rogerlawson

Mouthpiece brands

Im a band parent and my daughter keeps saying she needs a new mouthpiece. How can I know this for sure. How do you chose brands?, Roger

camelbrass

Hi,

Well that's actually a tough one. If she has a good brass teacher (not a band director who plays clarinet!!) it may be worth having a chat. In my humble experience, however, if she is a student player and providing she is playing on a reasonably well made mouthpiece she is unlikely to NEED another mp. She may want one because she feels that it's holding her back but IMHO that's very rarely the case.

If she is a reasonably advanced player then the arguments for NEEDing a new mp based on sound and comfort become more compelling. There are as many variables at this level as there are different mouthpieces.

On saying that of course even very good players believe that the next mp they buy will be the 'Holy Grail' and have drawers full of old ones...not me of course!!

camelbrass

Hi,

Didn't see this part of the thread.

Brands well Bach, Schilke and Yamaha are all available at local shops and don't cost a fortune. Of the more difficult ones to get of hold off it seems Mark Curry and Kanstul also make great pieces (and generally correspond to Bach sizes) but people tell me are more consistent..I've played some Kanstul mps but not a Curry.

Priced above these are everything from $60 to $500 but are unlikely to be of any particular benefit to your daughter (unless she's one great young player!!) Hope this helps.

Regards


Trevor

dcstep

I suspect that she just wants a different sized Bach, Schilke or Yamaha. Generally, for a young player, size is more important than brand. Speak with her instructor for specifics.

Dave

gzent

Roger,

Here is a good page on the Schilke mouthpieces:

http://www.dallasmusic.org/schilke/S...uthpieces.html

You can get one for a good price at music123.com

Greg

Tootsall

As someone said (and if they didn't, they should have)...you don't buy a "brand"....you buy a "mouthpiece". There are several different variables that make up the geometry of a mouthpiece (some of them not obvious to the layperson) and every one of these variables will have an effect on how it will play on any given trumpet for any given player.

Your daughter should go to a store that stocks different sizes of mouthpieces WITH HER TEACHER and just start trying them. It would help if you had said how long she has been playing, what her goals are with the trumpet, what mouthpiece she has and why she feels she needs to change but still... YOU SHOULD TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.

DaveH

Regarding the original post and the question therein...

I think you need to find out WHY your daughter needs a new mouthpiece. Unless you are a trumpet player and knowledgeable about this issue yourself, you can't and won't know for sure. That is why any questions/problems like this are best handled by the private trumpet teacher, if you have one.

The private trumpet teacher is the trumpet specialist giving private lessons. It is not necessarily - but could be - the school band director. As mentioned above, the school band director may or may not be a trumpet player, so he/she may or may not know much about trumpets and mouthpieces, and what any given student needs or should be doing with the instrument.

Be very wary of answers to the "why" question such as " My friend has one," or " I need to play higher," or "Another person said I should get one," etc...

Does your daughter take private lessons? Is she a serious trumpet student , or just playing in the school band for fun? Nothing wrong with being in the band for fun - in fact, it's great - but I would question the need for a new mouthpiece under those conditions.

The need for a new mouthpiece needs to be based on a recognized problem with the present mouthpiece. If there is something defective in the present mouthpiece - nicks, gouges affecting the lips, or damage to the shank, etc., or if it is too small or too big, or there is a problem with the rim design; i.e., too round or too flat or too sharp, then there is the possibility that a new mouthpiece is needed, but I can't help you without more information. And, this is best handled on a personal basis, where the person giving the advice can actually see your daughter.

What mouthpiece and horn is she playing at present? What problems is she having that causes the request for a new mouthpiece?

If you can post further information, a better answer can be offered...