Use It or Lose It

Since 1987, lot's of people have ask me for advice about range development. I find this terribly ironic because I don't think of myself as a high note player. The mental image I have of myself as a player does not include playing high notes. I don't even like to play high notes. 

Is that confusing to you? Why would people ask me for advice about range development when I don't work on range development myself? Why would they ask for advice from someone who doesn't play high or doesn't even think of himself as a high note player?

The reason is because some of what I play seems high to them. It's all relative isn't it? Those notes don't seem high to me because I don't approach them as "high notes". When I say I don't work on range development, what I mean is that I never practice stuff outside of my current range. But my current range includes notes that many trumpet players consider to be "The Upper Register". 

The effect this kind of approach has on my playing is that I feel comfortable in that register and those notes are more like all the rest of the notes I play on the horn. Those "high notes" don't sound like I'm doing something different to get them because......simply......I'm not! I don't play any differently in the upper register than I do in the middle or lower registers. To me, it's all just one trumpet, expanded to include all of those notes. 

The way I achieved this ability is, I think, very atypical of what is normally taught to high note trumpet players.  The most common approach to range development is what I call an "Ankle Weights" approach. When a runner wears ankle weights, the objective is to make running more difficult so that running without ankle weights will seem easy. Well, for range development, the objective of an "ankle weights" approach is to work on notes that are higher than the notes you want to be able to play. If you want a high C, you work on Es, Fs and Gs. If you want the G above that, you work on the double C. 

I normally don't put down other approaches in my essays because I recognize human diversity and know that what works for me doesn't automatically nor necessarily work for everyone or anyone else. But in this case, to understand the differences between my approach and the more typical "high note" approach, I have to address those differences.

So please understand that what I'm about to write is not a put down or an insult or anything like that. I do think that my approach is better than the ankle weights approach, but I also know that this is nothing more than my opinion.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at what I think is wrong with the ankle weights philosophy of trumpet pedagogy:

Ankle Weights Problems

The ankle weights approach to upper register causes the player to separate that register from the rest of his or her playing. This approach has players playing notes that they're not ready to play yet. And that's probably the most important point here. Think about this, the entire reason you're working on range is because you can't play those notes yet. By trying to play them anyway, you are FORCING yourself to deviate from the way you normally play the instrument. I can't stress this point enough. You already recognize the FACT that you can't play those notes yet or you wouldn't be working on your range. So really, what's to be gained by playing them anyway?

What it does is that it forces you to play those notes differently from the way you already play. Am I making any sense here? It's so obvious to me that, if you can't play in a certain range and try to play those notes anyway, the only way you're going to get those notes out is by changing something physically to get them. Lot's a players call this cheating. So in a sense, I'm saying that the ankle weights approach to upper register forces players to cheat.

I guess I should clarify something at this point. Certainly, there are differences in the way we play low C, tuning C, high C and double C. There are physical differences involved here and I'm not denying it. However, the differences you make to get from high C to double C should be no different than the differences you make to get from low C to tuning C. 

As I said earlier, there are many different ways to play. Some people use a tongue arch to get from low C to tuning C. Others use air control. Others use lip tension. Then a countless number of others use various combinations of each of those things and more. My point is that, whatever you use in your current range to get from one note to the next, that is what you should do for every register. 

It is my belief that "trying" to play notes higher than what you are ready for forces you to get those notes in a way which deviates from the way you already play. To me, this is a no brainer. Like I said, if you could already play those notes the way you approach the other registers, you wouldn't be working on range. 

So, what's wrong with that?

Well, when you change that aspect of your playing, you change everything about your playing. Tone becomes different. Articulation is different. Flexibility is different. In a sense, you are learning a new ax all together. That's why players like this constantly have to work on their "upper register" as if it was a separate aspect of trumpet playing in and of itself......because it literally is. They have to work on the upper register all the time because it's so entirely different from what they do on the rest of the horn that if they don't practice it, they can't do it anymore. It's like playing an entirely different instrument.

And imagine what this does to your musicianship. What do you do when the music you are playing crosses the line between registers? Won't people recognize the differences between the two sounds? I think that they do. To me, this is a terribly undesirable way to play.

Use It or Lose It

My approach is basically the opposite of the ankle weights approach. I NEVER practice notes outside of my current range. I NEVER practice range exercises. Instead, what I do is make sure that I use what I've already got....and use it completely. I do this by expanding my rudiments and studies to cover my current range. I do everything I can to get the most out of what I've already got. The result is that I become a stronger player and my range grows from that strength. One day I realize that what I'm practicing seems too easy and I find myself NEEDING to add more notes to me current range......notes which I never practiced before. 

Let's take a look at some of the rudiments and see what we can do to expand them.

Long tones

It still surprises me when I work with students who say they are working on their range, but when I ask them what kinds of long tones they are doing, those long tones only go as high as tuning C or the fourth space E. I've even worked with students who did as much as thirty minutes of low register long tones each day and nothing past the middle register. 

My belief is that, whatever good you find in long tones, that good is applicable to every note on the horn. So your long tones should cover every note in your current range. 

One of the problems with covering a greater range with long tones is that it's easy to spend way too much time doing it. I ended up having to write my own long tones which cover a greater range in a fraction of the time. A lot of books that do stuff like this will progress in half steps. But this is too much time of the face for long tones for me. 

For this reason, I think doing triads and arpeggios as long tones works great. And instead of progressing in half steps, it makes sense to progress in wider intervals, like whole steps or thirds.

Lip Slurs

As with long tones, it's easy to spend way too much time practicing lip slurs across your full, current range. Don't waste your time and effort on lip slurs that just go between two notes - C E C E C E C E C. This doesn't cover enough of your range. You'd have to do an hour or two of these kinds of lip slurs to cover your entire range. Instead, look for lip slurs that span at least an octave. Then pick two or three of these to cover your entire range. Lip slurs are great but it's so easy to get carried away with them.

Articulation

Articulation is one of the most beneficial rudiments for the "Use It or Lose It" approach. Articulation studies FORCE you to play the way that you already play. It's too easy to play differently in a different register if all you do is slur. To practice articulation, I use scales in sequential patterns. I just take those patterns up to the top of my current range and then back down. 

Scales

One thing to consider about scales across a players range is that fingerings sometimes take a little while getting used to. Also, there's a tendency to get lost, to lose track of where you are in the scale. The reason for this is that, from A above the staff and up, the harmonics become close enough to confuse with other scale tones. So practicing scales across your entire range helps you deal with that aspect of the horn. 

Scales also help connect the two ends of your current range.

Music

I am a firm believer in practicing at least as much musical literature as exercises. I've said time and time again that all exercises should produce musically favorable results. How will you know if this is happening if you never play any music? And to take that the next step farther, how will you know if expanding the range of the exercises is having an effect on the way you play music if that music doesn't cover your current range? 

Summary

I hope it's clear what I mean by "Use It or Lose It". Instead of "trying" to play notes that are currently too high for you, I recommend using the range you already have. The strength you gain from practicing this way will increase your range, even though you are never actually working on range and never practicing "high notes". 

Daily Routines

My most popular book, Daily Routines, was designed precisely with the "Use It or Lose It" approach in mind. I have always told people that they really don't need to purchase my book to do this approach. With what I just explained to you on this web page, you could easily set up your own routines with your own expanded exercises in them and never need my book to do it.

However, there are people who don't really want to get that involved with the process. They don't have the time or the resources to write their own exercises. So, I feel that it's important to let those people know about Daily Routines.