Just released a new video to correct some information on the mechanics of the diaphragm when playing trumpet. Check it out! ua-cam.com/video/EOqAJstBC60/v-deo.html
Hey Bob, how are you, man? I enjoyed the on playing high without tightening the lips. I'm 66 almost 67 yrs. old, and not too long ago I had a double G in my range. I don't know what happened but I'm lucky to squeeze out an E above high C. I know my brain is really confused from watching many videos, that I forgot what I was doing. Anyway I enjoyed the video. Maybe you can offer me a tip or two. Victor Denis Dedicated Trpt. Player 10:27
At last! Out of all the millions of youtube vids and teachers, YOU were the first to teach me what to actually do and how it works. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
@@taylornye1150 it's actually purely metaphorical, air velocity in the oral space is irrelevant to pitch played. The lip tension controls the pitch played. The "hose" explanation is not applicable as presented.
@@darryljones9208 I’d say it is so. Didn’t he squeeze the hose to get a stronger jet? The hose outlet was like the lips: tighter = stronger jet. It’s what you said about lip tension, isn’t it?
a common misconception in the trumpet community is calling double c (6th space/space above the 5th ledger) triple c, even though those are 2 different octaves, theyre usually referred to as the same thing. ive noticed this from many trumpet players, varying in where they are, their skill level, and their skill
Because the High C is 14 notes above the Low C, the C just below the staff, lets start referring to it as the Quattuordecuple C. Sounds way more impressive.
I did everything wrong in high school and college. I used massive mouthpiece pressure and zero diaphragm support. I'm a comeback player now (flugelhorn) and am using your methods. I am only two weeks into my comeback but am already noticing significant improvements in my tone and range. My endurance is improving at a slower rate, but I expected that.
Yeah, I don't remember any of this being taught 40 years ago. Director was very good regarding diaphragm and ab support. I just passed my Bb tpt off to a nephew and was piddling around on it whistfully.
I'm a senior in high school, been playing the trumpet since 5th grade, and I still struggle with getting notes that are a high E or higher 😭, this really helped
Id guess its above the staff… Ive been learning trumpet for the first time this week and i can play an E (not consistently or well, but its not that difficult)
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm a seventh grader in my school's symphonic band I, which is the second best (to honor band), and I continuously squashed my lips for those pesky high notes. My high notes always sounded really gritty, and squashed, and I barely passed my playing test. Now I have to learn my school's fight song, and there are some really high notes there. But now, I clearly feel as if I can play them better. It's kinda weird how band directors don't really mention this. But thank gosh I found you, you just earned a like and a sub!!
Been teaching kids about the placement of the tongue for years. Not enough teachers talk about this. I have my students whistle up and down to show them the importance of the placement of the tongue. Glad more people are talking about this! Very important to gain range on trumpet. Great video!
@@minervadavis744 the shape of the lips or? sorry I literally started playing a brass instrument on friday so all i know is how to make a sound that sounds like a sound
This just blew my mind (pun intended). I've played trumpet since fifth grade and I was NEVER taught this by any of my band directors. Thank you so much!!
Love the video! One issue: the diaphragm isn’t actually responsible for “pushing” out the air. I know…it’s nitpicking and it stills works as a cue. I mention it because it’s an educational video.
i was looking for in person instructors to do this for like a year now, it turns out people in this day in age (or in canada) no longer play the trumpet. thank you and im saving this to my computer
This is great stuff. Thanks a lot. I'm a 52 year old band teacher that played trombone for years. This year, I'm trying to learn to play high on the trumpet and can only get a C on the 2nd ledger line above the staff. I'm working on going on up. One thing I'd correct is the role of the diaphragm--you have the diaphragm's function wrong. It's not your fault--this was taught by music teachers everywhere for many years. All my teachers taught it wrong too. Inhalation (inspiration): The diaphragm is the primary muscle that pulls air INTO the lungs, inhalation, or Inspiration. Accessory muscles on the outside of the rib cage assist when needed. The external rib muscles help the diaphragm breath in air. Exhalation (expiration): The diaphragm is NOT ACTIVE during exhalation or expiration, when breathing quietly, the inhalation muscles simply relax and the rib cage elastically recoils expelling air. Forced air exhalation (playing high notes): the interior rib muscles and the abdominals are the ones that can force air out of the lungs. The diaphragm is relaxed and the abs and interior rib muscles push the air out. In summary: The diaphragm can ONLY pull air into the lungs. Other muscles can push air out of the lungs: abs and internal rib muscles. Everything else in your video is great. Here's a medical review video that explains the breathing muscles clearly. The link goes to the end of the video where the summary is. Of course watching the entire video is advised. ua-cam.com/video/6bkjJWBBnCo/v-deo.html
Hey, this is really helpful, and I appreciate the correction! I learned about the diaphragm's role from many music teachers, but I'm going to do some more research on anatomy and the mechanics of the trumpet, and I'll try to make a video to correct the seemingly widespread misunderstanding. Thanks for the kind words and the info! Good luck with those high notes!
I've been singing for years, and now playing the trumpet, and it's the first time I see this written down that clearly. This is soooo true, and should be told to anybody singing or playing a wind instrument! Thanks for this applied anatomy lesson 👌
Came here to say the same thing. The contraction of the diaphragm (in the simplest terms) basically clears out space for your lungs to expand during inhalation. The sensation that a lot of people associate with "breathing with your diaphragm" or "breathing low" is that process, but once you begin to exhale the diaphragm is actually relaxing and allowing everything to return to its neutral state. As you exhale during trumpet playing (or any wind playing/singing), the support and pressure you feel is largely the abdominal muscles activating.
