Solar Bell

Tootsall wrote:
Oxymoron???

-cw-

__________________
Chuck Willard
The Willard of Oz

"Don't be afraid to see what you see."
Ronald Reagan

Tootsall

Redundancy.

Schwab

I too just play with one mouthpiece. A slightly larger piece for classical stuff, but that is it. Too much trouble to mess with equipment, if it works, I stick with it.

__________________
Dylan Schwab
Stage 1 New York

Spitty

I only use one - a 3C - I think that for accuracy it's quite troubling to keep switching around. I only play small group jazz so it's not really necessary to have an assortment of pieces.

I once in a while practice a bit (15 minutes or so) with a 1.25C or a 7C - but always go back to my 3C, feeling like my chops got a little benefit from dealing with the other pieces.

That being said - it can't be wrong to have an assortment of MPs if a player like Soloff is doing it.


Cheers,
Jason

__________________
Spitty
Bach 43* ML
Bach 1 1/4 C

tromj

I use a Monette B-15M for all my Bb work, and the B-15F for Flugel, B-15D for Cornet. The cups on all of those are different , but at least I keep the rim the same. For picc I use a Stork 3P.

__________________
Bach 37
Yamaha 8310Z
Yamaha 631 Flugel
Getzen 850 Cornet
Yamaha Picc
Yamaha Xeno C 8445
Monette B1-5M, B1-5F, B1-5D cornet, Stork 3P, Monette C1-5M

trumpetmike

I can juggle five balls - if that helps?

Lara can do a good job with clubs

Leigh can nearly do 3 balls

but is still in need of some practice



Sorry, saw the thread title and got the wrong idea


I find that I use one mouthpiece for the majority of my playing, but have others which allow certain styles to be made easier. I know I can play on my regular mouthpiece, but a slight change of depth or style (always the same size rim) makes life a little easier sometimes.

Changing instrument, the only thing that changes is the cup depth - I use the same size rim for everything.

lonelyangel

In my bag today are my Giardinelli 6S and 6M plus my 6Flugel. Also a Warburton 3S with a Kanstul G3 backbore, a Bach 3CW, a Bach 3C megatone, a Bach 11/2C, a Mount Vernon 7C an Olds 3C, a GR66M, a Bob Findley Marcinkiewicz and a Bach 3C cornet mouthpiece.

99% of my trumpet playing - including picc and smaller horns - is done with the same 6S which I have used for 28 years now. However, when I am working, particularly in the studio, you have to produce the goods - right there and then - and thats why I carry the other pieces. I do not have any hang ups about switching to another piece to play a particular piece, or phrase, or solo or even a single note if i feel it will help me to get the job done.

All other things being equal - in other words my chops feel reasonably fresh and in good shape, then I will stick with the 6s but all the pieces in my bag have their place, even if its only a psychological reasurance that they are there if I need them. Very occasionally if I am very tired or my chops are a bit bruised, stiff or unresponsive I will keep switching during a gig or a session - trying to find a bit of life in my sound. I think that the change in mouthpiece means that a different part of the vibrating surfaces of your lips can come into play, but I invariably return to the 6S after a few minutes.

Today for example I have been guesting as 1st trumpet in a chamber orchestra (the Northern Sinfonia based in Newcastle)recording an album for saxophonist and composer Tim Garland featuring the legendary Chic Corea. Despite the intimate nature of the music and the small size of the orchestra I was able to play most of the session on the 6S. This meant that I had to concentrate on making a full and resonant sound that would blend with the classical brass players and the single woodwind section and to focus hard on clean, subtle production and the placement of notes to match the feel of the section. Because the music was so technically demanding and we were under such time pressure - we recorded 45 minutes of very complex contemporary classical/jazz compositions from sight in two three hour sessions - I wanted the security of playing on my most familiar mouthpiece. I did use the 6M for a couple of more lyrical ballad type pieces and in one number switched on to it for a particular phrase where I needed to tounge harder but did not want to sound too strident.

I'll keep you posted about when that one comes out - Tim is a remarkable talent and his music is very rewarding to play and to listen to.

Most of the guys I work with in London carry a similar amount of ironware about with them - although some are more discreet than others - and most of them too use their regular piece for the lions share of their playing. I will be popping down to Ronnie Scotts club later in the week to hear Lou Soloff's quintet - a master of the art. Last time I was working there I was playing in a section with Derek Watkins, John Barclay and Guy Barker and between us we must have had a dozen pieces on the stand - even though Guy was on his Raja!

My advice to a developing player would still be to find one mouthpiece and stick with it for a while - 4 or 5 years maybe - before going on a safari. However it could be that using a multitude of pieces will work well for you. Let your ears be the judge.

I once asked Richard Edwards - one of the finest session trombonists in town - which mouthpiece he played. he emptied a dozen pieces out of his pouch and said take your pick. He went on to explain that he just used whatever felt good that morning and if it stopped feeling good he switched. He said that a mouthpiece doesn't change but his chops change and feel different all the time, so why should he expect to sound good on just one piece all the time.

Food for thought....?

Noel.

__________________
Noel Langley - Eclipse Artist noel@eclipsetrumpets.com

Eclipse Medium Yellow, scratch gold
Eclipse Medium Heavy Red, custom 'Diamond Back' in 24ct gold
Eclipse Red Brass Flugel
Custom Scherzer piccolo with copper Wedgewood bell, finished in scratch gold
Giardinelli 6S, 6M, 6FL Bach 3CW

ebtromba

awesome post, Noel.

__________________
www.Ebtpt.com

highbrass

I did write in another thread that I made mouthpieces changes during a run of West Side Story. However, this was a rare exception due to the demands in the music that I simply could not meet with just one mouthpiece. My main 'piece at the time was the Warburton 6 M/6 bottom (alternated with 5.5), which was great for all around playing, but it would bottom out in the lower register (especially at louder volumes). And because I had to play some lower register stuff loud during WSS while on the 3rd book, I did switch to pieces that would give me the volume without sounding like I was overblowing (in reviewing my practice copy of the WSS book, I even made changes within numbers too). The three pieces that I used were the Warburton 6 M, Bach 10 1/2 C and Bach 6 B. I might add that I was in pretty good shape chop-wise, so I don't think the switches were made because of embouchure inadequacies (or were they? hmmm...)

In spite of those changes done in the past, I am first and foremost a one-mouthpiece person. I am currently playing on a Laskey 68C, which is my one and only and an all-around great mouthpiece. I use it for everything ranging from parade marching to big band to concert band to brass quintet to orchestral playing (even with C and D/Eb trumpet)...you name it, I use it.

Thank you for bringing the thread up, Wilmer. It really gave me some pause for reflection (and an opportunity to dig out the old mouthpiece collection to examine the pieces!).

Liz

__________________
"I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it."

~from "The Shawshank Redemption"

Siegtrmpt

I'm pretty boring with mouthpieces.....Bach 7C on b flat for most everything and 7E (117bb) or Monette B4L (they feel the same to me) for lead. Rarely switch during gigs though. Either it's a 7C gig or a 7E gig but not both. I don't do well switching around on the stand. When I'm tired the only thing that helps is to rest and maybe a beer or three.

__________________
Bill S.- NY Bach 6, 38 Mt. Vernon 43 Bach "C" cornet, NY Bach trombone 6vii Monette mouthpieces