How can I improve my range

[nolska]

Right now I can play the very high G but I'm trying to go higher so that I can play a 2 octave Bb scale.

[tbdana]

Same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

[chouston3]

Grab a Remington book and put together a daily routine. Try to do something out of each section each day. Your high range will take as long as it takes. It will take a lot longer if your fundamentals aren't solid.

Do you have a teacher?

[harrisonreed]

Use your tongue and jaw to control the range. Oystein Badsviik has a great video and how to do it.

[BGuttman]

In the Remington book the exercises have numbers. One of them is "Security in the Upper Register" (it's #8 in my copy). I used it to bring my range up to F above the G you are at now. It didn't happen overnight; you have to use it intelligently.

It's an arpeggio that starts on in-staff E in 7th position and goes up an octave and back down. Then you go to F in 6th position and do the same. At some point you are going to "poop out" and miss the top note. If you miss, try again, but no more than two times. After 3 misses, stop for the day and don't try the next day. You can try again the day after that.

There is method to this madness. You will find there is a little more resistance in 7th position which enables you to play to a higher partial. As you move up the resistance lowers and you need to compensate for that in other ways.

When you manage to get to 1st position ending on Bb, start again adding a note to the arpeggio in 7th position. This is comparable to hitting C in 1st position. You can keep extending the arpeggio (with single notes after the initial octave) to bring up higher and higher partials and thus extending your range. It will take months and maybe years, but you can get there.

[CharlieB]

As beginners, most of us were told, "Put the mouthpiece wherever it is comfortable, and blow."
For many lucky players, that's all the mouthpiece instruction they ever need.
Others may need the help of an instructor to determine the optimal mouthpiece placement on the embouchure, training on how that placement may need to vary between high notes and low notes, instruction on how to use the facial muscles, and air flow control. Every embouchure is different, and needs to be observed carefully in action before any useful recommendation can be made about how to increase one's high range.

[Cmillar]

- how old are you? how long have you been playing?
- what kind of horn? what size mouthpiece?
- what's a 'high G' for you? 2nd line treble clef? top space treble clef?

Many factors go into this! You might have the wrong size mouthpiece for your particular physical makeup, which will affect any trombone player at any age or stage of development.

So, as has been recommended before, try to get a lesson (even if it's Zoom/Skype) with Doug Elliott or Dave Wilkie (wikitones the trombone player.... not the 'Celtic Cowboy' Wilkie!).

They'll get you steered in the proper direction.

[Doug Elliott]

Dave's last name is Wilkin