I must have heard this explanation a million times before but this video finally helped me figure it out. Obviously it's hard, it's something I've never done before. But I can work on that. Practice and get better. Thanks a lot for this!
Thank you for an interesting ride on the trumpet band-wagon. I love your teaching style as well as your antics and witt. VERRRY informative. Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
Wow, thanks! As someone who's trying to learn to play the Trumper on his own, I made exactly the mistake you described. I was figuring this was way to hard. You explained so much in just 10 minutes!
Excellent advice! I'm a senior playing trumpet since 10 years old. This was never explained so clearly to me. Look forward to seeing more of your videos
You ARE THE MAN!!! You are singing my song!!! I tell people this all the time. NEVER TIGHTEN up to play high notes. USE YOUR AIR NOT YOUR FACE. DO NOT FORCE OR PUSH TO GET HIGH NOTES!!!
Im a freshman in high school and first French horn for my district (super proud) im binging ur videos in hopes of getting better on trumpet so I can be first trumpet in jazz band. This video was INFINITELY helpful.
With natural breathing, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles between the ribs relax as you exhale. Our approach to the trumpet should start with that. We can make a big, clear sound just by breathing out naturally. As we go higher, we encounter some resistance and find that we need more "oomph" (a very scientific term!), and that instinctively results in some strengthening of the abdominal muscles. We cannot tense or push with our diaphragm, but can create a foundation for blowing more vigorously by firming the abdominal muscles to support the diaphragm. Arnold Jacobs was a master at explaining the natural "bellows system" of breathing which is completely relaxed and instinctive, and that should be our starting point, but that is not to say that we do not need to aid the playing of higher pitches with some abdominal firming and support. It is very important to ensure, in discussing tensing abdominal muscles or "pushing with the diaphragm", that we are not locking up our exhalation rather than enabling the continued free outflow of air. The abdominal support sense needs to develop as an instinctive felt need or response through playing higher notes, not as a conscious, artificial tightening of the gut. We must not blow against ourselves! The feeing of "oomph" power and the firming and stabilizing of the corners of our lips to keep them free to vibrate in the mouthpiece are cornerstones of developing the higher register. For some players, range development comes fairly easily as they play and progress, but for others, especially many of those with fuller, fleshier lips, it takes more time and creative trials to find the answer. I doubt that I have said anything that you are not fully knowledgable about, but I wanted to add a cautionary note. Focusing on tensing the gut can be very counter productive if done in an extreme, artificial way. Breathe in with a relaxed, open mouth and throat and sing through the instrument as freely as possible in each register. Let the support feel develop through sustaining higher pitches and through scales, slurs and melodic playing in the upper register. The goal is to develop a fairly stable, consistent sense of support through all registers with both air and embouchure.
Wow. I am a student trumpeter who has been playing for over 2 years and I have been struggling on the balance between tone and range. Never before have my two music teachers said to do what you explained in the video. It hasn’t fixed the problem immediately, as on my first attempt I still couldn’t hit the high C, but it definitely helped and it will help in the future! Thank you!
Omgggg! This video is so useful because I actually thought that the tightening your lips was true, I tried and failed. But thanks to this video I can play high E (0 down).
holy shit this is so useful, whenever I would squeak out a high note in class or marching band, my teacher would say to "have a smaller aperture and use faster air" but i could never figure out how to do it right! So glad I got recommended this video
FINALLY...a comedian that knows how to teach music !!! I'm fixing to turn 70, shortly; and have just started learning Bugle & Trombone. (I bought a Harbor Freight Bugle a few years ago just for the heck of it and it's just been hanging on the wall for decorations. My Grandson bought a Trombone and leaves it up here at my house. No one here to bother as I practice!!! Carpal Tunnel surgery, a decade ago, killed my guitar playing, so I figured Id see if I could blow a horn a while. I love Glenn Miller & Kid Orey stuff! I appreciate all the little pieces of professional advice & opinions I get, by sampling various teachers' tecniques. Now I can single out 7 individual notes on my bugle. Don't know what each are, I'm thinking on in their own register past the normal G. I believe these are H, I J AND 2. 🤔
Took lessons from multiple teachers back in highschool and college and no one ever explained the air stream concept. I guess they just did not know back then. They talked about strengthening the embochure and playing with a frown not a smile, keeping the throat open, etc. It worked ok if you only wanted to play below middle G. There is also some information currently about unfurling the lips, creating a vibrating surface on the inside of the lips where the tissue is softer and has the potential to vibrate faster. Another suggestion is to experiment with shifting the mouthpiece slightly off center of your lips in either direction to see if the lips may more easily vibrate for higher notes. You want the widest vibrating surface possible for optimum sound. Also suggested was to center the mouthpiece against ONE of your TOP two middle teeth and not try to center between BOTH of them. This may create a wider vibrating surface.
WoW!!! I am a professional magician from Germany and I also sing jazz, funk, blues & soul in my evening program together with a jazz trio. Now I'd love to add a piece with the flugelhorn, which I am a complete beginner at. I practice daily (without any lessons...) and was almost desperate, but your video helped me to make a spontaneous quantum leap in my playing technique. Thank you so much for the best video instructions I could find on UA-cam! A new kind of magic just starts to unfold.
If i can hug you through the screen, i will!! I truly appreciate this bro. Im a trombonist for around 20 years, and i decided to pick up the flugelhorn, because i REALLY love the tone of that instrument. I know the mouthpiece is tiny in comparison, but i struggled to get the high notes because i was applying my trombone techniques onto the flugelhorn, so i realized that i needed some guidance. Then i found this video. 5-10 minutes later, played the C major scale with such ease. And it's only gonna get better from here. Many thanks bro!!!
