Harald

ROWUK:

Thank you for the detailed explanation of the differences between fanfares, natural trumpets, and baroque trumpets. This is indeed very interesting. Based on your description my fanfare seems to be closer to the natural trumpet than to the baroque trumpet.

I never played a real natural or baroque trumpet. But I think the sound of my fanfare does not really "suck". However, it may well be inferior compared to a well built natural or baroque trumpet. At the end you get what you pay for.

But please consider, I will never be good enough to perform publicly on a natural trumpet. For me this is just a hobby. A played trumpet for quite some years and I just wanted to see what it is like to play on a natural trumpet. For that purpose, the fanfare is a reasonable solution (compromise) between tone quality and financial investment.

If I were better in playing the trumpet, or if I aimed at performing publicly, I surely would take your advise and get a high quality instrument.

By the way, I am originally from Germany and therefore, I contacted a German "Fanfarenzug" and asked them for sources of mouthpieces for fanfares.
Fanfarenzug-Ettlingen-Baden e.V.
The folks from the fanfarenzug were very helpful and provided me with a web address of a music store in Germany that sells mouthpieces specifically made for fanfares. These mouthpieces come in different cup, backbore, and throat sizes and I will probably try these out. At least, they will fit the mouthpiece receiver of the fanfare better than my standard trumpet mouthpiece and may give a better tone quality than the fanfare mouthpiece that came with the fanfare.

If there is interest in the forum I can report once I get the fanfare mouthpiece. It may take a while because I have to order them from Germany (and I life in Iowa City).

Regards,

Harald

trumpetnick

Harald,

A man is great as much as his dreams are! Dream on! This does not necessarily say, that you should become a pro, but practice with the idea, that you can learn to play the nat well. All winds instrument are designed for a social experience. Playing home alone is fun, but playing with others in an ensemble or orchestra is much more fun. This is not like playing piano, keyboard, harp or anything similar which alow you to play multiple voices and more or less complete harmony structures and enjoy it...probably share it with your closest friends or family. With the trumpet baroque or modern, you need other people to recreate a piece. Trumpet is a social instrument, and trumpeters are social beasts.

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

Harald

Trumpetnick:

Thank you for the encouragement. I wholeheartedly agree, the trumpet is a "social instrument". When I was a kid, I played trumpet in a "Musikverein" in Germany, first in a orchestra for young kids and later in the "main orchestra". I had lots of fun there. Later as a student I was too busy to practice on a regular basis and I just played occasionally for my own enjoyment. Then, when I worked at the University in Berlin, Germany, someone started a new symphony orchestra and they were searching for trumpet players. So I started to practice more and joint this orchestra. I still have friends from that orchestra. But now I moved to Iowa City and I could not identify an orchestra that would fit my (low) level of playing skills. The University orchestra requirs auditions (proficiency in a range of at least 3 octaves, etc.) and I am afraid I would fail the audition given that all the trumpet major students will partcipate in these auditions as well.

But I will keep my eyes open and once an opportunity comes up, I will probably join an orchestra. In the meantime, I keep enjoying practicing natural trumpet (or more accurately: the fanfare as a substitute for the natural trumpet).

Regards,

Harald

Harald

Now that I have practiced on my new (fake) natural trumpet (actually a fanfare from Amati ABG291) for a few weeks I would like to report an interesting phenomenon. I decided to purchase a Klier JK 208-3 mouthpiece that is specifically made for fanfare trumpets. Since it will have to be shipped from Germany to the USA, I am still waiting for it to arrive.

Anyone knows about the Klier JK 208 series of mouthpieces?

In the meantime, I used the Amati mouthpiece that came with the fanfare. Initially, I thought the sound was relatively "airy" and week compared to the sound I could produce with a Bach 2 trumpet mouthpiece that I made to fit in the fanfare with a layer of tape around the shank. Now, after practicing for a few weeks with the Amati mouthpiece, I noted a considerable improvement of the sound quality. I think the sound is no longer "airy" and overall, the sound quality is more "warm and mellow".

Now I wonder if the change in sound quality is just my perception of sound (the ear may get used to the sound) or is it a true improvement of tone quality due to practicing and maybe adjustments of my emboucher to the new mouthpiece?

Is it possible that the tone quality of a new mouthpiece improves with practicing time?

I would be very interested to learn from your experiences with adjusting to new mouthpieces.

Thank you,

Harald

Ed Kennedy

I once built a fanfare trumpet. I was the bugler at a horse racing track and I thought it would be nice to have something I could just leave at the track. It consisted of a Blessing large bore Bb bell and a generic Allied French horn leadpipe, cut a little farther down for a trumpet rather thaan a FH venturi. I bent the leadpipe, ran out the pitch, soldered it all together, polished and lacquered it and ended up with a very good fanfare trumpet in the key of A. ( I wasn't concerned with the pitch) It worked best with a deep cup, I think it was a Bach 3.

rowuk

I use a Klier natural trumpet mouthpiece. It is a VERY reputable company that sells quality at very reasonable prices.

When you get used to any hardware, life becomes easier! I practice switching mouthpieces as part of my daily routine - it makes doing the same in concert much easier!

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Harald

[quote=rowuk;391205]I use a Klier natural trumpet mouthpiece. It is a VERY reputable company that sells quality at very reasonable prices.

Glad to hear that. I can't wait to get my Klier 208-3.

Thanks,

Harald

tunefultrumpet

"Learning to play a "nat" or "baroque" trumpet is fun but time consuming. The historic replica mouthpieces have a "cookie cutter" rim, and that does make playing them generally easier - especially trills."

I just read your comment on the natural trumpet, Rowuk. I take it that cookie cutter rim means on the narrow side. I just finished reading a book on the history brass instruments and was surprised to see that the rim size of the shallow mouthpieces used for natural trumpets held in the Nuremberg Collection range from 5 (narrowest) to about 12 mm (widest). These mouthpieces date between 1725 and 1746. So it looks like they probably used some really wide rims as well, considering 6mm is a cushion rim these days. Reading between the lines it seems like the professional trumpet players back then would have been working closely with instrument makers to get every advantage they could from their mouthpiece design to help them play those difficult high parts, just like our lead trumpet players today!

Dorabil

I play an Amati 231, I have found that the other trumpet mouthpieces that I have tried all fit. I would expect yours to be the same. I do like the stock Amati mouthpiece but am trying a few others to see if one is easier than another.
Dottie

rspargo

hello Harold '
I own a C and D Natural tumpet by Meinal and Lauber. Ed Tarr the famous Swiss trumpeter researched the makings of the horn and had these made to authentic specs. I never liked the original mp as it is not a sound that we are used to. The problem with them is that the hole for the throat does not funnel in so to speak but rather has a sharp edge. This gives the Authentic touch to the horn. I always used my normal trpt mp. I am not sure why a reg mp does not fit your horn.