Leonin

I've been reading "its a high note mouthpiece" all over the internet. What does that actually mean?
Sorry if I ask a stupid question but I'm curious by nature.

wiseone2

Any mouthpiece played by a high-note artist, and thought to be the secret to the player's range They're usually unplayable by regular players.......and expensive.
Wilmer

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Leonin

Ahh so its a like a signature model mouthpiece?

Grizzle

A MP is the most important part of a player's equipment next to the trumpet, but the equipment is less than 5% of what you need to play well. Here's what you should be thinking about:
1) The sound you want, and recordings of players that have that sound.
2) Your work ethic. 4-5-6+ hours a day is your goal when you're young.
3) The ability of your ears to hear. Pitches, harmony, style, and texture.
3) The 95% irrelevance of equipment, especially those "high-note" MPs.

Curiousity killed the cat. Now get off the internet and get into a practice room with something to record yourself!

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stchasking

I think Wilmer is speaking to me. (Unplayable by me but I own a few.

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wiseone2

I can't get a sound out of the 6A4A Schilke mouthpiece, Bill Chase sure could though.
Wilmer

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Be sure Brain is engaged before putting Mouthpiece in gear.
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johnmarkpainter

Leonin,

You will also see terms like "Peashooter".
Generally these are mouthpieces with Shallow Cups and a combination of other properties set up to accelerate your air and add edge to your Tone.

They do "work" but you still have to practice and develop strength.

Also...many of the famous players that use them didn't sound all that good in their low range (maybe because they just never practiced THAT :)

jmp

Adam Smith

I can not get a sound out of a 6a4a, but my good friend who by the way has little tiny lips can. At first his tone was so bright it hurt and he sounded terrible, but now, 2 years later, he sounds amazing, and can play so high it's not even funny. That is not contributed to the mouthpiece though. He practices hours a day. The piece just helps him get the sound and endurance he needs.

Vulgano Brother

Sometimes. We trumpeters tend to worship high, fast and loud in playing, and many of the "signature artists" can do just that--play extremely high, fast, and loud; they can do it very well, and are fine musicians as well. They are like Formula One racecar pilots, pretty amazing, but not always the person you want driving your kids to school!

In general, a shallower mouthpiece facilitates the upper register sound, usually at the expense of the lower registers, especially when played loudly, like the tires used on Formula One cars on dry tracks aren't too useful for driving in snow.

Generally accepted overall (in all styles of music) are what are called "C" cups. The "C" refers to the moulthpiece depth (A,B,C,D,E). It becomes confusing because for some manufacturers "A" = "extremely deep", and for others "extremely shallow." "C" can also refer to what is called a bowl shape.

If you are just getting started on trumpet, a 7C is usually an excellent choice, and there are plenty of excellent professional players who use it.

As mentioned earlier, the time spent practicing yields far, far more than the time spent looking for an easier way to play trumpet.

Have fun!

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Leonin

Wow, I tip my hat to all of you. Your knowledge and the way that you axplain things are great.
Thank you!