tedh1951

Chuck, my Band Director told me were to put it - and it's not real comfortable I must say.

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Ted

BHSBrass

For the question about the mouthpiece, I play a schilke 12.


I think i've pretty much decided about sticking with my placement, while it is possible my playing could in the end be stronger with a change, there have been plenty of players that did not have the optimal setting and still became exceptional players and I'd rather just keep working on the way I have now considering im a junior in high school, and dont want to screw over my last two years of playing during this time of my life.

Thanks for the help everyone in this decision.

__________________
-Selmer Paris 1956 Bb
-New York Stradivarius #7

-Schilke 12
-Wedge 3c #7 Warburton backbore

trumpetnick

Good thinking. The placement depends on many factors - your personal type of embouchure is probably the most important of all. What is optimal is rather relative. There was a huge discussion on the forum about embouchure types, embouchure changes etc. You don't just switch from placement X to placement Y. This is time consuming and risky business. Unless your teacher know exactly what he is doing, it would give you more trouble than advantages. Make sure that you breathing and use of facial muscles is correct and efficient - this will solve probably your problems much better than any possible placement change.

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

hammer56

Dear BHS,
from your dark photo, it looks as though you have way too little of your top lip in the mpc.
I did the same thing for a while in high school, as a way of hitting some high notes. It didn't last. My tone was thin. Winter break may be a good time to try at least 1/3 top lip.
I use Schilke mpcs too (15a4). Good choice. Bill Chase used a 6a4a (small!)

Bob Grier

As I previously stated the top photo is too dark to really see well. it does look like you are playing slightly in the red on the top lip. If this is the case you should put more top lip in the mpc. Exactly how much? It depends on a number of factors and there is no hard and fast rule for placement. But we do know that even a little bit of the rim sitting on the red of either the top or bottom lip will eventually cause problems. The reason for this I'm not going to go into here. It's along explaination. If your teacher has the experience to guide you through this change, it will not take long for you to make the transition. I've helped many students do this succesfully

__________________
Bob Grier, An Old Pro
Web Cam trumpet & jazz improvisation lessons
bgrierjr@triad.rr.com
Schilke B5 GB bell
NY Bach ML 37GB Bb 1949
Benge 7X 1985
Conn 22B 1940s
King Liberty Silversonic 1975
King Master Model Siversonic cornet 1975
1985 Bach C L 229GB 25A
1985 Bach D ML 239
1985 Bach Eb ML 239
1967 Martin C ML rose brass bell
1985 Selmer Paris Picc with Osmun A pipe
& Blackburn Bb pipe
1975 Getzen Eterna Flugelhorn
1985 Yamaha YFH 635T Flugelhorn

rowuk

The mouthpiece belongs in the case, or between your chin and nose.

IF you practice longtones and slurs first EVERY day with little pressure and no tonguing, you will be very in tune with what works. The mouthpiece will wander all by itself to the most efficient place. Those exercizes seem to take the need for intellectualizing the process away. Playing slurs makes you press your lips together, getting the red inside of the cup.

I have never needed to give my students mirrors to check up on their faces. Their daily routine gives them all the necessary information.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

hammer56

rowuk, thanks for the reminder about a thorough warm-up. I stress it to all of my students. I offer a variety to keep it interesting, but always long tones, low notes and lip slurs.

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rowuk

Hammer,
I wasn't talking about a warmup. I don't need one and my students perform equally well without one too.

I am talking about a daily routine - you know like a shower and shave in the morning. It doesn't build muscles or educate you, but it gives you a frame of reference (I feel good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or not so good or terrible........)

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Ed Kennedy

There is an old book call The Art of Brass Playing by Phillip Farkas which has numerous pictures of brass embouchers. There is a wide variation among very good players. (late 1950's Chicago Symphony). Everybody's physique is different.

trumpetlore

at the risk of intellectualizing what rowuk says, there are certain factors that tend to have an effect.
The mouthpiece should be situated on the front four teeth. These four (two top, and two bottom *shocking*) form a platform for the mouthpiece to sit on. Since every person's teeth are different sizes, shapes and angles, the teeth themselves will determine many things (such as the vertical and horizontal angles of the horn).
With regards to the percentages of upper or lower lip in the mouthpiece, again, everybody's lips differ. Some people have a larger top or bottom lip than others. Some people's top lip rolls in when they play higher. All of these things (among others I'm sure) affect the look and feel of mouthpiece placement.
So, I guess the point still comes back to what rowuk says, play where it's comfortable...