The Two Basic Blowing Catagories

[airdyn]

Doc says, from the Encyclopedia: "ALL embouchure and jaw type classifications fall within two basic blowing catagories, the downstream and the upstream."

Oriental philosophy would call this Yin and Yang ...

There are those that still "believe" that the airstream goes directly into the throat of the mouthpiece ... as beliefs go, there will always be The Flat Earth Society (Yes! This exists!) that don't buy the Christopher Columbus bit that the earth is round.

Nevertheless, the airstream, as it leaves the vibrating lips, enters the cup of the mouthpiece in either a "downward direction" or an "upward direction"...these are TWO DIFFERENT PLAYERS...not one player that does the downstream direction to play low or the upstream direction to play high, as Non-Reinhardt students seem to believe.

This being stated, the two previous TOPICS "What is the best mouthpiece for a TYPE IV" and "What is the best mouthpiece for a TYPE III" ... are somewhat misleading, or off base, so to speak. Addressing the TWO BASIC BLOWING Catagories, rather than the Physical Types (IV, IVA, III, IIIA, IIIB), we need to know that the two Blowing Catagories have a "different" SOUND!
On Doc's sheet, THREE BASIC STEPS FOR HIGH REGISTER DEVELOPMENT, He states that "If some performers would realize this [the difference between a fine commercial sound and a fine symphonic sound] there would be much less argument regarding a so-called 'good sound'..."

In choosing a mouthpiece that is right for YOU, remember that an UPSTREAM performer has much brilliance and must balance that with more of a "RESONANCE" approach, and that a DOWNSTREAM performer has much resonance and must balance that with more of a 'BRILLIANCE" approach.

Also, in choosing the correct RIM, CUP size(both in diameter and depth), underbite, throat, and backbore, start with THE TWO BLOWING CATAGORIES, and then, narrow it down to the Physical Type...(by the way,a Type III, a Type IIIA, and a Type IIIB all require a special consideration for mouthpiece choices...so you can't just say that a III should play any specific mouthpiece).

Trust this TOPIC will get some attention and input from all of the Reinhardt Students to help each other learn more (me included) and for the "newcomers" to The Pivot System to want to learn more from Doc whom it has been said " He's the only chop doctor that knows what he's talking about!"

Thanks for listening.

Dave S.

[bgibson]

Dave S;
AMEN!
WEG

[Docpivot]

When it came to equipment I remember Doc saying, “let the punishment fit the crime.” I understood that to mean: select a mouthpiece to assist Mother Nature (i.e. chops), and select a horn to produce the desired sound (i.e. resonant or brilliant). For example a huge “toilet bowl” mouthpiece will offset a brilliant sound but kill your chops in the process. Whereas a “dead Benge” will offset a brilliant sound but will not kill your chops. The small mouthpiece assists Mother Nature in producing the lip compression necessary for the requisite sound, range, articulation and endurance.

I thought Doc Severinsen’s comments In the October 2000 ITG Journal were in line with Doc Reinhardt’s approach. Severinsen mentioned that in the old days many top symphony players (including Harry Glantz) played on small mouthpieces. “In the old days, a lot of the top symphony players didn’t play on mouthpieces that were that big because they had to do other kinds of work. I guess some of them played larger mouthpieces, but most of them didn’t.” Severinsen tells an interesting story about a recital performed by Timofei Dokshizer and the idiotic comments made thereafter by some American “educators” concerning Timofei’s small mouthpiece.

Some of the educators from Julliard and Curtis (both retired and active) should read that article. It was not unusual to see a student from one of those schools in Doc’s studio taking a lesson on the sly. Doc thought it was humorous - they always had two mouthpieces in the case. That is, one for playing and one to keep the school happy.

Doc had his opinions but it should be made clear he did not care a wit what you used. He often said he didn’t care if you blew on a gas pipe. Proper playing mechanics was the priority. It should also be noted that a large mouthpiece often hides a multitude of sins. And sloppy mechanics can preclude the use of a small mouthpiece. “Playing on a small mouthpiece is an art. “

When it comes to Doc I couldn’t agree with Dave more. Doc was the only one who knew exactly what he was talking about.


Mike B.

[Mr.Hollywood]

I know that there will be very few people on this forum who can relate to this because Doc's "ARWIN" metal mouthpieces are so rare.

Doc's #2A in metal was his favourite mouthpiece for lead trumpet playing.

It's around a .645 inner diameter with a medium shallow cup (by todays standards). The rim is of course very flat, and there is a nice undercut to the cup.

The #2 in plastic which many more people are familiar with is a little shallower, and the rim a little rounder. I personally always liked the metal #2 better.


But without a doubt, these mouthpieces that Doc recomended for lead are far larger than a Bobby Shew #1, or a Rodger Ingram models, bolth of which are very popular lead mouthpieces today.

Chris