by Bob Cochran

What is tonal range?

Tonal range, in music, is the spectrum of low-to-high pitches that can be produced by a voice or another instrument (the voice is definitely an instrument).

Why is tonal range a big deal?

Not all instruments pose the problem of performers needing to develop special skills to produce the highest and lowest pitches.  The piano is one example -- while difficult in other ways, any pitch in the piano's enormous range can be produced by a small child or even a cat.

Other instruments, such as the voice and most wind instruments, require certain types of development by the players to master their full tonal ranges.

Literature is written for most instruments that challenges one or both ends of the tonal range.

Opera singers, especially tenors and sopranos, are often challenged by composers to sing in the extreme high register.

Concerti for brass instruments sometimes cover more than three octaves.

It usually takes years of concentrated effort to develop tonal range sufficiently to be able to sing or play the more advanced musical literature. The highest and lowest pitches that a performer produces are expected to be of good musical quality.

Singers and brass players have similar concerns regarding tonal range. The physically challenging component to producing the highest and lowest tones involves moving air past human tissue to make it vibrate. If not done properly, efforts to increase tonal range through exercises can be exhausting or even painful. The delicate tissues can be damaged if one is not careful.

Some aspiring performers quit because they are never able to develop their tonal range to the desired or required extent.

Keeping tonal range in perspective

Being able to play higher and/or lower than everyone else in your section has only a certain amount of value. The player who develops technique, repertoire, expressiveness, musical knowledge, stylistic versatility, great sound, superb intonation, excellent time, improvisational prowess, playing any familiar tune in any key at will, and exemplary sight-reading skills will probably also build adequate range as a byproduct. Another player who obsessively works on tonal range to the exclusion of most other things will miss out on critical musical development, thus becoming an incomplete player.

Having said that, it still makes good sense to spend time developing your range. And you should be aware early on that it takes significant effort to appreciably extend your tonal range, except in cases where individuals have special gifts in that area.

The no-nonsense reasons for investing your time and energy in range-building are:

- To eliminate lack of tonal range as a reason for being unable to play the full repertoire for your instrument

- To be well within your capabilities when you perform

The rare performer who can combine great musicianship and unusual tonal range production has the ability to "wow" audiences. We can look to several trumpet artists as examples of this: Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinsen, Bill Chase, Maynard Ferguson, and many others. The electrifying nature of the sound of the screaming trumpet has a powerful effect on audiences. Tenors who can still sound like men around the area of the high C have a similar effect.

The myth of zero-pressure playing

- Too much pressure is a common problem. It quickly leads to embouchure fatigue. However, "zero-pressure" brass instrument playing is mythical, in my opinion. There are those who claim they are practitioners of it. Maybe so, but I have yet to see a convincing demonstration of actual zero-pressure brass instrument playing.

- Bill Watrous -- one trombonist who possesses command of the complete tonal range of his instrument -- got it right when he said that you need to put just enough pressure with your mouthpiece on your lips to "hold things together." That is, you do not want your lips sputtering around your mouthpiece due to too little pressure. You need a seal between the mouthpiece and your lips, which requires some pressure. But you want only enough pressure to achieve the seal.

The dangers of brute force

- Playing too loudly is a notorious "chops-buster." It can wreck your tone and seriously diminish your ability to play with sensitivity.

- Playing too high for too long has serious consequences, too, especially if combined with playing too loudly. You can over-stretch the skin of your upper lip with sustained high, loud playing, and this will usually have an undesirable effect on your overall playing.

How should I approach developing my tonal range?

The first foundation you should build is that of being able to play melodic phrases with great fluidity and beauty. This not only aids your playing physically, but you can use it as part of a lifelong exercise to master the invaluable musical skill of being able to play any familiar melody in any key, with ease.

One supporting ability you must have to do this is being quite flexible; that is, being able to move from pitch to pitch smoothly and quickly. Therefore, LIP SLURS are of enormous value to both melodic playing and range-building.

Once you can play a melody beautifully, learn to play it in progressively higher keys. As you progress upward, maintain the same beauty and control you had in the lower keys. Don't think about how high you are playing; focus only on producing beautiful tone as you play.

Besides progressing upward in key with your melodic playing, progress downward, too. Be able to play beautifully in all registers of your horn: low, middle and high. Don't neglect this. You'll be glad you didn't.

Be able to play sustained low tones very steadily.

In your low-tone playing, develop the lowest pedal tones on your instrument. Become very familiar with what is like to put ALL of your air through the horn.

Develop routines of lip slurs that cover your entire tonal range as it grows.

For me, nothing beats playing along with the superb singing of Bobby Caldwell, trying to imitate his inimitable ease and fluidity.  He sings in a high tessitura, very much where the trombone really sings, and where, if you play in that register, you will be exercising your high chops.

Is this all there is to it?

All? That's quit a lot! But yes. Oh, one more thing. Enjoy playing your horn! You'll live longer.