I`ve heard some kids at school talking about screaming on trombone. Is it possible to play as high as a scream trumpeter? What can I do to seriously play that high?

Trombones have almost a limitless range of high note. Lip slurs and playing cromatically up to as high as you can go in whole notes wil help you. But it will take a long time to reach some of the trumpets range. You`ll eventually get better the more you practice. Good luck!

The trombone sounds exactly one octave lower than trumpet. So, if a trumpet player brags about their high C, blast out your high Bb. Relitively, it`s the same note. HOWEVER. We don`t have nearly the use for "screaming". Be really good in the range you are comfortable in, and work more on tone and flexability. Your range will come over time, there is no use in working on something you don`t need in your everyday playing. (Rarely do we ever have parts that go much higher than high Bb or C, and those will be in VERY advanced jazz pieces, and orchestral work.)

If you really want to increase your range, here are a few ways to get there eventually. Everyday, work on sound production. Lots of lip slurs in all registers, LOTS or pedal range work, scales and arpegios, more pedals, more lip slurs, more pedals, and also some pedals. Did I mention pedals? They will help you greatly in the flexability areas, which is what you need to play high.

Why? I mean If you listen to people like David Steinmeyer, Buster Cooper, and Skip Layton; they do it. I realize it is insanely difficult and I too put tone first (its what trombones are for!), but I believe it is possible. As long as you practice the other more important parts as well and don`t get hooked on the "screamin" fever like most trumpets it`s pretty cool. The trouble is being able to PLAY that high, lip slurs and other techniques like longtones will help. But the real trouble will be getting that brilliant piercing tone that trumpets have. As for that I have no advice, other than don`t switch your mouthpiece.

Yes, of course, we CAN scream, but my point was it`s not something we should focus on. A trombone players high range will come over time if you spend enough time on tone quality and sound production excercises.

If you do want that brilliant piercing tone, (in other words you want to sound more like a trumpet) all it is is a crap load of air and a tight embouchure.

here is the MAIN argument point..


PROJECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WE DONT HAVE TINY HORNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


we can play as high as any trumpet player... can we project the same way they do? possibly... but not without the loss in tone production. there is a reason why the trumpet and trombone is written the way it is. the sonority(voice) of the instrument is just the way it is... this topic needs to stop coming back.


and just in case because there are ALWAYS people disagreeing.

we CAN play as high as a trumpet but can we project the way they do without a microphone? possibly... but why try? So you can say your the most annoying voice int he group?


sorry i sound disgruntled.. but jeez let this go.

You might want to check out Joe Alessi`s recording of Steven Rush`s `Rebellion for Trombone, Piano and Percussion` on his New York Legends CD. This piece has some great screaming in it. The part is actually notated as "FFF play as high as possible or scream through horn".

Think effortless control, rather than working hard. Like hitting a long drive on the golf course, having the mechanics together produces much greater return than quantity of force. There are many fine sources of knowlegeable advice for the specifics, I`m not one of them. But for me, the mental picture of "squeezing" the note out, rather than forcing the note out, is useful.

I forgot to add that I`ve had conversations with trombonists who have actually sung, through the trombone, the very high notes in a piece that they couldn`t reach conventionally, and done it well enough that the director was unaware that they were doing so. Work on that falsetto unless your natural voice is in the soprano range.

Since when does David Steinmeyer scream?? He doesn`t scream, he plays beautifully in the piccolo trumpet`s range. The Tasteebros scream, and it`s really ridiculus.

and the tasteeboys dont do it very tasty eiether... its like crap


just crap.

Re: (Ma) "....we can play as high as any trumpet player...."

You mean "RELATIVELY as high"?

no...I agree with Mas, with enough practice trombone players can play as high as any trumpet player. not relatively but truly note for note. Trombones are not limited in their range like woodwinds. It`d take alot of work though and is really not that useful...but, it is possible.

Actually, if you say trombones are not limited to range like woodwinds, the same goes for trumpet. And with the trumpet starting one octave higher, they have the edge range wise. If you take in account for the octave difference, then yes, the trumpet and trombone have the same range, since we use the same overtone series.

I`m unclear as to whether we`re talking about screaming or if we`re talking about making actual musical tones. I think people have posted comments related to both. Here`s my opinion on the issue of whether a trombone has theoretically the same upper limit as a trumpet: Yes, and so does a tuba for that matter. Why? Because at a certain point the instrument itself is not limiting the pitch at all, and the frequency of the squeak or squeal that you produce is dependent only on how small you can make the vibrating portion of your lips. In my opinion the argument is kind of silly anyway. Someone with a more thorough knowledge of the physics involved could prove me wrong, and that`s fine, I`ll listen.