ellestad

When practicing fairly high passages (high for me), andante above the staff on C or Bb trumpet, it isn't long before my lip gets stiff and quits responding on the high notes. I otherwise don't feel fatigued. I use a Schilke 17D4D mouthpiece on either instrument and it doesn't feel too big. I play a Schilke 19 for really big low parts. I can practice effectively for several hours if there isn't a disproportionate amount of above-the-staff playing. This is usually orchestral music that I am talking about. Etudes and exercises get the same effect.

This happens more quickly with the pic - about twenty minutes of easy playing. I start well warmed up with a nice supple embouschure and try to play with light pressure, concentrating on small aperture and jet speed. Still I go stiff in a short amount of time. On pic I play a Schilke 11AX. Going to a bigger mouthpiece extends my playing time at the expense of the f and g - this seems like it isn't really a fix.

I am a sixty-two year old comback player who has been playing for about seven years again (didn't play for 35 years). I played pretty well in my youth and I remember where I came from. I get some good instruction. I am able to practice about an hour a day, on average. I have a once-weekly orchestra rehearsal of 2 hours.

I'm doing something wrong. Mouthpiece changes, so far, have only been worse.

Any help will be appreciated.

Tim