I am a woodwind player (and teacher) playing trumpet in my church’s brass ensemble. This was a tremendous help as I was struggling to get above a C on the staff!
I have been playing trumpet for 5 years now and have always had a really good range with decent tone, it has been very inconsistent though for a while, I had never heard to blow faster instead of squeezing lips, I was always told to tighten my embouchure, (Band teacher is a woodwind player)
This video was the only one that actually helped me hit higher notes, and the visuals really helped too. Great job explaining everything, what you were trying to say I was able to understand.
Great tips, was struggling hitting the octave on a 2 valve bugle I picked up. I started on tuba and had a natural affinity for it, but could never get much sound out of a trumpet. Actually got some decent tones while watching and implementing, and hit the octave and almost the partial above it!
It's not just "tightening the lips" it's the right kind and amount of increased tension of the vibrating surface **along with** the correct amount of increased pressure and manipulation of the tongue, teeth opening and alignment and increased air. The lips do in fact tighten to play higher and/or louder. Playing any given note louder the tension of the lips increase - this is a fact. You'll also find that as you play louder on a given note the teeth will open. It's a matter of coordinating all the parts of the whole - they all have to be there or it won't happen.
I'm 58 years old and learning to play the trumpet. This video was very helpful, thank you. Playing the trumpet frustrates me. I love this instrument but it's quite challenging. I'm trying to learn how to play Taps. I can hit the G note sometimes but when I do, I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of their sockets and my ear drums are about to explode at the same time. I am driving both my neighbors and my cats crazy; especially my cats. As soon as they see me whip out that Trumpet they run for their lives 😂. Trumpet is a great instrument to play if you want to train your cats not to jump on your tables or claw your furniture. All jokes aside, I'm determined to learn to play the trumpet. The reason is because I want to play the trumpet for my church as a surprise for Don and Pat. We sing a song every Sunday called Holy name of Jesus Glory to God. This song has a trumpet solo. The church cannot afford to hire a trumpet player to perform at Sunday mass. I had decided to learn music theory and sight singing for vocal training. My peers didn't learn it because it's not required for our church choir. It took me over 3 years to learn to sight sing. So I said to myself "I learned all of this, I might as well learn to play an instrument." So, I started learning to play trumpet. Unfortunately, playing a trumpet is much more challenging than I thought. I'm getting better, it's just frustrating sometimes. Thank you for reading my comment.
Stop everything u're doing and give this guy a thumbs up and subscribe!! First time I really understand the mechanism of controlling your trumpet notes
Thanks! I've been practicing bugle for a while without very much progress but with your instruction I was easily able to play Taps better than ever! I'm still not good enough to play at a military funeral but now there's hope. I thought maybe old dogs really couldn't learn new tricks but now I'm certain I can. Even if it's only roll over or sit and stay and play Taps.
I’m currently I’m my high schools marching band and this tutorial helped me be able to keep my energy in my high notes instead of squashing my tone terribly and my lips tiring out quickly, I am grateful for this
Super interesting ! I damaged something at the corner of my mouth while trying to reach a high C with lip tightening. Could never play trumpet again so I switched to sax. I'm not bad at the altissimo register which works with throat and tongue, close to what you describe. There is still hope !
Hi. I have played trumpet about 40 years. There has been some pauses, but now I started again. My record used to be E6, but now after couple of days training, after 10 years pause, I was able to catch A5 somehow with pressing too much. Easy was to achieve E5 or F5. It seems I can still recover :) Thanks for the tips. It really worked to put more air and get upper tones without valves. A-E changing was something what I think happens naturally, at least part of that. I have instructed to not close throat or push trumpet more againts the lips. My key to achieve high notes are low notes. I play low and as quiet sounds as I can, and also as long long as I can. They pause 10-20 seconds. Like C2, B1, Bb1, A1, As1, G1, Fis1 and same way back to C2. Teh key is to play as silent as you can, and as long as you can. Then enough pause between every tone. Have you heard about this technique? Here is Finland famous trumpet player Esko Heikkinen called that as a Bear farts.
Finally an explanation I understand. “AHH. EEEE.” Have watched multiple videos on positioning the back of the tongue. This is the first one that the light bulb came on for me.
Great, thank you, I just slurred up to a top C. But there is a problem - if I tongue a top C, my tongue is in the wrong place - is it a case of practicing a lot, to move the tongue very quickly from behind the teeth to a high arch, and back? My tongue doesn't feel long enough to do both.
Good video! My trombone instructor in college taught me this my freshman year (1973). I had two "pivot points" (one for my midrange and one for my high range) that would overlap each other in the middle. As a bass trombonist, I had another setting for the extreme low range, but it involved a change of the airstream direction (upward). BTW, I "retired" from playing trombone in 2010. Thanks for the video!
Just started understanding this finally after watching this video and played high relatively easily. What I don't quite get is how to play whisper tones up high yet though.
When Maynard was questioned about raising the tougue to change or raise the pitch he essentially said he doesn't do that. Wayne Bergeron said he slightly tensions his lips. I've been told others curl their lips over their teeth. It's all rather curious. I'm not sure anyone knows what actually happens, it's just a matter of can you prove you have mastered it. Wayne used the word "discovery". Just because you can do it doesn't necessarily mean you can explain how it works. I've often thought that lip internal composition/mass was a big intangible related to performance success. It's physics. I can hit a 3G using a certain posture but it's not a normal position for me. Most of us can squeal out random crazy notes but controlling them is the hard part. One thing I can prove by vsimple observation is that large, broad, square faced, square jaw structure, least amount of teeth curvature men can play high much easier. There are exceptions but in general they do dominate the art.
