Trumpet with Charley Wagner

Rescuing Your High Notes with Charlie Wagner

I'm Charlie Wagner. I'm here to rescue you from your squeaky, pathetic high notes that aren't long enough, fast enough, or high enough.

Introduction

Hey there, trumpet fans and Young Blood Brass Band enthusiasts! My name is Charlie Wagner, and I'm excited to show you a few things on the horn, along with insights into Young Blood Brass Band music and New Orleans brass band music.

What We'll Cover

In this lesson, we'll be discussing:

• Style
• Technique
• Specific Etudes and Excerpts
• Technical Studies

That's the fun stuff you can explore with New Orleans brass band music! You can take a simple melody and give it tons of attitude, any way you feel like doing it.

Embracing High Notes

Don't be scared of those high notes, kid. You gotta swing for the fences! Swing real hard for the fences.

• The trumpet will get louder the higher you go.
• You don't need to overexert yourself; let the trumpet do the work as you ascend.

Building Strength

Getting up to those higher notes requires pressure. This often involves practicing lip slurs of varying intervals, which serves as a great strength builder.

• Start down the octave and work your way up.

Overcoming Challenges

Thanks, Jeffrey! While it's true that high notes can be daunting, remember:

• You don't have to be intimidated.
• If you can go higher, feel free, breathe, or die!
• Never be underinflated.

Sometimes, you just gotta take a breath.

• And hey, smiling while playing high notes? It might sound boring!

Applying Techniques

The same techniques you use in lower octaves can also be applied in higher ranges. And demonstrating it is always a challenge; mistakes happen!

• Just do the same stuff you're practicing with the Clark studies, only an octave higher!

Keeping Your Music Fresh

If your New Orleans jazz library is as old as your parents' senior pictures, come to youngbloodbrassband.com and check out our Facebook page. Follow the links to find all the newest and hottest updated New Orleans music, including:

• Rebirth Brass Band
• Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• Hot 8 Brass Band
• Soul Rebel Brass Band

Conclusion

That was just a little snapshot of what we can continue to explore together. Please check out the other guys' video posts about their lessons and share them with your friends.

Visit youngbloodbrassband.com and follow our Facebook page. I hope to see you back here sometime soon with email questions, or try some video lessons, and we'll get you on the right path to some seriously kick-butt trumpet playing.

Peace.

Practical Tip

• Don't eat beans before shows.
• Don't be a jerk.