John H. Lynch

A New Approach to Altissimo Trumpet Playing

Ever since people like Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase and Cat Anderson showed trumpet players everywhere that the trumpet could be played with power and control to double high C and above, trumpet playing and trumpet players have never been the same. The dream of all serious players instantly became and has remained, to emulate this proficiency. However, this goal has been realized by only a very fortunate few. It remains an eternal grail - a seemingly constant source of unrewarded labors for most players. Those few powerhouse players who have attained some altissimo skill are frequently 'naturals', and are at a loss to explain how they do it.
Various methods have been suggested that tend to work to some extent with some players, but the process of high playing has never been extensively analyzed until now. This book, written by a person who understands both the physics and the musical aspects of high playing, is the definitive work in this area. The author has designed an exercise program that considers subtleties of playing never investigated before. These exercises incorporate many elements simultaneously to produce an optimum and extremely efficient methodology.
Some of the topics considered are:
PRESSURE - minimization techniques.
EMBOUCHURE - physics and design.
AIR FLOW - larynx relaxation and Zen technique.
LEFT HAND GRIP - designed to minimize pressure.
HORN ANGLE - effects of pivot.
PRACTICE AND WARM-UP - and optimized approach.
EQUIPMENT - mouthpieces, bore size and other equipment effects.
PSYCHOLOGY OF HIGH PLAYING - effect of attitude.
PHYSICS OF THE TRUMPET - pressure losses and energy distribution.
SPECIALLY DESIGNED EXERCISE PROGRAM - includes partial valve techniques and use of external pressure nodes beyond the bell.