Hey people, I know it's a long post, but I'm in some desperate need of some help here 'cause it's really getting me down!

Ok, I changed my embouchure a while ago, and I've recently got back into playing 'proper pieces' now - and I still feel that anything above an F, I naturally tense up at (particularly around the throat area, hence the straining of notes) - and so the sound quality isn't great, and it's just stopping me from getting the notes in the first place.

Me and my teacher have gone over a million things - thinking about tongue position, thinking down when you play up, lying down on the floor!, jumping before you play a high note to relax muscles!, lots and lots of breathing exercises, concentrating the tension at the abdominal muscles rather than the throat - the list goes on...
and basically we can't find a way to stop me from getting tense - I do get really upset about this, and I'm to be honest quite hard on myself about it, and I don't know how to get rid of these negative thoughts because obviously these are probably affecting my playing also...

Does anyone have any suggestions at all? I'm really desperate, and for someone who's been used to playing up to top Cs and beyond no problem, it's taken a real hit to my confidence - I have places to study music at uni from sept this year, and I'm scared that I'm not going to overcome this before then, because I want to become involved in orchestras and stuff...

please help!

Maybe just give yourself a break from trying for a couple of days, as if you keep trying and it doesn't work, then you'll keep having negative thoughts. If you go back to it with a fresh mind (and try not to think about it too much) you might be able to reach higher notes. You might be overcomplicating everything by thinking too much, e.g. about tongue position. Just an idea...

Why did you change you embouchure????
Are you changing it back now?
This really could have done lots more harm than good.

The muscles have retrained them selves now and will take a lot to get them back.

I think with the tensing up it is more phsycological - you need to think relaxed - as my teacher said think on the high notes coming out of the top of your head being pushed up from the base of your diapragm.
Keep your trumpet up and throat open and just concentrate on the lower register for a few weeks then gradually work up a note or two at a time and see what happens.
My throat closes up sometimes and i really have to concentrate to keep my tounge from going up and restricting the air flow.

Good luck

Ok, I haven't just changed my embouchure - it's been almost a year, so I'm fine and back to playing properly, the tone-quality is a lot better and it's a lot more comfortable... it's just the tension towards the higher end seems to be preventing me from extending my range further...

What mouth piece are you using? maybe that needs changing too.

I changed from a 5c to a 3c a few months ago, and found it a lot better...

ok im a brass teacher and what i would do in your situation is firsly try playing arpeggios in triplets if you know what i mean. So like for example: in A major - A C# E A and pause on the top A and push the air through. REALLY PUSH AND MAKE YOUR DIAPHRAGM SOLID! Try to project your sound to the opposite wall of the room. the tip that someone posted about thinking about the notes coming out of the top of you head also works believe it or not!

I would say start on F major arpeggios and do the pause thing on the top notes and then work upwards to Gmaj and G# and then A. YOU MUST MAKE SURE though that the pause notes are clear (notngrowly) and that your diaphragm is solid and pushed out and you are pushing the air right through the instrument and projecting the sound accross the room. It will come believe me- i see it every week

Keep trying
Alison

Hey there!

I think that the best way to solve your problem is undoubtedly by talking to your teacher again and explaining to them that, so far, the things you have discussed aren't really helping, you are still anxious about high notes. Internet advice can only ever be given on the basis of the information supplied, and as a teacher myself, I know that, personally, I would feel better informed and, therefore, able to offer you advice after watching you play and I suspect that many teachers would feel the same way, which is perhaps why you haven't had that many replies to your thread. It's great that you have identified that you tense up and constrict the throat from about an F onwards, that means you are halfway to solving your dilemma. Well done you. Talk to your teacher again (It may be that you just need to patient and that your desperation regarding your uni places is adding undue pressure) and in the meantime play lots of long notes and imagine the nicest, roundest, sound possible on a bottom C, play it and then work your way up as far as you can, still with that beautiful fat tone that you imagined and produced on a bottom C.

Personally, I wouldn't change your mouthpiece. That can often be a "quick fix" and leave you with more difficulties after the initial mouthpiece "honeymoon period" that we often experience wears off. With regard to your uni place, I don't think that you need to worry as I am sure any teacher worth their salt will understand and appreciate the range and tonal quality challenges that everyone experiences after changing their embouchure. You may find that in fact they are most grateful to your current teacher for undertaking that hardest work before you START uni!

Anyway, I truly wish you all the best in your studies and I do believe that you will become a very fine player in the future as you seem to have a genuine thirst for understanding. Good luck!

Not sure if this can be of any use to you whatsoever when i'm playing my flute and my throat starts to get tense, so i make little grunting noises i do a couple of exercises of playing and singing at the same time, do you know what i mean ??

you'd be like playing your trumpet and singing the note you're playing but at the same time - a bit like ian andersen from jethro tull - but i really don't know if this is possible to do on the trumpet. Anyway, after a couple of minutes of making these really funny noises, my throat is back to being open and relaxed

hey, thank you so much for your replies, especially kix and ali > i'll really think about what you've said, and i'll talk with my teacher again - the arpeggios idea sounds like a good idea so i'll have a go at that as well

Thanks again!

when you change to a deeper mouthpiece the high notes will go for a little while. Concentate on playing long notes and easing up to the high ones. There are plenty of good excersises and studys to help this, especially How Brass Players Do It (sorry to plug it again!) Playing low also helps, and a good warm up will help your stamina both in individual sessions and overall. Just make sure you don't use any more pressure than necisary!.

It may seem boring, but it works.

Jon

When my top register is not working properly, I do octave slurring exercises (low - high - low), trying to play the upper note by usings a more "smiling" embouchure*, and moving up by semitones until the top note starts to need too much pressure. I think "doo - ee - oo" to get the right shapes.

* as defined in Farkas's book, "The art of French horn playing"; the natural frequency of the lips is increased by lateral tension.