High Range Progressive Studies

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Geordie
Posts: 349
Joined: Mar 30, 2018

by Geordie »

I have a reasonable range when it comes to scales and slur exercises etc. Access to the range reliably when playing charts is not always secure. In order to improve that I’m looking at buying 20 Swinging Range Studies (Eric Veldcamp) or Progressive Studies For The High Register (Keith Johnson). Anyone used these?

Open to other suggestions for purchased or free material.
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harrisonreed
Posts: 6479
Joined: Aug 17, 2018

by harrisonreed »

Range Songs by David Vining is okay, too.
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Burgerbob
Posts: 6327
Joined: Apr 23, 2018

by Burgerbob »

Anything you have in bass clef, but read in tenor clef.
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timothy42b
Posts: 1812
Joined: Mar 27, 2018

by timothy42b »

Any church hymnal, start at one end and play a couple every day. But play the melody in the written treble clef (not Bb treble) pitch.

There's something about trying to make a high C in a traditional SATB hymn sound good that's so different from doing it in a range exercise.
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Doug_Elliott
Posts: 4155
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by Doug_Elliott »

If you're OK with alto clef, the George Maxted 20 Studies was tremendously helpful to me in making high range useable and connecting all range. You should be able to find it in pdf online.

Every one of them goes up to F, F#, or G.
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chouston3
Posts: 167
Joined: Dec 19, 2023

by chouston3 »

This book is a good read on developing high range.

https://cherryclassics.com/products/2466
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hyperbolica
Posts: 3990
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by hyperbolica »

The clef stuff is great, the special books are great, but I'd add a couple of things. The standard interval exercises from Arbans. It helps you hear intervals correctly, and a big part of actually playing the right notes in the high range is hearing the note before you have to play it. The second thing I'd add is just to practice things up an octave (and down an octave). You'd be surprised how many people can't do something as simple as that. Reading treble clef at pitch is helpful, as is reading treble clef down an octave. All of these reading skills become useful when you play in odd situations. I had a teacher that made me play the trumpet etude book Top Tones for Trumpet (read in tenor clef and add two flats). I often play Real Book stuff up an octave. Real book stuff is usually written in a comfortable octave. Maybe TOO comfortable. You can fairly easily take most tunes up, and it will allow you to play those notes in the context of real music.
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timothy42b
Posts: 1812
Joined: Mar 27, 2018

by timothy42b »

Here is the first study from the Maxted. It would be a copyright violation to share the whole thing but this is 5% so should be legal.
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timothy42b
Posts: 1812
Joined: Mar 27, 2018

by timothy42b »

I'm not sure I correctly attached that. Just in case, here's a link. You can preview or download.

<GOOGLEDRIVE id="1HkVR8qL6G2dznRGDnlnCAGDHYgxm4vPB"><LINK_TEXT text="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HkVR8q ... sp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HkVR8qL6G2dznRGDnlnCAGDHYgxm4vPB/view?usp=sharing</LINK_TEXT></GOOGLEDRIVE>
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Geordie
Posts: 349
Joined: Mar 30, 2018

by Geordie »

Thanks to everyone for the helpful replies. Plenty to go at!