WindWorks Trumpet Academy Forums WindWorks High notes sound bad

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    • #11889
      matthieu
      Participant

      Hello, me again with another question/problem 😉

      Often my high notes are shrill or hissing, and after hitting high note the followings sound bad.

      For exemple when playing legato exercise 20 of Arban, after the first high G the sound doesn’t come out. Or when playing exercise 25 of Clarke sometimes the high B and C comes out well, then the following notes don’t, then when back to B and C it comes out again,…

      It’s my main problem these last weeks, hence the post.

      I don’t feel more tired than usual. I tried more warm-ups, just to be sure, and concentrate on being flexible and relaxing when descending.

      Any idea ?

    • #11921
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Hey Matthieu, yep, heaps of ideas!!! Firstly, well done for recognising the inconsistencies in your sound – Critical awareness of the problem is half the solution!

      Clearly you are using too much muscle strain to get the higher notes out – DON’T PANIC – you are not alone and that is fine at the start. What part of YOUR range feels like humming/singing? As you will have learned going through the Singing C exercises, playing above the stave efficiently is very complicated.

      When coming down to the lower notes, you are not yet sure of the SHAPE required AND you have pinched the lip tissue when playing the higher notes and then keeping it pinched.

      Refine your awareness of each note and learn to change between notes without over-exerting.

      Stick with it!

    • #11934
      matthieu
      Participant

      Greg, how we learn correct SHAPE ? by playing the note often (when rested) ? doing lip slurs ?

    • #11935
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Hey Matthieu, it would be a good time to go right back and watch the Largo videos. Watch them really closely. The answers you seek are there 🙂 Greg

    • #11942
      matthieu
      Participant

      Indeed !

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