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mastuba24
(2 points)
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Hey I've been playing tuba for my High School band for two years and last year my teacher put me into the wind ensemble. I'm really self concience about my playing, even though my band director told me I'm very talented. I can play up to an F on the staff. But this year I'm the section leader for my school's MArching Band and I'm playing sousaphone and I really want to be more confident and some parts in my music are as high as the trombine part. I was wondering if anybody had any tips on how to play in the upper register.
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Richardrichard9
(222 points)
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To play in the upper register is simple, once you get some good instruction about it.
What you don't want to do is make your lips very wide, and make a smiling face, even though this is what many people think. You want to move your lips in the opposite direction, making a "puckering" face, which is the only way I can describe it. The reason for this is you make more surface area for your lips to vibrate.
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turtlepower159
(4 points)
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One thing to remember when your playing high is DO NOT clench up and close your throat/teeth. Remember to push your air, and put your tongue closer to the roof of your mouth. This directs your air stream into a smaller space making it move faster which makes it easier to play high with a clean open sound.
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Richardrichard9
(222 points)
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On the contrary... You should never block your air stream with your tongue unless you are separating the notes, aka tonguing the notes.
No matter what range you are in you want a clear, open sound, which comes from no obstructions in the airway, no tongue, no teeth, etc.
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JOhnlovemusic
(381 points)
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I think maybe trutlepower had a slight misconception. I would encourage the use of vowel shapes in which case you would make more of a "eeee" vowel shape which is supposed help with the higher notes and that would place the rear part of the tongue up closer to the roof of the mouth.
I should look it up, I don't know where I filed it but I was talking with my tuba playing friend in the NAVY Band. And we had read or heard a lecture about embouchres. And there was actualy a mathmatical formula presented where the lecturer said there is a percentage of air presure vs lip tension. I don't agree with it but it was interesting. I'll post it if
I find it.
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