jazz9

I bought one of my own John Lynch Asymmetric mouthpieces last week, and it has been up and down. I can play much higher than usual, but my first F above middle C and the first G above the staff are rough. I'm using the 1/3 2/3 mouthpiece position like he suggests, but I can't figure out why this is happening. I can play low notes and even a few pedals, and I can get a fairly strong double G, but the area between that F and about Bb under high C are really bad. Also, my endurance isn't as good as I expected. Anyone got any hints or advice?

David-F

I realy like mine, but I have been playing it for a while now. For me it just starts to come alive above the staff. I used to switch back and forth between my Bach 3C and my lead 342 but the more I have played it the better I have been able to play even down low. So now I no longer switch I just play the lead 342 all the time on my trumpet I just got a cornet so if I need something a little softer I'll just switch horns. I did get the other 3C+544 but I am not that happy with it it uses a smaller upper rim and straighter lower wedge so it feels much smaller so it makes playing lower harder for me it does have a nice warm sound but it's just too tight. If I want to spend a lot of time playing it I'm sure I could work it out but instead I have decided to just stay with the lead 342. I think they are a great mouthpiece but you do need to play it a while to realy learn to play it correctly. I don't thing my range increaced much if at all but it did help my endurance.

Dave Mickley

I played on the asy. m.p. several years ago and usually played on the middle one. My range was the same but my endurance just about doubled. the only reason I stopped using it was that my flexability really took a hit. Dave

NickD

I am with David, here. AT FIRST, I didn't notice a range increase, just endurance. Now that I have optimized their use, my range went up a bit, too.



However, I am at my wits end when it comes to trying to help folks play them. It did take an adjustment for me, and I went through a period (as recently ast two years ago) when I had trouble switching back and forth between my 342 and a conventional mouthpiece. My lower lip seemed out of whack.



Now, I have developed a full blown methodolgy around the use of the lower lip, and I am very comfortable switching my mouthpieces and horns.



Not everyone can play the 342's. It has been my experience that folks who play with a downstream set (the horn pivots downward as you ascend in pitch) can adjust nicely to the 342, but folks who play dead level in all registers or those folks who play with an upstream set have moe diffictuly making these work.



I do have a couple of video clips with my efforts to help folks play the 342.



YouTube - How To Use an Asymmeric Mouthpiece



YouTube - Asymmetric Part 2



I hope this helps a little.



Peace!



Nick

Decentplayer

Nick Drozdoff has a page with online lessons, including one on using an Asymmetric mouthpieces. Maybe that'll help you some. Good luck.

jazz9

Yea, I saw all your videos Nick, even the ones not about Asymmetric, but it was just that range between G and high C that killed me. I could get double Gs almost like nothing, which I couldn't do even close to before, but that mid range was the reason I had to send it back. Too much of my playing involves that register, and I had a couple big things coming up so I couldn't take my time working with it. Thanks for the help, though. I just went back to my trusty, worn-down Bach 7C.

bagmangood

Also, you might want to wait a while before making any judgments
you said its only been a week and it can take much longer before you really get used a new mouthpiece (particularly if there is an embouchure change too)
Have fun though!

jazz9

Well, you see, the first post was actually about three weeks ago, so I played it for a few more days, and it was getting to be the time that I had to decide whether or not I was going to keep it. It was not getting better, so I sent it back. I played it for a good 1 1/2-2 weeks, though.

bagmangood

1.5 weeks isn't really long enough to really tell,
it can take a lot longer, particularly if accompanied by a change in size/placement

jazz9

Maybe it was bad for me, maybe I don't have enough patience. Who knows? Maybe I'll try it again someday.