pitch sharp - WindWorks Trumpet Academy by Mystery to Mastery | WindWorks Trumpet Academy by Mystery to Mastery

This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 6 months ago by johnelwood.

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- 16 October 2018 at 10:49 pm #9389
  
  giuseppe.ciccone380
  Participant
  
  Hello everybody!
  
  I have a question, I realized when I’m playing that most of the notes are coming out a bit sharper, for example the middle C is always C#. I tried to move the tuning slide further but more or less it’s the same. Playing with the tuner is a bit misleading at the moment because I loose the focus and I get a bit stress, some of you have any suggetions about that? Thanks in advance!!
- 20 October 2018 at 2:12 am #9636
  
  JuttaC
  Participant
  
  Hello Giuseppe,
  I’m absolutely and definitely no expert, but I’d just like to share a strange experience with you in case it helps. A few months ago I moved to a better instrument (cornet) with a third-valve trigger. I wanted to see what difference pulling the trigger made, so I played a D with varying degrees of trigger with my tuner. The strange thing: the trigger actually made no difference whatsoever! I knew it just had to; the pipe was getting longer, so pitch should have gone down!?! Then I realised that I was compensating for the trigger with my embouchure. Something in my head had decided to try and keep the note constant, irrespective of how much trigger I used. I wonder if the same might be happening to you. You have a note in your head and no matter what you do with the tuning slide, your subconcious is always aiming for that note. Is that possible?
  
  Jutta
- 22 October 2018 at 10:55 pm #9923
  
  giuseppe.ciccone380
  Participant
  
  Hello Jutta,
  
  Thanks for sharing your experience, yes I’m sure that this is the main issue, I have to train my head rather then changing the tinning slide. I started to play with the drones trying to sing and then playing the notes with the trumpet and it slowly helps me to better get the right pitch. I’m still sharp most of the time and above all when I’m tired but I guess there is no other ways.
  
  Thanks a lot for your help 😉
- 8 May 2021 at 4:30 am #79763
  
  johnelwood
  Participant
  
  I’ve just realized I’m playing really sharp.
  
  I don’t play in a group, I just play for fun by myself.
  
  I’ve got my tuning slide out a couple of inches, but I think I need to spend some time playing long tones with drones.
  
  It’s funny, I think this has been the case for a while and now my ear is used to it being sharp. Playing notes perfectly in tune sound flat to me on certain pitches.
  
  Oh well, I was looking for an excuse to try that Walter White long tones drones I got previously. I’ll just spend some time doing that at night with my headphones on, etc.
- 11 May 2021 at 7:14 am #80021
  
  johnelwood
  Participant
  
  I learned something today on this which I thought was interesting–I have been playing with a tuner ever since realizing that I’m playing very sharp.
  
  When I warm up, I’m pretty in tune on most notes. And when I ascend chromatically, I can keep things pretty much in tune.
  
  But when I play a middle C the way it feels naturally without ascending up to it, it is very Sharp and things get sharper from there.
  
  When I ascend chromatically from the low register, I can keep things in tune, but when I come in at a middle C or higher, I’m sharp despite feeling fine–it actually feels better to play it a little sharp than when I try to relax it back into being in tune.
  
  It’s interesting. I’m going to keep at it. I’m hoping in time, I learn to play those notes in tune comfortably / naturally without having to look at a tuner.
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