Tarter_trpt8

Did yall, in the beggining, get tired playing on the standard monette mouthpieces after coming off of a conventional MP? I'm totally fine for the first hour in the morning, then rehearsal comes and I feel great and get through it better than I used to, but when I come back at night to get more practice in, I have to be careful that I don't do to many taxing things at one time, or at all, so that I don't tire myself out at all. This usually didn't happen for me on my old equipment. Any comments on that? Maybe it's the acclimation time....

Jeremy Tarter

cmcdougall

Funny, i never experienced this, did you switch from something with a very tight backbore if so this could be the problem as some of the larger sizes have large throats.

Bear

Nope, I've never had problems with mine...

R.A.S.

Could you have a Monette mouthpiece that is too big for you?

Tarter_trpt8

Nope, the size is the closest to a 1/4 that you can get, a C2. Maybe it's a little bigger but I don't know. The throat is bigger than my 1/4. Do any of yall know what the throat size of these mp's are?

JT

cmcdougall

i would say somewhere around 20 to 22 for the classic C2, my prana B1-5M has a #15

R.A.S.

The throat size DOES make a huge difference!
Maybe you need to try a B3 or B4.
Those two still aren't too small for legit applications.

Bugleboy21

This may sound silly, but try and push in where you think "in-tune" is on your main tuning slide around 1/8" every couple days while playing in rehearsals, with a tuner/piano, or other fixed pitched device at A440. Even though you may think you are playing down to the center, you may not be. This is evident in the fact that as the day goes on, your muscles have overworked themselves in raising the pitch upwards to reach A440. Especially after a long rest (but not sleep rest), they can be trying to expel the lactic acid buildup, causing swelling and a general unwillingness to do what you want them to do. Most players play with their tuning slide out a little too far and as a result, have learned to play tighter than needed to get the pitch back up to A440. Eventually, you have a meltdown. Monette recommends moving the slide in a great distance during the acclimation period. As someone with everyday ensemble playing needs, temper it with slow adjustments and patience. Soon enough, you'll find the right spot that will provide optimal balance of a true pitch center of A440 between you, the mouthpiece, and the horn. Here is a general example of this tight set up:

Horn: tuning slide out too far playing resulting in A438 optimization
Monette Bb mouthpiece: designed for A440 optimization on Bb tpt.
You: playing tighter (A442) to acheive A440 optimization when combining horn, mouthpiece, and player.

or go the other way:

Horn: tuning slide in too far and playing at A442
Monette Bb mpc: A440
You: lipping down (A438), resulting in tightness, trying to bring the pitch down to achieve A440 between horn, mpc, and player.

So, experiment slowly to find the optimal tuning setup for the horn, mouthpiece, and you. This will become very evident when you experience roughly the same amount of overtones in low, mid, and high notes...like they all just pop. Have fun!

Manny Laureano

I think Bugleboy has a lot on the ball regarding playing with the best combination of sound and pitch center. If you're fighting the pitch, the mouthpiece and horn do nothing but make you tired.

I didn't have any trouble with the lighter Pranas but the first heavier one was so stable that I had trouble finding exactly what Bugleboy is talking about. When I went to the lighter ones with a lighter horn I was able to play it immediately and loved it. After over a year of playing them and being able to lock into them, I can play the heavier horns and Pranas and lock into into the pitch center.

They take more air to play well. So, if you want to play them, you must tank up in a more exaggerated way ALL THE TIME not just most of the time. I absolutely love the Prana mouthpieces and horns.I don't think it's ever been easier for me to get a singing sound on a trumpet as with these things.

ML