My son has his grade 5 trumpet exam in a week. He is really struggling this time round. He is playing Romance by Hansen and is really struggling with the long phrase and top F and G. He managed it about a month ago but now he seems to miss top G quite frequently.

Is there any fast fix for this? He is now practising twice and day in our desperation to correct this problem.

It is a Guildhall exam and all the pieces are so long. He doesnt seem to have the stammer to get through all the pieces, scales and lip slurs.
Is Guildhall brass harder than AB brass?

Not a brass player but in his practice perhaps get him to play long notes starting an octave below the G he is struggling with,and gradually work his way up to the G. Try it slurred, tongued, and staccato etc.

thanks Nat

We have been practising lots of different ways, I'm not a brass player either, I have used as many teaching skills/techniques on him already. Did play sax and clarinet in younger days? So I do know a bit about wind but as the trumpet isnt keyed it must be harder to change embouchure on the higher notes.

He is improving but not quick enough... he can play the piece in small sections but he has no stammer to get through the piece in one go without stops. He keeps missing the links of high notes. It is obviously a miss and not a slip, so it cant be covered up to the examiner if you get my drift. If he misses he tries again but often cant get it several times afterwards. He never use to miss anything. It is either very hard or he is getting worse possibly.

Actually I wonder if it is the trumpet/mouthpiece not him?

Getting very stress over this with him and myself.

Have you discussed it with his teacher? Or get some other trumpet player to see if it is the instrument? Or take it to a music shop and see if they can check it over?

If he's really struggling with those high notes, get him to play say 5 of them as clearly and precisely as he can, then rest for a few minutes, maybe blow some low/pedal notes. The worst thing he can do is strain them or play on a tired lip, he'll do more harm than good. Lots of rest when he's playing and a good warm up routine should be good. For example in the warm up, get him to go up and down the scale of C:

C to C (octave above)
C to D
C to E
C to F
C to G

If he makes the notes great, if he doesn't, give it a rest (roughly as long as the exercise takes) and try again.

I hope this helps, also as the exam is near, it would probably do the trumpet good to give it a good bath,

Alice

So you can you over practice and not get high notes then. He has built up more practise in the last 2 weeks. He plays for 20 mins then breaks and does it again, for about 1.5 hours on and off. Thought he would be strengthen the lip muscles not making worse. Obviously I know nothing then? playing on a tired lip very bad. I suppose he has been playing alot as he has had alot of band concerts too ? So you reckon over kill...

make sure he isn't tucking his bottom lip - this results in a weak and thin tone, also get him to push his top jaw forward slightly- this should make playing high notes easier, also - as alibonebone said a good warm up routine really helps, prehaps spend all his morning practice warming up - doing things like tounging and lip slurs- (very very good for the embouchure) and long notes, aim for clarity and a good tone.

hope this helps!

cheers
He seems to be getting it. He always warms up.... he sits Guildhall so he has to do lip slurs.
He scored full marks last time. I think he has great expectations as he got high honours last term at grade 4 and we are all feeling the stretch of the exams now. I think he is probably peaking now and hopefully will even out over the next year. Five grades in just 2 years is alot to be asking a 10 year old. I wouldnt ask it of one of my own students.
Only a few days to go then we can all relax here. Thanks for the extra tips everything helps. Mostly the reassurance I need as I am not a brass player.