Upper Register exercises for Tuba Eb

[Crymzon1980]

So, I'm in need of some good upper register exercises, any suggestions ?

Was using some Euphonium exercises but some may be a bit much for me lol

[iiipopes]

The break strain in the march, "The Thunderer."

[Mark E. Chachich]

Arban, as written then up the octave then as written. This gives me a reference point when going for the high range.
I also do as written, down the octave and as written.

Best,
Mark

[Jim Williams]

Hi, Crymzon...
Try this to kill a couple of birds with one stone:
Try playing some hymn tunes or other simple melodies in a comfortable key.
Then try playing the same tune up a half-step or a whole step. Keep going up by half- or whole steps
That way you can practice moving up your upper register and get some ear-training/practice in different keys

Whatever you do, do it gradually and patiently--upper register playing takes time to develop.
Jim

[bloke]

Hello friend !
A large percentage of E-flat tubas seem to be fitted with 19 inch bells, and don’t particularly seem (to me) to enjoy resonating very much in the very-very high range. Moreover, those with the big bells seem (to me) to sort of “ghost out“ above E-flat or F. I believe that I have found more B-flat and C tubas that play above those pitches more easily than many of the 19 inch bell E-flat tubas - which seem to be more suited to playing higher-velocity passages in the middle and lower register, than high-register passages...
...but if you’ve got a 15-inch or 16-inch bell E-flat tuba, you’ll probably end up with better high range results.
As far as high range exercises go (playing any tuba), I would just play bel canto/melodic exercises (written for trombone or bassoon), until my lips gave out, rest for a half hour or an hour, and go at it again.
I’m sure you’ll do well!

[lost]

The Tyrell studies work the upper register, but not to death.

[tubanh84]

For working on fluidity, definitely use the etudes up an octave. I use Tyrell and Bordogni for that mostly.

If you're talking about extending your high range, I have been doing the following exercise with some success:

Essentially, you're going to do sol-la-ti-do in three to four different octaves on a quarter quarter quarter whole note rhythm. Start with something easy for you. For me, that's usually Bb C D Eb. Do it in the pedal register. Then the "low" register. Then middle of the staff. Then above the staff. Then do it again, but now it's B C# D# E. Then C D E F. Etc...Until you can't get the top note out. Even if it's squeaky, you keep going. Once you can't get the top note out, you're done going up. Then you go down about a whole step from that max and you do the pattern a few times (so if you can't get the four-ledger high Bb out, you do Eb F G Ab a few times). Here, you're really focusing on sitting on the highest note and working on opening the sound up on it. Then do the highest one again. You'll probably miss it again. Because you missed it before, and now you're even more tired. But that's not the point. Then you're done. Takes about 5 minutes, max.

The reason I do it that way is that it's balanced - there is low playing, mid range, and high playing throughout. So your lips aren't taxed the whole time. And you keep reminding yourself about your air flow and sound before getting into the extreme high register.

And it works on any of your horns - I do it on my CC as often as my F.

Also, I usually follow it up with Snedecor etudes for about 15 minutes. Again, for balance.

Full disclosure: This is a shameless rip-off of a Roger Bobo exercise. But this one works better for me. Again. For. Me. Your results may vary.

[bloke]

I should probably keep my parenthetical opinions to myself, but I've never been able to do that, so here goes:

Decades ago (still today...?? yes? no?), it was popular to say:

You have to be able to play low, to be able to play high.

I judge that adage to be nonsense, and judge this one to be truth:

You have to be able to play high, to play high.

[tubanh84]

I should probably keep my parenthetical opinions to myself, but I've never been able to do that, so here goes:

Decades ago (still today...?? yes? no?), it was popular to say:

You have to be able to play low, to be able to play high.

I judge that adage to be nonsense, and judge this one to be truth:

You have to be able to play high, to play high.

I never got this either, at least if it's taken literally. HOWEVER, if I can go on ahead and overcomplicate the matter: Part of being able to "play high" is having a good sound in that register. If you have a bad sound in your low register, odds are you'll have a bad sound in your high register (sidenote: I met a trombone player once who defied this: He sounded great playing high and solidly mediocre playing mid and low). So if you want good fundamentals in your high register, you'll probably have to have them in your mid and low register as well. And because it is so taxing playing high register stuff for a long period of time, it makes more sense to develop the fundamentals in the lower registers, where you can spend more time, and then apply them to the high register.

BUT. There is no substitute for practicing the thing that you want to be able to do. There is no magic sequence of events that will lead to surprise magical high chops. There is a lot of work, a lot of sounding bad, and a lot of tired lips.

[Kirley]

(sidenote: I met a trombone player once who defied this: He sounded great playing high and solidly mediocre playing mid and low).

I've come across this, too. In that case, I believe it was a mixture of equipment choice and an over fondness for Watrous.