High Notes on Trombone! 7 Tips to Develop the Upper Register with Nick Finzer

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Күн бұрын

Today we're talking about 7 tips for playing in the trombone upper register!
Our 7 Tips:
1 - play MUSIC in the upper register
2 - adjust VOWEL sounds
3 - use long positions to squeak notes out at first
4 - tongueing into the upper register!
5 - GLISS up to the notes!
6 - CRACK tones
7 - "Caruso" Long Tones
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Пікірлер: 99

@kevinhornbuckle 4 жыл бұрын

A highly motivated student could build on your advice to keep a practice journal; by making a section in it for time frames (schedules) dedicated to these exercises and songs/etudes you demonstrate. The idea is that marathon goals require sub-goals over time.

@NickFinzer 4 жыл бұрын

Yessir - you're totally right. I usually make a Goal setting video around the turn of every new year... I just decided I'm going to do my mid-year checkin a little early this year on Friday (my birthday) - so that could inspire a refreshed goal setting chat... who knows! haha

@bernhardboulton5171 4 жыл бұрын

I am a mature age student trombone player (age 74!) and I found that your 7 tips provided the most comprehensive and logical advice I have encountered on this subject. It was really great and thank you.

@NickFinzer 4 жыл бұрын

This is great to hear I am so glad it is helpful! I really do believe in these concepts - playing music over exercises is key!

@kylekotula7266 4 жыл бұрын

Tension is most definitely an enemy that I face a lot. Noticing the tension sometimes helps to remove it but then thinking about it more tension rises. What are some effective ways you would recommend removing or at least addressing tension problems?

@NickFinzer 4 жыл бұрын

Hey Kyle - thanks for your thoughtful comment here. I think a lot of it comes from tension in the breathe itself before we even make a note! Focusing on how the air is focused and the vowel sound on the inside of your mouth rather than pushing out the high notes is a good place to start. Secondly working on playing with tension free breathing always - and applying it to these concepts. I find that it’s important to focus on the result we want, rather than on what the “problem” is....

@trumpettech456 6 ай бұрын

Tension and effort are not rhe same thing. Exhalation does require effort depending on dynamics

@spencerwylie1975 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Nick only just started playing trombone loving it been watching yall videos so much helpful advice , managed to play up to c and d today without squeaking relaxing defo helping been trying to play some jazz Ballard opening transcribing them down with has really helps big thanks for your tips it's not easy but very joyous when you play something that sounds nice lol tyty

@NickFinzer 4 жыл бұрын

hey Spencer! so glad to hear that it's been working for you! keep on shedding!

@matheusbone 6 ай бұрын

Very good this explain about high notes on trombone! I Will go to play every day for 20 minutes these exercises! Thanks, huges from Brazil

@NickFinzer 6 ай бұрын

Excellent! Good luck!

@gilgarza5568 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent advice. So cool to hear the same things I taught my kids. Thanks for sharing. Cheers! ✌🏼❤️🎶😉

@NickFinzer 4 жыл бұрын

Nice! haha - I know I don't have the most popular advice when it comes to this stuff... everyone wants the secret sauce! haha. Glad to hear I'm not the only ones... did your kids listen!?!?! haha

@JohnArcycle Жыл бұрын

Awesome. Great advice, This really was an encouragement. Thank you so much.

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

👍👍 yea man!

@ab3923 3 жыл бұрын

One of the things that I was told (very similar to many of your tips) many years ago was take an easy tune and play through it, changing the key up a minor third each time. That way the change in range isn't too great compared to switching from bass to tenor clef, but it still feels like you are making some progress as compared to tiring your self out just by going up by half-steps or whole steps. A tune I liked using this method was My Romance: all the melody notes are in the key you are in, the melody is generally based on ascending scales so it helps approaching high notes, and the melody range of a 10th helps with expanding your range.

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

A nice variation on the exercise here! Thanks for the suggestion!!

@terrybonilla5473 4 жыл бұрын

I think this is a very good start

@NickFinzer 4 жыл бұрын

I think so!

@chrisdean6700 Жыл бұрын

I've been trying to develop my upper register to play in church. I have a student Yamaha YSL 354 trombone currently. This video is very helpful & I will implement your suggestions; thanks!