This has helped a lot! Finally feeling some ease in playing above the stave. However, I'm finding it hard to articulate with the front of my tongue if the back of the tongue is already raised for the higher register. I can only start a high note by articulating from a /k/. Do others experience this?
For clarification, muscles can only contract in one direction. The diaphragm fills the lungs when it contracts -- it is used for inhaling, OR controlling the amount of air exiting the lungs when exhaling. The abdominal and oblique muscles are contracted to expel air.
Gosh. About 60 years too late for me. But I basically did this, but it only worked up to E-flat, sometimes F. So I went into band directing. Dang. Loved my pro work in college.
mister, sir, dude,....are you something. I studied singing at the conservatorium of amsterdam and did a master in singing at....bla bla bla.... Never has someone been so clear, nice, generous and funny about the matter as you show in your short movie. Thank you very, very much. p.s. I wanna start learnng the cornet, i got from my brother. (this is why I wanted to learn about high notes. Cheers! Sincerely yours, Ernst, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
He tightens his lips to play high notes and short notes require little air volume. Good players also are more efficient with the air requiring less flow. Small cup mouthpieces also are very efficient in regard to air flow.
what a cool video, I am sax player (amateur) but I have a tiny friend that is learning trumpet (eleven years old) and I am pretty sure that this video will help her so much! greetings from Germany.
Great Video! I use this same technique but i think that facial muscle is as important as the air support and tongue! You can do a video showing exercises for the upper register and how to practice. It could be very interesting!
Yes I think this video shows 50% of the correct technic, without the other 50% (facial muscles), no upper register will come out. I'm still working on this but it is very though.
WTH!!! After 45 years of teachers, directors and high $$$ instructors I’m just learning this now??? I am equally furious and grateful at the exact same time.
Great video, but you might want to add that in order for the air and tongue to change the pitch, the embouchure has to be *receptive* to those changes in the airstream. It's not a given that a student's embouchure can do that. Your embouchure might already be receptive, but some students might not be set up properly. I tried the tongue level stuff a while ago, and changes there only changed my timbre, with a kind of waouh-waouh sound under the tone I was producing. Similarly, changing the air only increased my volume. It's only after doing work on my embouchure to bring the lips closer, but keeping them open enough to respond, allowed them to change pitch when the tongue and air were activated. So ... I think people are told to squeeze the lips together because they start off too far apart to respond to the air & tongue. As usual, it seems to be neither a blanket "do this" or "don't do that;" it's more like "do it this way, when you do that other thing." It all works together, eh? Lips, air & tongue?
I tried this but could only reach about a middle C with it (my normal range is about a high G or high C on a good day). Is there something I could be doing wrong? I'm really trying to be conscious of moving the back of my tongue up but I'm noticing that my mouth automatically tightens when I get to higher notes
Just released a new video to correct some information on the mechanics of the diaphragm when playing trumpet. Check it out! ua-cam.com/video/EOqAJstBC60/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/NX3HfZge9KI/v-deo.html is even a high note?!
How do I get rid of swelling and numbness? I’ve lost my range due to this issue. Any suggestions?
1:55
Hey Bob, how are you, man? I enjoyed the on playing high without tightening the lips. I'm 66 almost 67 yrs. old, and not too long ago I had a double G in my range. I don't know what happened but I'm lucky to squeeze out an E above high C. I know my brain is really confused from watching many videos, that I forgot what I was doing. Anyway I enjoyed the video. Maybe you can offer me a tip or two.
Victor Denis
Dedicated Trpt. Player 10:27
At last! Out of all the millions of youtube vids and teachers, YOU were the first to teach me what to actually do and how it works. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
I know right, first guy to actually explain right
Happy to help!
@@taylornye1150 it's actually purely metaphorical, air velocity in the oral space is irrelevant to pitch played. The lip tension controls the pitch played. The "hose" explanation is not applicable as presented.
Hee hee hee haw
@@darryljones9208 I’d say it is so. Didn’t he squeeze the hose to get a stronger jet? The hose outlet was like the lips: tighter = stronger jet. It’s what you said about lip tension, isn’t it?
Gained literally an octave of range above the staff from this video. Hit triple C for the first time. Thank you so much!
you mean double C? Triple is two octaves above the C above the staff
@@levimccoy4127 i think he means triple as in high c as in, the first one above the staff
@@Meg-um4zk yeah, it goes pedal c (or double pedals etc.), low c, middle c, high c, double c, triple c, etc.
a common misconception in the trumpet community is calling double c (6th space/space above the 5th ledger) triple c, even though those are 2 different octaves, theyre usually referred to as the same thing. ive noticed this from many trumpet players, varying in where they are, their skill level, and their skill
Because the High C is 14 notes above the Low C, the C just below the staff, lets start referring to it as the Quattuordecuple C. Sounds way more impressive.
I did everything wrong in high school and college. I used massive mouthpiece pressure and zero diaphragm support. I'm a comeback player now (flugelhorn) and am using your methods. I am only two weeks into my comeback but am already noticing significant improvements in my tone and range. My endurance is improving at a slower rate, but I expected that.
What's your range
This gives me great hope as I find myself in a similar situation!
Flugelhorn
Yeah, I don't remember any of this being taught 40 years ago. Director was very good regarding diaphragm and ab support. I just passed my Bb tpt off to a nephew and was piddling around on it whistfully.
I'm a senior in high school, been playing the trumpet since 5th grade, and I still struggle with getting notes that are a high E or higher 😭, this really helped
Do you mean E in the staff or…?
