Johnleopold

Hey guys...

Well the rookie just finished my lesson for the evening. As a quick update the cold water experiment kinda works " when you're on the ingonorant side of the horn"
I guess the jokes on me. I found out that as I practice more, rest is more likely the solution to wupped up chops. I know I'm in the beginning stages but I'm kinda curious about my mouth piece. I have full lips so I feel like my top lip is doing most of the work. The result is that I have a puff-lip after about 15-20 measures. Only on the top. I just can't seem to get a balance on the mouth piece. As I mentione before, I have a Bach horn from when I was a kid. I let my 3 year old puff on it and he actually made a solid note with little effort. If I do the same thing my C sounds like junk.

So the mouth piece is a 7C. I went up to the Selmar website to look at what they have and found a 7CW ... for fuller lips... is this true and how do you pick out the right size... do the sized go up in number or down ?

Its hard to learn on your own. I play and now I take a break and then when I come back to try a few songs vs. scales... my sound is much better ( well for a beginner... better is relative) ... I still love to play !
should have done this long a time ago.

J

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MAN DO I LOVE TO PLAY...Always interested in music... don't know how to REALLY play yet... trying to learn... "Without stuggle... there can be no progress..." FD

Johnleopold

Sorry... I forgot to spell check before I hit submit...

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MAN DO I LOVE TO PLAY...Always interested in music... don't know how to REALLY play yet... trying to learn... "Without stuggle... there can be no progress..." FD

nieuwguyski

Take the descriptions in the Bach mouthpiece brouchure with a grain of salt. At your level of development, you shouldn't be worrying about getting any sort of wide cushion rim that might enable you to use more pressure.

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John N. Nieuwguyski

Johnleopold

Thanks John...

I see you're in Santa Cruz... do you teach or do you know of anyone I can come and tag along with... ? I would probably wreck a normally good time but I would sure learn a lot from a trial by fire... ( live in Tracy)

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MAN DO I LOVE TO PLAY...Always interested in music... don't know how to REALLY play yet... trying to learn... "Without stuggle... there can be no progress..." FD

trickg

John, as discouraging as this might be to hear, your best bet, in my opinion, is to just keep on keepin' on. Building chops and an embouchure takes time - it isn't something that just happens in a month or two, although as an adult, with a lot of patience, discipline, diligence and hard work in a regular and structured practice regimen, you can cut down the learning curve a little.

I started playing trumpet in 5th grade, but it wasn't until halfway through my 7th grade year that I really started to build chops and excel. Then again, that was me as a junior high kid, taking band because everyone else was taking band, and I didn't really start practicing regularly until then. But keep in mind, that was 2 and a half YEARS of playing before my chops started coming along. Kids have that kind of patience because they don't expect to be at a high level. Adults on the other hand, want to progress much more rapidly and usually have a hard time having patience with the rudimentary phase of learning an instrument, and don't let anyone tell you different; trumpet is not an instrument that comes quickly.

My advice to you for now would be to stick with the 7C and just keep practicing. You may eventually want to go a little bigger if your lips just can't conform to the mouthpiece, but I don't think that the 7CW would be the way to go. Maybe a 5C or a 3C would be a better option for you.

Good luck and just keep chipping away. Soon, you will ahve a breakthrough that will really get you on your way.

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Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Tootsall

John, one other thing. You said you felt like your top lip was doing all the work. Make sure you "set" about 50/50 correctly every time you put the horn to your face. You'll find that tiny (and I mean "TINY") adjustments of your chops will change the sound and feel as you direct the air and vibrations "right down the center", or "up a touch" or "down a touch". Find the one that gives you the best sound and every time you "set".... then set "right there". Pretty soon it will come as second nature and I'll bet your top chop stops doin' all the work.

As others have said, Bach sizing is not only inconsistent, but it has been over the years with "NY pieces", "small letter" pieces, "capital letter" pieces, etc. ad nauseum. I wouldn't get hung up on the mouthpieces sizing...first of all it seems to me that you need to just find the "sweet spot" of the piece you have and go from there.

I think I'd agree with others that you just need to find a teacher to help you get the "set" right.

nieuwguyski

John,

I sent you a private message -- don't know if you noticed or not.

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John N. Nieuwguyski