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Good luck Chris!

@thetrombonehub6254 3 жыл бұрын

Great overview of methods and precautions to take in to consideration when practicing the upper register. Thank you!

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 😀

@jpendleton4331 2 жыл бұрын

I started trombone 8 months ago when I started 5th grade. Now I'm playing in the middle school marching band on 1st trombone. I can hit high notes from high F to A♭ with ease. But the A and B♭ are pretty hard. These tips are helping me get better at this.

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

Sure thing. Play long tones in the upper register. Slowly start glissing up from high F played in 6th to the Ab in 3rd. Then try the A in second. Then the Bb in 1. Be sure to use fast air as you gliss upward! Slow and steady wins the high note journey! Be patient.

@kb42208 Жыл бұрын

I’m going into freshman year of high school as the only trombone in marching band, and last year I started (8th grade). The one I looked up to, he said during his freshman year, he couldn’t play anything higher than a high D (first position), I think. Our show music for our marching band season has high A, high G, etc. as triplets and double tongued notes. Since I’m the only trombone, I’ve played said instrument for 5 years now, and we have new people on baritone, they want me playing those high notes. I can actually reach them!

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

Get it!

@user-hy7px2li8z 2 жыл бұрын

Whenever i play a song that has high notes, i struggle and my lips become weak. When this happens i feel tired to even continue playing the song and end up ruining my sound. My teacher said that its because i press my lips too hard on the mouthpiece. :(

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

That's definitely possible! Playing with pressure will kill your chops!

@user-hy7px2li8z 2 жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer how do i fix this problem?

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

You have to focus on the air and not use your arms to push the horn into your face…

@YogurtSnipe Жыл бұрын

Awesome man, I’ve been wanting to expand my register since I’m still in Highschool band. I want to push myself to try more exaggerated parts.

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

Melodies in the upper register, slowly but surely!

@YogurtSnipe Жыл бұрын

“Repetition, repetition!” my teacher says.

@crtune 6 ай бұрын

@@NickFinzer I also encourage my students to remember to blow air. I'd suggest they also get the "Tutti's Trumpets / Tutti's Trombones" albums, pay particular attention to the approach Conrad Gozzo takes on "Trumpeter's Prayer" (he has the beautiful balance between playing "sweet" with cantabile vibrato, but also with plenty of sound and air going through and out of the trumpet (Gozzo was a popular lead trumpet, he plays out really strong, but very cantabile on this; it's spine tingling). Somehow a myth has evolved that ballads have to be soft, or that jazz is non-vibrato. That is simply not true. Also, people need to get comfortable vibratoing, and get intimately familiar with vibrato technique, sensitive to when others are vibratoing, understand what parts of the performance can use vibrato to improve the phrase, and be able to make vibrato sound musical and serious - it is not hokey or a joke, it's beautiful when done right.

@NickFinzer 6 ай бұрын

@crtune indeed! Vibrato is another important investigation!

@weebg0d934 2 жыл бұрын

This is a really good video. It helped me indeed. I do have to comment on the sound quality of your trombone. It sounds like the spit in your spit valve is full or It could be something else. Just wanted to point that out. All in all 10/10 video.

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

Yep sometimes that happens mid video! Haha

@crashzaku2597 Жыл бұрын

This is a great video! I have been playing trombone for about 2 years now, I am mainly a tuba player and have a hard time with the upper register, I can reach a Eb above the staff on tuba, but on trombone I can only get to ahout a high Bb above good day. Any advice for not completely killing my chops?

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

It’s all about the air stream (and column size) as well as adjusting the vowel sounds inside your mouth 💪

@ab-zg8pt 6 ай бұрын

This vid is wonderful - and just an aside, good lord this man is handsome!

@NickFinzer 6 ай бұрын

👍👍

@dksk6584 3 жыл бұрын

Do mouthpiece sizes affect playing higher notes?

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

Well, yes and no. Some smaller mouthpieces (or with different cup shapes) will help you to be able to speed up the air column more efficiently which will make the upper register **seem** easier... but I almost NEVER rely on equipment to make a change for me. I firmly believe that it's not the tool, it's ME that needs to improve :)

@michael181k2 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve been playing The trombone for about 3 years and I can hit the highest notes but not consistently, and whenever I do play anything higher than something like a high f I start to pinch any tips?

