Matt G

Hi,
I don't know how acustomed you are to helping aspiring performers still in high school. I have been taking lessons privately for a couple of months now and my instructor gave me a C3 Monette mouthpiece to use on my Bb Yamaha and I still am having trouble with getting the proper breathing down and getting my upper register to open from the tight, tense and cramped sound I am currently getting. So any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

BigBadWolf

Perhaps it is partially because you are using a C3 on a Bb trumpet. You should try a B3. It won't help your breathing problems, but maybe with the upper register.

BflatAnklan

You can not use a C mouthpiece on a Bb horn. Each mouthpiece is designed for a specific key instrument. The above post is correct, you want the B3 mouthpiece.

For future reference:

B is for Bb trumpet
C is for C trumpet
E is for Eb trumpet
A is for A piccolo
and there is also a Bb piccolo mouthpiece.

Lt and STC-1 are for conventional horns and ligther Monettes

STC-2&3 are for heavier Monette's only.

By the way, welcome to the wonderful world of "Monette!"

__________________
Matthew Anklan

www.myspace.com/matthewanklan

Tarter_trpt8

I don't know why everyone says you can't use a C mouthpiece on a B flat horn because my teacher uses his C1-2 on both horns, his pic and E flat so maybe it is the breathing in my opinion....

JT

Manny Laureano

Hi, y'all...

I had a runout out of town so I've been away for a bit.

Down to cases.

Everybody's right. The mouthpieces are made to correspond lengths of instruments as has been pointed out. Can you get notes out instruments with the wrong mouthpiece? Yes, obviously. Is it the optimal situation? Absolutely not. Simple as that.

Now,as for the breathing, there probably is a problem

"I still am having trouble with getting the proper breathing down and getting my upper register to open from the tight, tense and cramped sound I am currently getting."

My guess is that, like most high school trumpeters, you're not inflating enough and more than likely holding your belly tense while you exhale. This is very typical and I wouldn't be surprised if you actually think this is the corect way to do because it's what you see around you all the time with your peers.

You have to think of yourself as a bag that inflates and deflates. You relax your belly and chest when you take a breath and allow your stomach to shrink back to normal as you let the air go. You sort of have to look like a barrel when you inhale and an hour glass when you exhale. Simple as that.

The pitch and sound are not going to be as good as they could be with the proper mouthpieces if you mismatch the horn. The C mouthpiece is too short. You're going to play sharp and your whole pitch center is going to be off but you will be able to get out a sound.

Good luck,

ML

Kristine

You guys should try breath builders, they're really useful!