Register jumps

To be able to move between the registers more freely and easily, work on purposely splitting the note without using the Octave key.

When using the Octave key, make sure that you don’t move the whole thumb; it can throw the rest of the fingers out of position over the other keys.

Just move the tip of the thumb- keeping the left hand nice and round, thinking of turning a doorknob!

If the air is too squished/restricted or you’re finding it hard to get the notes out, and you are hearing squeaks, the bottom lip might be too tight- relax the bottom lip more.

If you’re only hearing air, then you may need to add a bit more pressure from the bottom lip (jaw)- the bottom lip should be there as a support. The cheeks provide the strength.

I received good advice from Dr Carol Johnson, in that of making sure the Jaw Position is set- it doesn’t move at all (unlike in flute playing).

The tongue moves; and the majority of the sound changes (register jumps etc), come from the throat. Make the motion of pretending that you’re about to swallow when going from lower to upper register notes (Experiment), and specifically, from B to D (the break on the instrument).