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

Focus on fast air! Use vowel sounds to help - ah in the middle register and eee in the upper - oh in the lower

@kaibis3933 3 жыл бұрын

What exactly is the tension you're talking about?

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

A lot of people develop tension in their neck, in their arms, in their hands, or PUSH the horn into their face when trying to play in the upper register! We want to avoid ALL of those types of tension, ideally :)

@GamingWithBenji 3 ай бұрын

When I play, after a while, my lips get swollen and it gets harder to play the upper register. Is this normal?

@NickFinzer 3 ай бұрын

Sometimes. It could be a variety of things. Most likely is too much pressure causing inflammation

@yasdnil67 2 жыл бұрын

What is the brand of your trombone?

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

King 3B plus 👍

@mrwizzardknight 3 жыл бұрын

My teacher always says focusing on the lower notes first helps you reach the higher notes. Do you agree with that? Oh..! :( I can on,y ever reach a high C but it’s not consistent! :( I can’t stay up there for long it just falls apart and I struggle with the 2 harmonics below that one! :( Occasionally I somewhat manage to reach the next harmonic above C a D. And what about having a bigger mouthpiece to make it easier for lower notes? Does that mean after focusing on lower notes for so long eventually you may get the hang of them higher notes? My teacher also said a bigger mouthpiece is like shouting in a barrel and a smaller one’s like shouting in a cup.

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

hey there - thanks for your question! For sure, a solid low register requires you to learn how to control and focus your air, which then allows you to do the same (in a different way) in the upper register! If you want to develop both low & high registers, you need a mouthpiece that is balanced for YOU, and is good for both (in my opinion. others would say you should switch around to have the "right tool for the job") ... as for shouting in a cup or barrel? Yea, big mouthpieces can feel cavernous, for sure! like you're falling in... Keep developing your range in both directions with consistent practice - and playing MUSIC in those registers rather than just exercises/lip slurs/trying squeak out the notes! :) good luck! - nf

@mrwizzardknight 3 жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer Tell me Nick mate, can you somewhat compare building your range to weight lifting with ya lips and your whole gob and throat and stuff and your lung capacity to cardio well? With ya lungs? You know? All them exercises at the gym? And does doing cardio and muscular workouts help improve your ability to play a wind instrument? I mean, my ex college teacher plays all kinds of woodwind instruments yet he smokes! Bad idea! 😝😝😝 Smoking and playing a wind instrument? Obviously a very bad idea! 😝😝😝 And DOES the “right mouthpiece size matter?” And/or “getting your chops to somehow adapt to many different sizes? I had a go at trumpet once and I can’t do it cuz I’m used to the thickness of the trombone euphonium’s mouthpiece! :( Surprisingly my very first trombone’s mouth piece has only just been able to fit into a trumpet before! XD

@mrwizzardknight 3 жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer And what about mixing your embouchure with woodwind and brass? Is that a bad idea? I only ever play trombone and euphonium now! I hadn’t touch my old clarinet in years and I don’t want to! 😝😝😝 It’s boehm system can BURN IN HELL! 😤😤😤 And damn right I’m much more used to the slide than I am piston valves! XD

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

haha - I've got no experience mixing woodwinds and brass - but Michael Dease and Tom Malone both do it with No problem at all!

@NickFinzer 3 жыл бұрын

it's not really totally a musculr thing - it mostly has to do with the air stream! There are also plenty of in shape and plenty of out of shape musicians - that ALL sound great... so I don't think there's any real DEFINITE connections there... but it's certainly all related!

@JohnArcycle Жыл бұрын

When you say high F, how high do you mean? Peddle F, 6th position F, 1st position F, then F above that and then upper atmosphere, another octave Up?

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

Top of the treble clef F!

@JohnArcycle Жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer the highest F on the piano?

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

No. That’s several octaves above the F on top of the treble clef

@JohnArcycle Жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer ok I get it. Thanks

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

👍

@classic_cars_4_life556 Жыл бұрын

Hey, I’m playing 1st trombone on Birdland arranged by Michael Sweeney, I’m in 7th grade, I’m sorry but is there any tips, or could you explain your video better? We are taking this to competition and i sound really tight, I’ve watched several videos on this topic and I can’t find any, im getting stressed and very upset.

