Hardnut

Hey all,

My normal mouthpiece is a Bach 1 1/4C, and I love the tone I get with it. My range on the piece is (albeit rubbish compared to all of you guys!) consistently high Eb (needed for the Haydn!)

Yet when I try to play on a 3C or a 7C, I cannot get this high, whereas I always thought the opposite would be true! I should mention that I do use a Yamaha 11B4 for playing in big bands (thanks Rowuk!) and this is great for me -high notes aren't a problem, (although my tone could be nicer).

So my question is the following:

Why can't I get very high with a 3C or 7C Bach mouthpiece? Am I simply not used to the alternative pieces, and so don't know how to get up there? Or is there some mechanical issue with regard to throat size that I just don't understand? Or, am I just
Unhappy

Thank you all,

Chris.

cornetguy

Nothing is wrong with you. High Eb is good and if the sound and intonation are what you want don't mess with it. If the 11B4 is working for big-band don't worry about it.

As to your second question, think of your lips like an oboe reed. if you squeeze the blades of the reed together too much nothing comes out, the lips function similarly. The 3C and 7C may just be small enough for you that the vibrating space is shuts down at a certian point.

mitchota

Any time you switch mouthpieces, you run the risk of throwing your chops a curveball. There are tons of factors to consider (rim width, contour, amount of bite, alpha angle/undercut, backbore, etc.), and all it takes is for something to be just a little bit out to unbalance the entire system.

Like what cornetguy said, the problem may be the diameter shutting down your lip. It may be that coupled with the rim contour (I'm pretty sure the 7C rim isn't the same as the 11B4)...like I mentioned before, there's tons of things that could be throwing the equation off.

As a personal example, when I was playing GR mouthpieces, I tried all the 67 diameter mouthpieces, and I was cool with the MX and LX, but when I tried the L depth, it just didn't work at all. Just that change in cup volume and alpha angle made that mouthpiece totally unplayable for me.

If your 1 1/4C and 11B4 are serving you well, my best advice to you would be to stick with those, practice hard, and improve on those mouthpieces since they're working for you. If you're studying with a competent teacher, they'll be able to diagnose any problems and suggest a course of action.

Vulgano Brother

Yeah, the 7C and 11B4 rims aren't exactly the same, but darned close to the same diameter. The bite is quite a bit sharper on the 7C, and it might be the bite that is preventing you from using "normal" pressure on it and the 3C. Have you tried a 10 1/2C? It is even smaller, but doesn't have that wicked sharp bite Bach is famous for. Weird, but if you're happy with the 1 1/4C and 11B4, that is a good thing.

rowuk

There is only one reason that I can think of why range (the notes that you can "get" - not necessarily "perform") on 2 different mouthpieces differs: PRESSURE
In theory, if you use minimal pressure, your tone remains good as long as your breath support is sufficient, after that you can play higher, the sound just gets thinner until it is inaudibly thin!
If your range just "stops" at one particular note, you probably are using too much pressure on the upper lip. This happens with deeper mouthpieces because you have less "back pressure" in front of your lips to support them and we "push" a little harder to compensate!
Buzzing on the mouthpiece will help tighten up the corners, angling the trumpet down a bit will take the pressure off the upper lip and working on your breath support will extend your range.

IT IS NOT THE PURPOSE IN LIFE OF A LEAD TRUMPET PLAYER TO SOUND NICE. YOU are the cutting edge on chords, YOU are part of the rhythm section, YOU are the brilliance in the horn section, YOU determine the magnitude of the dynamics. Search and Destroy is more important than giving the sax section something to cuddle up to! That is possible with a big fat lead sound, BUT playing lead really FAT is probably the hardest thing in the world to do on the trumpet. It also makes life for the rest of the section and band almost unbearable!

Hardnut

Thank you all very much for your reassuring replies, it seems that mouthpiece buzzing is of the essence! I intend to spend a lot of time over the summer working on extending my range, and playing ability as a whole.

Rowuk, the problem I have with my big band tone is that it can sound a little "thin" or "weedy," whereas I would aspire to as you say a "FAT" tone! I guess this is something that will come over time though? IS there anything I should be doing to change this, other than consistently playing up there?

Thank you!

Chris.

rowuk

Chris, playing lead is a way of life. You have to consistently work on your breathing and minimizing the pressure on your chops. It is generally good to do nice things for your body and soul too! Yoga, martial arts put you in contact with what is important.