@@ericmarmal9849 exactly what I was wondering
@@ericmarmal9849i reckon they must lean e above the staff coz i’ve been playing for about a year and i can play the high e in the staff but idk
Hmm... i agree, shallow and pedantic
Id guess its above the staff… Ive been learning trumpet for the first time this week and i can play an E (not consistently or well, but its not that difficult)
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm a seventh grader in my school's symphonic band I, which is the second best (to honor band), and I continuously squashed my lips for those pesky high notes. My high notes always sounded really gritty, and squashed, and I barely passed my playing test. Now I have to learn my school's fight song, and there are some really high notes there. But now, I clearly feel as if I can play them better. It's kinda weird how band directors don't really mention this. But thank gosh I found you, you just earned a like and a sub!!
I'm in the high school marching band, and I didn't know how much tension I was playing with until now, and it works very well, thank you so much.
I’m a trombonist and this literally made jazz solos so much easier, all those years of slightly off pitch notes will be behind me.
Finally!! someone that cares about having good tone at high ranges.
Loved the lesson, Bob.
SUBSCRIBED
Been teaching kids about the placement of the tongue for years. Not enough teachers talk about this. I have my students whistle up and down to show them the importance of the placement of the tongue. Glad more people are talking about this! Very important to gain range on trumpet. Great video!
what if they can't whistle?
Tell them to think “ee” as you slur up or play higher and think “ah” on lower notes. Really low notes, think “oh.”
@@minervadavis744 the shape of the lips or? sorry I literally started playing a brass instrument on friday so all i know is how to make a sound that sounds like a sound
Biggest help to me as a self taught trumpet player
This just blew my mind (pun intended). I've played trumpet since fifth grade and I was NEVER taught this by any of my band directors. Thank you so much!!
Love the video! One issue: the diaphragm isn’t actually responsible for “pushing” out the air. I know…it’s nitpicking and it stills works as a cue. I mention it because it’s an educational video.
i was looking for in person instructors to do this for like a year now, it turns out people in this day in age (or in canada) no longer play the trumpet. thank you and im saving this to my computer
This is great stuff. Thanks a lot. I'm a 52 year old band teacher that played trombone for years. This year, I'm trying to learn to play high on the trumpet and can only get a C on the 2nd ledger line above the staff. I'm working on going on up.
One thing I'd correct is the role of the diaphragm--you have the diaphragm's function wrong. It's not your fault--this was taught by music teachers everywhere for many years. All my teachers taught it wrong too.
Inhalation (inspiration): The diaphragm is the primary muscle that pulls air INTO the lungs, inhalation, or Inspiration. Accessory muscles on the outside of the rib cage assist when needed. The external rib muscles help the diaphragm breath in air.
Exhalation (expiration): The diaphragm is NOT ACTIVE during exhalation or expiration, when breathing quietly, the inhalation muscles simply relax and the rib cage elastically recoils expelling air.
Forced air exhalation (playing high notes): the interior rib muscles and the abdominals are the ones that can force air out of the lungs. The diaphragm is relaxed and the abs and interior rib muscles push the air out.
In summary: The diaphragm can ONLY pull air into the lungs. Other muscles can push air out of the lungs: abs and internal rib muscles.
Everything else in your video is great. Here's a medical review video that explains the breathing muscles clearly. The link goes to the end of the video where the summary is. Of course watching the entire video is advised.
ua-cam.com/video/6bkjJWBBnCo/v-deo.html
Hey, this is really helpful, and I appreciate the correction! I learned about the diaphragm's role from many music teachers, but I'm going to do some more research on anatomy and the mechanics of the trumpet, and I'll try to make a video to correct the seemingly widespread misunderstanding. Thanks for the kind words and the info! Good luck with those high notes!
I've been singing for years, and now playing the trumpet, and it's the first time I see this written down that clearly. This is soooo true, and should be told to anybody singing or playing a wind instrument! Thanks for this applied anatomy lesson 👌
Came here to say the same thing. The contraction of the diaphragm (in the simplest terms) basically clears out space for your lungs to expand during inhalation. The sensation that a lot of people associate with "breathing with your diaphragm" or "breathing low" is that process, but once you begin to exhale the diaphragm is actually relaxing and allowing everything to return to its neutral state. As you exhale during trumpet playing (or any wind playing/singing), the support and pressure you feel is largely the abdominal muscles activating.
When I don’t use your method, my embouchure hurts a lot due to the pressure I am putting, now with your method, I can now reach an High G, thanks
I must have heard this explanation a million times before but this video finally helped me figure it out. Obviously it's hard, it's something I've never done before. But I can work on that. Practice and get better. Thanks a lot for this!
Thank you for an interesting ride on the trumpet band-wagon. I love your teaching style as well as your antics and witt. VERRRY informative. Bill, from Tn. 🇺🇸
Wow, thanks! As someone who's trying to learn to play the Trumper on his own, I made exactly the mistake you described. I was figuring this was way to hard. You explained so much in just 10 minutes!
Excellent advice! I'm a senior playing trumpet since 10 years old. This was never explained so clearly to me. Look forward to seeing more of your videos
You ARE THE MAN!!! You are singing my song!!! I tell people this all the time. NEVER TIGHTEN up to play high notes. USE YOUR AIR NOT YOUR FACE. DO NOT FORCE OR PUSH TO GET HIGH NOTES!!!
More air speed with same lip tension just gives you louder tones
Im a freshman in high school and first French horn for my district (super proud) im binging ur videos in hopes of getting better on trumpet so I can be first trumpet in jazz band. This video was INFINITELY helpful.
