Yup! It’s time to talk about them: High Notes.
One of the most often discussed fundamental skills on the trumpet is range. There are countless opinions on how to improve range. A YouTube search will reveal a massive log of videos that describe different approaches. The comment sections of these videos will also reveal—at times—strong disagreements.
So—why are high notes such a hot topic?
Developing range is not something that comes naturally to every trumpet player, and that’s okay! You don’t need to have any magic quality to improve your range. What it takes is consistency, time, and a healthy approach.
This post will answer the following questions:
How high do I need to play? Do all trumpet players need to play high? How do I build my range in a healthy way? Who are some examples I can listen to?
We also have a special guest interview with William Ward: one of the current lead trumpet players of the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band!
This post can serve as a compilation of different ideas about range—check all of them out and see what works for you!
Range Building with Stuart Mack
First check out some tips from Trumpet Warmup artist Stuart Mack!
or tap here to try the full "Range Building 1 with Stuart Mack" exercise
3 Tips for Beginner to Intermediate Players
One helpful video that discusses range on YouTube was made by trumpeter Aaron Washington. He is the creator of the YouTube channel: The Black Trumpeter. In his video, “How to Play Higher Notes on Trumpet for Beginners,” he discusses 3 key things that need to work together to play high. These include:
- Fast Air—the higher the note, the faster the airstream needs to be. Project the air forward with speed, like you are throwing a dart.
- Tongue Arch—Different tongue positions will work together with air to produce the higher pitch. The 3 syllables described are Ee (high) Aa (Neutral) and Ooh (Low). Test these out by whistling and experimenting with how these syllables change the pitch.
- Aperture Awareness—think about the airstream as it flows through the opening in the middle of the embouchure. In general, a more compressed airstream will flow through a smaller opening and produce a higher pitch. Watch the video to see his visual descriptions—this aspect may be unfamiliar to beginners.
Check out these videos
Below are superb examples of high trumpet playing. These examples cover many different styles—check them out!
Even more clips we love:
Louis Dowdeswell: Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Arturo Sandoval: A Night in Tunisia-Ending
Andrea Giuffredi: Spaghetti Western
Louis Dowdeswell and Wayne Bergeron: “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
Mary Elizabeth Bowden: Mozart’s Queen of the Night
Guest Interview: William Ward
William Ward is a trumpet player from Tacoma, Washington and is currently based in Denton, Texas. He studied trumpet with Professor John Harbaugh at Central Washington University and currently studies with Phillip Dizack at the University of North Texas. Will is currently one of the lead players for the 7 time Grammy nominated UNT One O’Clock Lab Band—one of the most famous jazz ensembles in the United States! He graciously agreed to answer some questions about range for us.
Q: For an intermediate player—what advice do you have for building range?
A: Instead of “building range,” I prefer the phrase “discovering range.” Every trumpet player has access to a range that is familiar to them. To work on playing higher—I suggest starting from that familiar range, then expand into areas that are less familiar. This may be higher notes or lower notes—either way, begin where you are comfortable and expand in both directions with a healthy approach. Use scales, arpeggios, fundamental exercises [Arban, Clarke, Schlossberg, etc.], and familiar melodies to do this.
Q: How much does equipment impact one’s ability to play high?
A: For a player with a good foundation and proper development, the mouthpiece and trumpet will have little impact on how high they can play. What does change is the timbre and quality of their sound. I have the same range on all my mouthpieces and trumpets—whether it’s a 1.5C or something shallower. I use different mouthpieces primarily to gain access to contrasting shades and colors of sound.
For an intermediate player interested in lead playing, I suggest for them to have 2 mouthpieces with the same rim size—one with a deeper cup, and one that is shallower. Use the shallow one to investigate different sound profiles in lead playing.
Q: How much time should an intermediate player devote to expanding their range when they practice?
A: As a general rule, I always tell students: practice makes permanent, not necessarily perfect. For an intermediate player, as long as they are approaching it in a healthy way, 10 to 20 minutes a day will be enough to improve consistency. Watch out for discomfort and always be patient when working on this skill. Use your fundamentals and blow through the note, not to the note.
Q: What styles of music do you play? Within those styles—how important is range?
A: I will play any kind of music that comes with a check! I regularly play many different styles, including church services on Piccolo, C, and D trumpets. I have also played many Banda gigs, as well as in Big Bands and Horn Sections for jazz, pop, blues, musical theater, and funk ensembles. Ultimately, I play wherever the trumpet is needed.
As far as range goes, there are 3 registers: the low register, high register, and the cash register! The cash register is low F-sharp to High C on a trumpet in B-flat. If you can navigate that register with consistency, ease, fluidity, and musicality, you will be able to play roughly 95% of what is out there. The last 5% that uses the extreme high register is specialized music, and I do often play in settings where that is required.
Q: Do you have any other thoughts to share about range?
A: Let it be something you discover. Pursue expanding your range not for ego, but to enhance the music you play. Let sound and air guide the way. Stay consistent and keep going!
“High” is Relative: What Range Do I Need?
Not every style of music requires a double high C—it’s the truth. You will be able to play many styles of music without issue if you expand your range consistently and healthily. Not every style of music requires immediate access to the extreme high register.
Regardless of style or genre, all players should work on range! It is an important aspect to cover in your practice.
Range for Different Types of Players
Different trumpet players serve various roles in the music they perform. Here are some examples of different types of trumpet players.
- Orchestral (Principal, Section, Pop Orchestras)
- Commercial (Studio, Musical Theater)
- Lead Player (Big Band, Horn Line, Soloist)
- Jazz Soloist
Each of these different genres have different requirements for the player. Sometimes these requirements involve equipment (C trumpets for orchestra, cornets for brass bands or wind ensembles, etc.)
We recommend the following as a general rule for certain types of players. These are long term goals: don’t worry if you aren’t there yet! Expanding range takes time—often many years.
- Orchestral: For Principal, aim for a High concert E-Flat (High F on B-flat Trumpet) Ultimately, all the trumpets in the section should have access to that register, but it will be most prominently used in the principal trumpet parts. Wind Ensemble parts are similar but require different levels of endurance at times.
- Commercial: Aim for having access to a High G consistently. Music performed in this widely varied genre often requires lots of efficiency in the upper register.
- Lead Player: Many commercial players are also lead players. Ultimately, the lead player naturally needs the highest range. High A is necessary, and there will often be times where higher notes are requested.
- Jazz Soloist: Most pros want at least a dependable High F, but this varies based on the type of player you'd like to be. Chet Baker played notes mostly in the staff avoiding the high range. However, others like Arturo Sandoval or Wynton Marsalis are known to play Double Cs in their solos.
- Intermediate Players: Aim for a B-flat above the staff or a High C if possible. These notes often are not discovered until a few years in—take your time and don’t get discouraged!
Final Thoughts
Remember: Expanding your range is a process! It takes time, consistency, and effort.
Try out all of the advice above and continue to investigate what works for you. We hope these tools and ideas help you along your journey.
Happy practicing!
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