Derf

After more years than I care to admit as a low brass player, I decided to challenge myself and take up the trumpet. I found a good deal on a 1967 Olds Ambassador trumpet and have been practicing, trying to get my lip in shape. I read a lot about how much difference a mouthpiece makes in the sound of a trumpet, and I'm curious: I love a rich, dark sound and would like to get as rich and dark a sound as possible. Will a mouthpiece really help me with this? If so, what would be a good one to try? I'm practicing right now with a Bach 7C, which I understand is the beginner standard. Do mouthpieces really make a difference for beginners/amateurs?

Vulgano Brother

The 7C will let the trumpet sound like a trumpet. For a darker sound, consider a 7B or a 7, but be careful you don't lose the ability to sound like a trumpet!

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Derf

Can a mouthpiece really make that big a difference for a beginning player? I mean, I know that a mouthpiece for a different instrument will make funny noises, but will a different trumpet mouthpiece change the sound that much?

oldlou

It can, but, the sound that you have in your head will be the big determinant. I use a 7C as a fairly accomplished old tooter. One of the greatest trumpeters of all time, Timofei Dokshitzer played principal trumpet for the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow for 41 years on a 7C or its Russian or Selmer equivalant. Many top tooters used the 7C for their entire career.


OLDLOU>>

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Couturier trumpet
York Master Model trumpet
York Elite trumpet
York Airflow cornet
King super 20 Master Model cornet
King Liberty trumpet
Reynolds Professional cornet
Bohm & Meinl professional trumpet
Besson 10-10 trumpet with Holton M.F. bell
Olds Special cornet Los Angeles
B&H Sovereign cornet
G.R.Band Instr. cornet
Getzen Super Deluxe trumpet and cornet
Getzen Deluxe trumpet and cornet
Many others no room to list

oldlips48

Dont make the mistake I did. I got back into playing about a year ago after a 30!! year layoff. The first thing I did was go out and buy like three different mouthpieces. I kept switching back and forth and my lips didn't know which way to turn!!

Stick with the good ol' 7c for a while until you feel really comfortable and you don't think about the mouthpiece when you play. At that point you may want to try different mouthpieces for different sounds, or as oldlou says, you just may be satisified with the sound you have.

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Trumpet guy

I've heard several people are using the 3C as a starting point now. They say it builds muscle strength to start on the larger mouthpiece.

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Equipment
Bach Stradivarius 180S37 - Bach 3C
Bach TR300 - Bach 3C
Berkeley Cornet
Berkeley Picc - Bach 10 1/2 E
Jupiter JST314 - 3C/B Megatone

Richard Oliver

Until a player's tone matures, it doesn't matter. Easy to get the eye off practice and onto equipment.

But to answer your question, yes. A big difference in timbre, my fav, and in other matters too.

If you're just coming back to the horn, anything reasonable should do the trick. A 7 is reasonable diameter.


Hope you have fun tooting!

Derf

Thanks for the responses, everyone. I realize that I am probably asking questions that will only really affect me as I develop my lip. I'm not trying to depend on the equipment more than on me; in fact, the main reason I want a new mouthpiece is simply that the one I got with the trumpet is a bit dinged up. I just figured that if the mouthpiece made as big a difference as I've read it does, I might as well go ahead and start with the one that will end up giving me the sound I want. Also, since I'm a low brass player, I'm used to the bigger mouthpieces and to using more lip play. What I need to work on is a tighter embouchure for a better range (I've got just over two octaves now, so there's a ways to go).

oldlips48

Yo Derf,

It's not the equipment, it's what you do with it.

I once saw a colliegate golfer shoot par on a course using a driver, a 5 iron, and a putter.

Don't think of the mouthpiece as the end all/be all. Think of it as icing on the cake once you've built a good foundation.

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I gotta get me one of those cool slogans.....

RGood

If your mouthpiece is dinged up where your embouchure makes contact - you can get the mpc buffed and if needed replated. Did that with my Mt. Vernon Bach 7C and have been happy with it.

But you still might want to go to a store and try different mpcs and sizes - that Ambassador came with a 3C standard in its day. But once you pick a mpc - stick with it for a while. The other guys are right on that issue.

Good luck!

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Kanstul 1525 Flugel
Yamaha Bobby Shew 6310Z Flugel
1967 Getzen Eterna (my 2nd - still going strong after all these years)
1961 Olds Ambassador (my 1st...battered, bruised, & passed around but back home)