With natural breathing, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles between the ribs relax as you exhale. Our approach to the trumpet should start with that. We can make a big, clear sound just by breathing out naturally. As we go higher, we encounter some resistance and find that we need more "oomph" (a very scientific term!), and that instinctively results in some strengthening of the abdominal muscles. We cannot tense or push with our diaphragm, but can create a foundation for blowing more vigorously by firming the abdominal muscles to
support the diaphragm. Arnold Jacobs was a master at explaining the natural "bellows system" of breathing which is completely relaxed and instinctive, and that should be our starting point, but that is not to say that we do not need to aid the playing of higher pitches with some abdominal firming and support.
It is very important to ensure, in discussing tensing abdominal muscles or "pushing with the diaphragm", that we are not locking up our exhalation rather than enabling the continued free outflow of air. The abdominal support sense needs to develop as an instinctive felt need or response through playing higher notes, not as a conscious, artificial tightening of the gut. We must not blow against ourselves!
The feeing of "oomph" power and the firming and stabilizing of the corners of our lips to keep them free to vibrate in the mouthpiece are cornerstones of developing the higher register. For some players, range development comes fairly easily as they play and progress, but for others, especially many of those with fuller, fleshier lips, it takes more time and creative trials to find the answer.
I doubt that I have said anything that you are not fully knowledgable about, but I wanted to add a cautionary note. Focusing on tensing the gut can be very counter productive if done in an extreme, artificial way.
Breathe in with a relaxed, open mouth and throat and sing through the instrument as freely as possible in each register. Let the support feel develop through sustaining higher pitches and through scales, slurs and melodic playing in the upper register. The goal is to develop a fairly stable, consistent sense of support through all registers with both air and embouchure.
Wow.
I am a student trumpeter who has been playing for over 2 years and I have been struggling on the balance between tone and range. Never before have my two music teachers said to do what you explained in the video. It hasn’t fixed the problem immediately, as on my first attempt I still couldn’t hit the high C, but it definitely helped and it will help in the future! Thank you!
2 yrs and playing a high c! 😮 do you mean C 🤔? High C is above the staff. If you meant high C, then 👏 bravo.
@@JamesThomas-dn6hz bruv, thats normal
super helpful, need some practice to play high notes with relaxation, but the mid-high notes are having significant improvements with the technique.
Omgggg! This video is so useful because I actually thought that the tightening your lips was true, I tried and failed. But thanks to this video I can play high E (0 down).
holy shit this is so useful, whenever I would squeak out a high note in class or marching band, my teacher would say to "have a smaller aperture and use faster air" but i could never figure out how to do it right! So glad I got recommended this video
FINALLY...a comedian that knows how to teach music !!! I'm fixing to turn 70, shortly; and have just started learning Bugle & Trombone. (I bought a Harbor Freight Bugle a few years ago just for the heck of it and it's just been hanging on the wall for decorations. My Grandson bought a Trombone and leaves it up here at my house. No one here to bother as I practice!!! Carpal Tunnel surgery, a decade ago, killed my guitar playing, so I figured Id see if I could blow a horn a while. I love Glenn Miller & Kid Orey stuff!
I appreciate all the little pieces of professional advice & opinions I get, by sampling various teachers' tecniques. Now I can single out 7 individual notes on my bugle. Don't know what each are, I'm thinking on in their own register past the normal G. I believe these are H, I J AND 2. 🤔
Took lessons from multiple teachers back in highschool and college and no one ever explained the air stream concept. I guess they just did not know back then. They talked about strengthening the embochure and playing with a frown not a smile, keeping the throat open, etc. It worked ok if you only wanted to play below middle G. There is also some information currently about unfurling the lips, creating a vibrating surface on the inside of the lips where the tissue is softer and has the potential to vibrate faster. Another suggestion is to experiment with shifting the mouthpiece slightly off center of your lips in either direction to see if the lips may more easily vibrate for higher notes. You want the widest vibrating surface possible for optimum sound. Also suggested was to center the mouthpiece against ONE of your TOP two middle teeth and not try to center between BOTH of them. This may create a wider vibrating surface.
WoW!!! I am a professional magician from Germany and I also sing jazz, funk, blues & soul in my evening program together with a jazz trio. Now I'd love to add a piece with the flugelhorn, which I am a complete beginner at. I practice daily (without any lessons...) and was almost desperate, but your video helped me to make a spontaneous quantum leap in my playing technique. Thank you so much for the best video instructions I could find on UA-cam! A new kind of magic just starts to unfold.
Im learning the bugle for boy scouts and the first thing I need to learn is taps, this really helped me hit that one really high note, thanks
If i can hug you through the screen, i will!! I truly appreciate this bro. Im a trombonist for around 20 years, and i decided to pick up the flugelhorn, because i REALLY love the tone of that instrument. I know the mouthpiece is tiny in comparison, but i struggled to get the high notes because i was applying my trombone techniques onto the flugelhorn, so i realized that i needed some guidance. Then i found this video. 5-10 minutes later, played the C major scale with such ease. And it's only gonna get better from here. Many thanks bro!!!
I am a woodwind player (and teacher) playing trumpet in my church’s brass ensemble. This was a tremendous help as I was struggling to get above a C on the staff!
I have been playing trumpet for 5 years now and have always had a really good range with decent tone, it has been very inconsistent though for a while, I had never heard to blow faster instead of squeezing lips, I was always told to tighten my embouchure, (Band teacher is a woodwind player)
the most useful information about trumpet tips i've ever seen, gratitude from taiwan, thanks a lot!
