screamingmorris

My Denis Wicke 4E mouthpiece had served me well, but I had reached the limits of what I could do with it because I needed something a hair deeper and a hair narrower.

At a music store I tried a Schilke 14a4a for about 1 minute.
I couldn't play it very well at all so I knew it wasn't the right mouthpiece for me.

A couple of days later at the same store I tried a Schilke 13a4a for about 1 minute.
Within a few seconds I played a High F that was as loud and as *fat* as a Bill Chase High F, something I had never done before, because my high F's had always been loud but thin up to then.
So I knew that the 13a4a was the right moughpiece for me.
So I ordered one.
When it arrived I spent all day trying to do with it what I had done in the music store, but I couldn't even come close.

So I ordered a 14a4a.
Which as it turns out *is* a great mouthpiece for me.

The lesson is:
You cannot judge a mouthpiece (or a trumpet either) by trying it for just one minute.
Because the results you get during that one minute might be due to:
1. Lips not warmed up enough
2. Lips too tired
3. Freakish incident that you can never reproduce in a million years

- morris

stchasking

I used to play both of those mouth pieces. Three months later I had lost all the embouchure I had built up with a Bach 5C.

Good luck.

BergeronWannabe

Why? I would think that is a mistake right there. Just buy that one if it works...inconsistancies in mouthpieces is a problem most companies have, IMO. Otherwise, pay the extra dough and see guys at GR, Curry, or my choice- Warburton, who I think make better pieces. My 2 cents,
-Andrew

screamingmorris

Then isn't it amazing that Mike Vax didn't loose his embouchure using the 13a4a,
and isn't it amazing that Forrest Buchtel didn't loose his embouchure using the 14a4a.

- morris

screamingmorris

Because I am dirt poor I had to order a used one from somebody rather than buy a new one.

If you are rich enough to get a more expensive mouthpiece, good for you.

But what you are saying has nothing to do with the point of my story.

- morris

screamingmorris

Quote:
Originally Posted by stchasking
I used to play both of those mouth pieces. Three months later I had lost all the embouchure I had built up with a Bach 5C.

Good luck.


And isn't it amazing that Maynard Ferguson and Bill Chase and Bud Brisbois and Cat Anderson didn't lose their embouchures when they spent their entire careers using mouthpieces that were *much* smaller than the 13a4a and the 14a4a that you and I have tried.

What probably happened was that you did *not* loose your embouchure playing another mouthpiece.
You adapted to that other mouthpiece so much that when you tried to go back to the Bach 5C your embouchure protested yet another mouthpiece change, so that your embouchure had to re-adapt to get used to the Bach 5C again.

- morris

Solar Bell

Sorry Morry,

I'm confused, you played one for only one minute, made a decision, the decision was wrong then bought another that you tried for only one minute and you say that one is right.

Then your lesson is; "You cannot judge a mouthpiece by trying it for just one minute".

Didn't you just contradict yourself?

Anyway, I'm glad you found one that works so far....

-cw-

screamingmorris

Sorry Chucky,

My point was that a person cannot judge a mouthpiece by playing it only one minute.

I subsequently spent an entire day trying a Schilke 13a4a that I bought,
and I spent an entire day trying a Schilke 14a4a that I bought.

Those one-day try-outs completely contradicted the impressions that I got from the one-minute try-outs.

- morris

BergeronWannabe

I'm glad you know that now. Seeing as how you are dirt poor, you should sell your Wick- they are pretty expensive...

John P

One of my trumpet teachers at some point told me that you can't really tell if a mouthpiece works for you until you've played on it for at least six months.

Makes sense...