Building High Range on Trombone with Alex Knutrud
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- In this step by step video, trombonist Alex Knutrud will explain how high range playing on the trombone works, as well as give you exercises to work on to build your upper range security, tone, and confidence. Find a PDF to play along with for FREE at www.tromboneguide.com
I remember learning to whistle like that while getting my left nipple twisted off in middle school. Since then, I've never had a problem with my high rage, or my left nipple.
This video just defied all of my beliefs on playing the high register. And made me realize my mistakes. Great video. Might use this to teach a bit to my colleagues in school.
Nothing negative intended
So glad you enjoyed it- High range can be a surprising thing to work on, you learn a lot about your preconceptions- at least, I do every time!
This is top notch well developed instructions. Heads & shoulders over any other high range development I’ve heard..,thanks 🙏 so much.
Kind words, thanks so much!
This is prolly the best explained I've ever heard
No. It's a brief summary of all the popular air mechanics nonsense that brass players hear and repeat. The posture of the lips controls the pitch played. It has literally NOTHING to do with air "speed" anywhere in the system.
These are great exercises. I will give it a whirl and see what happens
Nice will give it a go
Hold on. What? How did you measure the air "speed" anywhere.?
You are claiming that its less air flow. But for the air to be "faster" for the higher tongue configuration. then the flow would have to be the same . Otherwise less flow through a smaller smaller space would be the same flow velocity for each case.
Did you actually measure the air velocity ANYWHERE or actually do any actual detailed study on flow mechanics?
Or are you just repeating some stuff you heard?
Be honest
I think you are missing the point. His analogy of the water hose is clear and correct. The water is like Air, the lips are like the thumb, and the tongue is like the fine motor skills of the index finger tip. However, for evidence the following are places you can go for evidence of air speed and measurements and whatever you like. As a musician, we almost never have the tools, time, or talent to scientifically verify anything. We trial and error experiment. This guy sounds fantastic in this video. This works for him. Try it out. If it works, great! If not, try something else. Everyone is different and has a different sound concept and teeth, tongue, etc. However, the laws of physics and vibrating strings is consistent. So, on balance, this type of exercise and approach flat out works for most people and addresses the problems and bad habits in their playing.
I understand wanting details and more info, but the proof is in the pudding in any art form or performance. IMHO.
Just in case you are an engineer - For actual academic and scientific explanations and evidence of what he is talking about, look up Doc Reinhart, Doug Elliot, Wilktone, Maggio, TCE, Tongue arch.
There are some really great videos online of clear mouthpieces on multiple instruments as well as fMRI videos of horn players. His analogy of the water hose is clear and correct. Focus on the movement of the Tongue in the mouth relative to the range played. See the way the tongue moves up and forward with specific shapes to compress the air and direct it into the lips. This is what changes pitch when the best players play all of the brass instruments. This is the core of what he is describing. In other words, compression of the steady consistent air flow (He may have misspoke or may misunderstood this specific aspect but every exercise is about consistent air so he probably just misspoke and actually gets it) by the tongue and oral cavity to increase speed/pressure to play high OR decrease speed/pressure to play low. This is textbook fluid dynamics. See the video below for evidence.
czcams.com/video/MWcOwgWsPHA/video.html
@aasavickas no, this is NOT "textbook" fluid dynamics. It is false constructs based on hearsay of popular but misunderstood and erroneously derived ideas. And yes. I am an engineer AND brass performer. Wilktone , Elliott, and those others have no actual education or knowledge of actual fluid dynamics and mechanics.
The tongue arch does not "compress" the air, nor does the reduced aperture.
Manipulation of the lips and tongue IS a useful action for controlling the pitch played. But the cause has nothing to do with the popular imaginary air mechanics such as air "speed" or "compression."
Performing successfully is not the evidence or proof of erroneous and misunderstood air mechanics.
I will watch the link you provided. I would love to provide commentary on that too. Stay tuned.
@aasavickas you also immediately qualified your explanation as "analogy".
Fine, then that is all it is. It needs no proof by you or anyone at that point.
Only accurate physics and/or actual measurement would provide litteral proof. Not " he is a great player therefore everything he says is true"
BTW, there are poor players who repeat the same myths. Does that immediately disprove the popular " physics "?
I've been using the Chuck Colin book for flexible no tongue range building, but what about when we have to use legato tonguing in the higher register? Where does the tip of the tongue go?
For most players, the tip of the tongue moves up into the airstream towards the roof of the mouth. It doesn't have to make contact in order to tongue- at that register, a simple bump in the air stream will give you a clear tongued articulation.
Okay, I have a question.... Why do I seem to hear an intermittent low note peeking in (especially noticeable in the first exercise)? Is this a resonating frequency in some of the recording gear or within the environment? Or does it have to do with the instrument?
Overtones?
Sounds like double buzzing. Keeping the corners of your lips firm and ,overall, practicing more should make it go away
Do you practice all these exercises every day? Or do you stagger them on different days?
I try to work on high range about 3 times a week in a dedicated fashion. Usually, that's a 20 minute segment that resembles this pretty closely (although it's always evolving). Each day, I do try and work into the higher range in my warmup, and that usually involves the first exercise from here. Hope that helps!
These exercises have made the high range I already have much better, and has made the range I struggle with a little easier to attain.
Update: with these tips and exercises my range is improving still. A double Eb is becoming much more attainable.
I'm so glad they're helping!