Thank you. I couldn’t play a double G or a triple C without it sounding off! This helped quite a lot!
This video was the only one that actually helped me hit higher notes, and the visuals really helped too. Great job explaining everything, what you were trying to say I was able to understand.
Great tips, was struggling hitting the octave on a 2 valve bugle I picked up. I started on tuba and had a natural affinity for it, but could never get much sound out of a trumpet. Actually got some decent tones while watching and implementing, and hit the octave and almost the partial above it!
I ACTUALLY DID IT!!! Im so happy a teacher finally told me how to do it
It's not just "tightening the lips" it's the right kind and amount of increased tension of the vibrating surface **along with** the correct amount of increased pressure and manipulation of the tongue, teeth opening and alignment and increased air. The lips do in fact tighten to play higher and/or louder. Playing any given note louder the tension of the lips increase - this is a fact. You'll also find that as you play louder on a given note the teeth will open. It's a matter of coordinating all the parts of the whole - they all have to be there or it won't happen.
I'm 58 years old and learning to play the trumpet. This video was very helpful, thank you. Playing the trumpet frustrates me. I love this instrument but it's quite challenging. I'm trying to learn how to play Taps. I can hit the G note sometimes but when I do, I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of their sockets and my ear drums are about to explode at the same time. I am driving both my neighbors and my cats crazy; especially my cats. As soon as they see me whip out that Trumpet they run for their lives 😂.
Trumpet is a great instrument to play if you want to train your cats not to jump on your tables or claw your furniture.
All jokes aside, I'm determined to learn to play the trumpet. The reason is because I want to play the trumpet for my church as a surprise for Don and Pat. We sing a song every Sunday called Holy name of Jesus Glory to God. This song has a trumpet solo. The church cannot afford to hire a trumpet player to perform at Sunday mass. I had decided to learn music theory and sight singing for vocal training. My peers didn't learn it because it's not required for our church choir. It took me over 3 years to learn to sight sing. So I said to myself "I learned all of this, I might as well learn to play an instrument." So, I started learning to play trumpet.
Unfortunately, playing a trumpet is much more challenging than I thought. I'm getting better, it's just frustrating sometimes.
Thank you for reading my comment.
Useful, informative, and entertaining! I just forwarded this to all of my Trumpet students. Thanks!
FANTASTIC lesson! Super clear, organized, to the point. Well done!
Stop everything u're doing and give this guy a thumbs up and subscribe!! First time I really understand the mechanism of controlling your trumpet notes
Thank you, Katia! Happy to help!
Great lesson teacher
This video was really helpful to me, before i watched this, the high c what I played was horrible. Now, its much cleaner.
I have been struggling to reach those high notes, but now, I can finally achieve them; thanks to you.
I really like this video. Have to see it at least once every month due to the bad habits built up over years of playing tight
AHHHHHHH I’m a sax player and it’s the same thing, don’t bite harder for high/altissimo notes love how musicians relate❤️
This is amazing way of teaching very well explained and easy to follow thank you!
Finally! Now I know what to do! Brooklyn? I was born and raised in Brooklyn. Now I live 200 miles north. Great video.
Thanks! I've been practicing bugle for a while without very much progress but with your instruction I was easily able to play Taps better than ever! I'm still not good enough to play at a military funeral but now there's hope. I thought maybe old dogs really couldn't learn new tricks but now I'm certain I can. Even if it's only roll over or sit and stay and play Taps.
I really liked the /a/ and /e /technique/approach to reach higher notes. Very useful.
Thanks, Javier! Glad to hear it!
I’m currently I’m my high schools marching band and this tutorial helped me be able to keep my energy in my high notes instead of squashing my tone terribly and my lips tiring out quickly, I am grateful for this
Super interesting ! I damaged something at the corner of my mouth while trying to reach a high C with lip tightening. Could never play trumpet again so I switched to sax. I'm not bad at the altissimo register which works with throat and tongue, close to what you describe. There is still hope !
As a trumpet/euphonium player and band director, thank you so much for explaining this so clearly! It was both amusing and informative!
Hi. I have played trumpet about 40 years. There has been some pauses, but now I started again. My record used to be E6, but now after couple of days training, after 10 years pause, I was able to catch A5 somehow with pressing too much. Easy was to achieve E5 or F5. It seems I can still recover :) Thanks for the tips. It really worked to put more air and get upper tones without valves. A-E changing was something what I think happens naturally, at least part of that. I have instructed to not close throat or push trumpet more againts the lips. My key to achieve high notes are low notes. I play low and as quiet sounds as I can, and also as long long as I can. They pause 10-20 seconds. Like C2, B1, Bb1, A1, As1, G1, Fis1 and same way back to C2. Teh key is to play as silent as you can, and as long as you can. Then enough pause between every tone. Have you heard about this technique? Here is Finland famous trumpet player Esko Heikkinen called that as a Bear farts.
I tried increasing the air pressure and got only louder volume.
Finally an explanation I understand. “AHH. EEEE.” Have watched multiple videos on positioning the back of the tongue. This is the first one that the light bulb came on for me.
This is so helpful! Thanks for the quality content!
Great, thank you, I just slurred up to a top C. But there is a problem - if I tongue a top C, my tongue is in the wrong place - is it a case of practicing a lot, to move the tongue very quickly from behind the teeth to a high arch, and back? My tongue doesn't feel long enough to do both.
A game-changer, Bob! Thank you!
Good video! My trombone instructor in college taught me this my freshman year (1973). I had two "pivot points" (one for my midrange and one for my high range) that would overlap each other in the middle. As a bass trombonist, I had another setting for the extreme low range, but it involved a change of the airstream direction (upward). BTW, I "retired" from playing trombone in 2010. Thanks for the video!
