Building range

[BflatBass]

Having only been playing for about 6 months after being away from the horn for 35 years I'm in the early stages of my development. Ultimately I'd like to build up my high range on my bass bone so that playing say 3rd or 2nd parts isn't such a challenge endurance wise. I could use my tenor for said parts but I really don't like switching horns.

How many of you use this approach?

I realize this method is good for more than just range and I don't do it exactly the way he does. It would take too much time in each practice session. I'll use only one broken pattern per practice session and only work down maybe an octave to an octave and a half or so. Not only that, I can only play so many notes in a single breath.

If you don't use the Sulliman method what method/approach do you use to build your high range and endurance?

[BGuttman]

I used the Remington #8 Security in the Upper Register as modified by Hunsberger (extending the arpeggio). WaltTrombone published his version of the exercise on TTF, but I'm not sure it all came over as the archive.

[afugate]

I found Sulliman's approach helpful for me.

--Andy in OKC

[baileyman]

Interesting method. It seems there are lots of things one could work to the same effect.

One thing to try is to raise the back of the tongue to limit the passage of air into the mouth. The size of the passage can approximate the size of the throat on the mouthpiece. An immediate benefit of this is the reduction of pressure in the head, in case that's a problem. I find these ranges more accessible this way. But if it doesn't work, forget it and try other stuff.

[AndrewMeronek]

Every range building exercise really has to boil down to having the horn on the face with only short breaks for a fairly long time, in the goal register, with intervals of rest once the chops get tired. There are lots of variations on that theme out there. Most of them combine range building with something else to make it more interesting, like the interval sequences in that video, which are a good idea. I prefer to use alternating kinds of 3, 4 or 5-note arpeggios (per octave) rather than just strictly stacks of the same interval, and going deliberately at both slow and fast tempos at different times of the day. I play some jazz, and including patterns that I will use while playing jazz makes the exercises more useful.