i cant play high notes for my life!!!!!!

[irvin saavedra]

well my name is irvin but that's irrelevant i just wanted to know how to hit some high notes!!! i am lead trombone in jazz but i am struggling so much to hit those high notes!!! i can hit f's but i have problems with g's and dont even talk about a's so please some help me!!!!! i want to be a better player if cant hit them soon old Smith (my band director) will kill me and also is a bach number 3 mouthpiece bad for playing this high notes??

[Douglas A. Sisler]

Some people have high chops and most don't, but you can improve your range. First of all I would find a private teacher who plays trombone and is professionally trained. He or She should start you on the fundamentals of warming up, using exercises such as lip slurs on each partial, long tones etc. The Remington Warm Up by Emery Remington are excellent if you can find a copy. But you have to practice them correctly. Good habits.

If you are playing with a Bach 3G, that is fine for symphony or wind ensemble playing, but I prefer a Bach 6 1/2 AL for jazz playing. If you really want a "cheater" get a Schilke 47 B with an appropriate shank size to fit your horn. You will lose some sound but gain range.

Hope this gets you on the path to further enjoying you trombone.

Best wishes.

doug.

That is my two cents.

[Linda Landis]

Yes, what Douglas said. Not everyone is cut out for it. Find a good teacher and develop a solid routine. Biggest thing is use of air. Don't muscle notes with your face, use your air. Blow "up" toward the top edge of the throat of the mouthpiece. Picture the air going in that direction as you blow thru the high notes. Go to YouTube and watch Jim Manley's Approach to Air. (Airmen of Note). Did I say my favorite word in lead playing is air??? :)

Regarding the mouthpiece, the Bach 3 is way too big for lead unless you have really strong chops. I know guys that use a rim size like that, but they have really strong chops for it. Too big for me, even when double on bass bone (I go no bigger than a 4G). I sometimes use the equivalent of a 5 rim on lead (it's my choice for legit), but the cup is modified more for high playing on lead. The rim size I use daily is that of the 6 1/2 with a lead-sized cup for jazz. We're all different. Some jazz lead players use an 11C. I find them to be too small, and I can't get enough sound out of them to carry over the section. I use something that size when I play with a combo and don't need that much volume of sound.

Step One: Find a good teacher to help you. :)

Much luck.

Linda