Band director here. This will be an invaluable video for my brass students. Thank you
known about bernoulli’s principle for years now and somehow have never made the connection to high note playing until this video
absolute game changer
holy shit, finally. someone who knows how to teach. I LOVE YOU BOB
Just started understanding this finally after watching this video and played high relatively easily. What I don't quite get is how to play whisper tones up high yet though.
thank you so much for this video it was extremely helpful
I like what you say here. I guess I was lucky because I either could always do this and I had better teachers.
Many thanks ! You helped me a lot today : I was able to touch the C above the staff
When Maynard was questioned about raising the tougue to change or raise the pitch he essentially said he doesn't do that. Wayne Bergeron said he slightly tensions his lips. I've been told others curl their lips over their teeth. It's all rather curious. I'm not sure anyone knows what actually happens, it's just a matter of can you prove you have mastered it. Wayne used the word "discovery". Just because you can do it doesn't necessarily mean you can explain how it works. I've often thought that lip internal composition/mass was a big intangible related to performance success. It's physics. I can hit a 3G using a certain posture but it's not a normal position for me. Most of us can squeal out random crazy notes but controlling them is the hard part. One thing I can prove by vsimple observation is that large, broad, square faced, square jaw structure, least amount of teeth curvature men can play high much easier. There are exceptions but in general they do dominate the art.
This has helped a lot! Finally feeling some ease in playing above the stave. However, I'm finding it hard to articulate with the front of my tongue if the back of the tongue is already raised for the higher register. I can only start a high note by articulating from a /k/. Do others experience this?
Brilliant. Why didn’t I know this before.
For clarification, muscles can only contract in one direction. The diaphragm fills the lungs when it contracts -- it is used for inhaling, OR controlling the amount of air exiting the lungs when exhaling. The abdominal and oblique muscles are contracted to expel air.
You have helped me so much in my trumpet learning experience im so happy you make videos
Thank you very much. this is a great piece of advice! subscribed right away.
can't wait to include it in tomorrow's practice session
Gosh. About 60 years too late for me. But I basically did this, but it only worked up to E-flat, sometimes F. So I went into band directing. Dang. Loved my pro work in college.
Yep I'm getting the same range, not enough for most pieces 😭
Im a bugle player this helped massively with my high notes
Good discussion and fun to watch.
mister, sir, dude,....are you something. I studied singing at the conservatorium of amsterdam and did a master in singing at....bla bla bla....
Never has someone been so clear, nice, generous and funny about the matter as you show in your short movie.
Thank you very, very much.
p.s. I wanna start learnng the cornet, i got from my brother. (this is why I wanted to learn about high notes. Cheers!
Sincerely yours,
Ernst, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Please explain how Jim Manley makes his amazing double octave interval leaps and demonstrates his incredible range using hardly any air at all.
He tightens his lips to play high notes and short notes require little air volume. Good players also are more efficient with the air requiring less flow. Small cup mouthpieces also are very efficient in regard to air flow.
This was such a huge help!!! How have I never learned this?
I changed my airflow as you explained..and not even kidding, I hit a much higher range my first try
what a cool video, I am sax player (amateur) but I have a tiny friend that is learning trumpet (eleven years old) and I am pretty sure that this video will help her so much! greetings from Germany.
Muchas gracias por tu clase.
Saludos
I didn’t figure it out, however I know what to do now and will practice 😊
This is pure gold!
Great Video! I use this same technique but i think that facial muscle is as important as the air support and tongue! You can do a video showing exercises for the upper register and how to practice.
It could be very interesting!
Yes I think this video shows 50% of the correct technic, without the other 50% (facial muscles), no upper register will come out. I'm still working on this but it is very though.
@@Im_Thresher You are both correct. See my comment above...
bro tysm this literally helped insanely ❤❤❤
awsome video I just got my braces removed and was playing way worse than before. thanks to this video I am playing better than before without trying
The muscles do work to stop the lips from blowing out. This engagement of the muscles could be perceived as “tightening” the lips.
That's a conch shell horn on the shelf behind you. Any chance you can do a video on playing that?
I’m an 8th grader and have been playing for 1 year and when I use your method I can play an High E above the staff
Useful info, great sense of humor. Thanks
Tysm u really helped me improve me range
WTH!!! After 45 years of teachers, directors and high $$$ instructors I’m just learning this now???
I am equally furious and grateful at the exact same time.
If only it were true.. (it's not)
Great video, but you might want to add that in order for the air and tongue to change the pitch, the embouchure has to be *receptive* to those changes in the airstream. It's not a given that a student's embouchure can do that. Your embouchure might already be receptive, but some students might not be set up properly.
I tried the tongue level stuff a while ago, and changes there only changed my timbre, with a kind of waouh-waouh sound under the tone I was producing. Similarly, changing the air only increased my volume. It's only after doing work on my embouchure to bring the lips closer, but keeping them open enough to respond, allowed them to change pitch when the tongue and air were activated.
So ... I think people are told to squeeze the lips together because they start off too far apart to respond to the air & tongue.
As usual, it seems to be neither a blanket "do this" or "don't do that;" it's more like "do it this way, when you do that other thing." It all works together, eh? Lips, air & tongue?
I tried this but could only reach about a middle C with it (my normal range is about a high G or high C on a good day). Is there something I could be doing wrong? I'm really trying to be conscious of moving the back of my tongue up but I'm noticing that my mouth automatically tightens when I get to higher notes
Thanks for helping me
Great content man super informative and super funny. Thanks a lot and keep it up :D