hey Nick- how are you doing, besides the High range? First, don't panic. I think I could safely say that high range is a difficult thing for everyone. I had a pretty terrible high range myself until last winter. One day I decided I was sick of missing up there and pinching the life out of high notes so I started working on it smartly, consistently, and with much self-evaluation and self-observation; 6 months later I am much more secure. Everyone has trouble with high notes though, if they say they don't there most certainly lying!
Is this problem something you've developed recently or something you've always had trouble with? If this is something recent I would consider that it is the summer. A lot of us students aren't taking lessons over the summer and the bulk of our regular playing (lessons, studio classes, rehearsal, recital, concerts, audition and competition preparation...) is missing. I sometimes feel in the summer that I am a little lost having only me to critique myself and assign material to study and prepare -I also don't have that guy down the hall paying the 3rd Horn call from Till louder, faster, and more accurate than me all day. I mention this because it is easy to unconsciously develop bad habits or start doing things different that you used to during these time. Are you really taking the time to warm-up properly as you would during the year? Are you consistently monitoring breathing? Are you playing along with a tone-generator (not a chromatic tuner-they are terrible but that is another story and has already been mentioned on this list before) to make sure you are playing in the center of notes and not riding high? Are you keeping the shoulders and neck relaxed? Is your right hand position correct and you vowel formation clear? I would suggest that you pretend to start over tomorrow. Get out a mirror and check every thing out- you won't know what is wrong until you find it, and to do that you have to look and examine all aspects of your playing. Play the first line of Kopprasch No.1 at quarter =60 and make sure you are breathing right. I am pretty sure that your fundamental embouchure set up well and you breathing are good; when I've heard you play it sounded like it and K. Drifmeyer wouldn't let you play with bad habits; so this is probably something recent - you just have to figure it out. I have a terrible habit of sticking my upper lip over my lower and pushing them together. Almost every time I find myself in a little playing rut -where things feel stiff, high range a little messy, and flexibility is poor- it is because this nasty thing crept in again. Usually I need only make myself aware and it clears up. Bad habits seem to creep in more when we are at stretches of time where we don't have to be ready for a concert, rehearsal, or lesson every week and -because we are all human, yes even Horn players are human- we cut corners. I think you get my point, let me know if this is not the case, I have lots of ideas for high-register exercises. The most important thing is to be patient though; with consistent practice and a good basic set-up and breathing it will come. Somebody very wisely once told me that "There are no mysteries to Horn playing". It might seem like a black art sometimes, but almost always careful self-examination and/or a good, knowledgeable and observant teacher (who you definitely have) can figure out the problem and eliminate it with a systematic approach and evaluation. Let me know if you want some recommended exercises, but there are a lot of people more qualified and experienced than me who probably will suggest more and better ideas... Take care, Dave Meichle Lawrence University ________________________________________________________________________ Try Juno Platinum for Free! Then, only $9.95/month! Unlimited Internet Access with 1GB of Email Storage. Visit http://www.juno.com/value to sign up today! _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
