Help!

[FEuph]

I was just recently switched to the lead part and I can play the part but some notes are still out of my range. I'm a relative newbie to brass instruments and am still developing.

What do you do to increase your range on baritone?

Help! Please! :)

[bawker]

Take this with a grain of salt... but as a former lead baritone player, I feel like I might as well give ya my two cents.

Lip slurs and pedal tones will help your flexibility...use those more often in your routine, and the range will come with time.

Don't press or force, or else you will do more damage then good.

And above all, don't just use the lips for the range...that makes the high range sound thin. Lots and lots of air! :)

[drewbugler]

If you're unhappy with your range by move-in, spend the extra 10-20 minutes AFTER rehearsal to keep pushing. The extra time will make you that much stronger.

long tones, lip slurs.

A great combination excercise that I did for a long time involves a scale (two octaves) and then sustaining the highest note, but pulsing by pushing from the stomach, almost making quarter note pulses. I would say abdominal muscles but Chuck or someone will go "Drew? Abdominal muscles?" so I'll refrain. PM me if you want me to further explain the excercise, as I did not do such a good job.

oh, and keep your horn around while you read DCP. For every post you do, challenge yourself and play for 5-10 minutes. Same goes for spring training/all days/every days/9-9/whatever your group calls 'em...maybe you could come up with some sort of game where you can spend an extra 5-10 after practice making up for time lost during rehearsal, mistakes made, or whatever...the extra time will make you that much stronger come July.

Edited May 7, 2004 by drewbugler

[soccerguy315]

another newbie baritone here...

Like, I've been playing a couple weeks, got the horn for my graduation gift (though I haven't quite graduated, another month to go... only marching baritone at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center, it's a King). I have one of those beginner books to learn the fingerings for the pitches. So I have a couple questions (i'm self teaching):

I'm learning treble clef, that should be ok... right?

Any suggests on the next book I should get? ... I assume there's some baritone etude books around, any that are really good?

My range now is like... Gb to E... I work with the tuner everyday on pitches. (It's kinda hard since I don't know how far my tuning slide should be pulled out to start, since I don't know if my mouth is exactly the way it should be. I'm pulled out about a cm I think...) Also, sometimes when i'm holding the horn, or pick it up, I pull the tuning slide back in when I have my finger in the thing... oops =/

a 6 1/2AL came with the horn... it seems really limiting on my volume. I've been playing instruments for 8 years, so I have the air to fill up the horn, but it seems really restricting to me, like the range of volume seems small... any ideas?

Thanks!

=)

*hoping to march 2005*

Edited May 12, 2004 by soccerguy315

[JayM]

You should definitely learn bass clef. Treble clef might be good to know but you'll make your life easier if you learn bass. Trust me on this...

A 6 1/2 AL might be decent for a young beginner, but I wouldn't let one get anywhere near my horn. Maybe try a 51D?

[camel lips]

You have gotten some great advice here.

One thing that has helped me considerably getting my "chops" back this year is two things.

1.20 min g exercise by Cat Anderson (do a search on trumpet herald)

2.Air support,expanding my stomach out.

The air support is a Huge factor in endurance,tone quality and range.The 20 min G exercise is something you can do with just a mouthpiece or is best when you play it in the horn.

Sound out a G as quietly as possible and hold it for as long as you can.Do this for 20 min each morning.You will feel your chops tightening up as you do this.Great thing about it is that you can do this while researching on the INTERNET or while driving in the car.

I also incorporate a bunch of lip slurs and Clark studies in my routine.

The key to practice session is PRACTICE and make your sessions as productive as possible by sticking with a set routine.

Good luck.

[ban_D_bags]

the more you play the more your range improves...along with tone and shiz. one thing though is consistency. i know if i miss practicing for one day (all my friends can attest to this) i sound like complete crap 2 days after my missed day of practice. Bigger mouthpieces are rly good. schilke 51/52d's. bach 5g. those are all good for baritones. lip slurs rly help ur range. long tones help alot too. they strengthen the corners of your mouth alot provided you have the right embochure...if u dnt then you're just wasting your time.

air is a good thing to have too. use alot..its free. breathing excersice are nice to have. as far as excersice books go, get an arban's or be a bum and "borrow" your friends book and make a copy of a page and play it till you master it.

have fun

[Phirefenix]

'Nother former lead bari popping in, I like you, started my season on euph last year, and was switched to lead. I really worked on long tones, lips slurs, and pedals. All the basics, and just ran them for an hour or two. Use a ton of air, lots of air will darken up your sound. And in addition to more air, move the air alot faster. Especially when you pop up into the higher ranges above the staff (I played in treble) you'll need it. Other than that, just find what works for you without sacrificing proper technique and sound quality.

Also, I always had fun with it, and strive to make it look easy. :)

[FEuph]

This is great advice, thank you!

[skimannc1]

One thing I was taught that really helped my range was to start on the F below the staff and go up chromatically always returning to the F. Do this in either slow quarter notes or half notes. Go as high as you can pushing yourself each day to try higher even if it may not be with the best tone because you will eventually go higher and those notes will become better. Just remember the air is the most important thing.