I guess it also changes the speed of the air stream and influences lip vibrations.

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:56:01 am

Yes!

Reply
Nick Volz link
2/4/2018 08:43:00 am

Hey man the link provided at the bottom of the page, "Physics of High Notes continued" is broken, redirecting to a 404 page.

Just FYI! Thanks for the good content :)

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:56:28 am

Thanks, I'll take a look...

Reply
Brett C Maxwell
12/3/2018 09:52:31 pm

Former trumpet player, but I was re-pondering something that confused me back when. Why is it that C G and C are all produced playing with valves open? I would expect C F# C instead as the notes would be evenly spaced half an octave apart.

Why does this confuse me?

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:53:10 am

The natural laws of the universe (physics) dictate the overtone series which is the following: octave, fifth, fourth, major third, minor third, minor third, whole step, etc.

Reply
rohit aggarwal link
11/12/2019 01:11:21 am

thanks for the information

Reply
Rando
7/11/2020 08:14:39 pm

So you said at the end that 5th graders could play to high C because they didn’t think it was hard. I have a question. I play on a G on top of the staff, then I go up with half steps. But eventually, even if I think, “It’s just a half step; not much is going to change” the tone gets bad and eventually I get no sound. Please help (though my range is starting to grow as I play in the upper floor.)

Reply
Jason link
8/10/2020 07:53:59 am

You're welcome to watch the entire series on YouTube or watch any of my live and pre-recorded classes at no charge on Facebook and YouTube.

Reply

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