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

There’s nothing you can do to rush developing the high register. It takes slow development over a long period of time. Think running a marathon. Start playing Rochut etudes up an octave or in tenor clef, that will help force you to figure out how to use your air better!

@classic_cars_4_life556 Жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer Thanks so much this helped!

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

👍💪

@johndowson7929 Жыл бұрын

Starting to pay off now Nick im up to high Eb . What im finding is once we feel comfortable on that C the lower registers are easier to manipulate . Persistence , patience and putting the effiort in . Once i get confortable on A , Bb and C , more faster air n less efforrt seems to work wonders , i agree it is over rated but man oh man once you start getting those sweet spots its so easier and they give us endurance 👍

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

Slow and steady!!!

@johndowson7929 Жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer yeah definetly slow and steady . I snapped another tooth yesterday it was the only one I had on top shelf needless to say, I ran straight to the horn to see how it would effect my playing , feels different but not too bad so panic over for now , very difficult to play when you haven't got that support of teeth , a massive challenge I took on 3yrs ago from 17/18 yrs from not playing 😊

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

oh no! heal up soon!!!

@johndowson7929 Жыл бұрын

@@NickFinzer thank you it has made so much difference , the tooth that was there acted like a buffer screen in frnt of the lip so that part of my lip is now weak . But give it a mnth to 6 weeks and I shall over come , fingers crosses . The same happend with the last one I lost . As you know Nick its difficult enough without curve balls . I couldnt care less about the tooth itself tbh it's my standard of musicianship I'm bothered about. So for now it's lots of long tones to get that part of my lip up to spec. There is not a chance on earth I'm going to let this make the last 3yrs of back playing go to waste .

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

👍👍

@buddythedog111 Жыл бұрын

Hey Nick, as a music educator and comeback player, I appreciate this advice. Way way too much overly-technical explanations out there. Simplicity is the way to go. I use 'ah' 'ooh' 'ee' all the time w my kids( slight variation on your suggestion). Thanks again!

@NickFinzer Жыл бұрын

That’s great I’m glad it’s useful to you as well!

@eldinrizvanovic4910 2 жыл бұрын

i always struggle on high c and high d :(

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

Many of us do! Keep at it. With time it will become easier! Make sure you’re the vowel shape insider mouth is an “eee” to get the air moving fast!

@princessm6355 6 ай бұрын

Highest i can reach us Gb 4

@NickFinzer 6 ай бұрын

I’m not so good at knowing which octave that is 😂

@livinggreat4190 2 жыл бұрын

Didn’t really help

@NickFinzer 2 жыл бұрын

developing the upper register takes time and persistence, I promise these tips will help if you use them consistently over the next year or two! :)

@trumpettech456 6 ай бұрын

The tongue does not "compress" the air. And air "speed" over the tongue has nothing to do with pitch played. The BEST one can do is to reduce embouchure effort on low tones first. How? Stop buzzing the mouthpiece and free buzzing These are HORRIBLE for students.

@NickFinzer 6 ай бұрын

Sure does…

@trumpettech456 6 ай бұрын

@@NickFinzerthen the air would flow back into the lungs and the sound would stop. The most compression is the air in the lungs. In rhe oral space the pressure is about the same or slightly less. Regardless of tongue posture .

@NickFinzer 6 ай бұрын

Also I didn’t see the part about not buzzing - totally agree with ya! Using the vowel shape method has worked wonders for me.

@trumpettech456 6 ай бұрын

@@NickFinzer I teach allowing the tongue to move as one ascends for sure. I just don't include the imaginary air mechanics. And I don't deny or ignore the lip posture and embouchure effort that must be concurrent with pitch. The air "speed " and / or compression verbiage is just stuff players hear and repeat. Seems some feel a cursory cause/effect explanation is required to justify certain actions. Well . either vowel shapes help or they don't. No justification by some "sciencey" explanation should be required. Ya follow? Now if you are indeed interested in air flow mechanics then dive in! But it might be quite different than you believe .