Lip Slurs to Develop Range

I prefer the use of lip slurs and trills combined with playing simple melodies as opposed to arpeggios. Using Lip Slurs to Develop Range is great because I can really think about my anchor tongue and how my whistle helps me access the high notes. I can concentrate on the tongue moving toward the teeth and then up as I whistle the lip slurs.

I like to do a lot of music about a third under my highest notes. Playing a lot of note a third to a fifth under your highest notes allows you to play more music and not strain and get so many bad sounding squeaks. 

I do some arpeggios but not a lot because arpeggios are like flagpoles no more than 1 of each note played. I like to do exercises and melodies so that I get to play accessible notes more than once and work on owning those notes.

Another thing I like is lip trills which is just a small fast lip slur.

The reason is that lip trills help to keep your lips flexible while arpeggios tend to make them stiff. Also by playing simple melodies one or two octaves up you work on musicianship and ear training not just making awful squeals and squeaks.

Any melody will work Mary had a little lamb or any melody I have included Blue Bells of Scotland as an example. When you can play it up 1 octave then work on playing it up 2 octaves.

You will notice that it is more difficult to play a melody than to do arpeggios but it is much more beneficial as well.

Pops