Practising On Shallow Mouthpiece

mileage · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:12 am Post subject: Practising On Shallow Mouthpiece

I have been wondering for some time if spending some time each day playing on a very small/shallow mouthpiece might help to make my chops a bit more focused and efficient. It really seems to work for me. When I then go back to my regular mouthpiece everything feels easier and tighter (not in a strained way, just cleaner) than before. Just curious to know if anyone else has tried this, or if they think it's not such a good idea.
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JVL · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:45 am Post subject:

hello
yes it can, when done correctly, which seems to be for you.
Bobby Shew's Yes-No (control of the aperture) and whisper tones will help too
best

trumpetteacher1 · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:52 am Post subject:

Yes, it can be a useful technique.

I discuss it on pages 49-50 of The Balanced Embouchure, in a section called the "Smaller Mouthpiece Effect."

Jeff

O00Joe · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:56 am Post subject:

From a more "classical" perspective, practicing Piccolo Trumpet daily or almost daily is definitely beneficial. It seems to help with efficiency and articulation. Maybe because it's harder to get away with unrefined technique? Not really sure. One of the best brass quintet rehearsals of my life was right after rehearsing one of the Torelli Concertos with organist for a then upcoming recital.

I forget where I heard it and who exactly it was but I remember a renowned classical trumpeter mentioning this very thing. If I'm not practicing Piccolo for any particular repertoire, I'll usually do some Clarke or Arban fundamental stuff with it regularly, usually after doing my warm-up, fundamentals, and repertoire practice on Bb and C.

EDIT: Forgot to say, it's very important to not overdo it! A good rule of thumb is the amount of time playing Piccolo Trumpet is about the same as playing a regular trumpet double that amount.
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boog · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Jun 2014 Posts: 247

Shouldn't hurt things much if you do not have some major issues with your embouchure.

I regularly play on a wide variety of mouthpiece cups. From a Shilke 24 and Bach 1 up to a really screamin' Purviance 4*7. Depends on what sound you want, basically. My go-to pieces are "3C", in various depths, for "normal" playing. I also play Euphonium, and it doesn't seem to cause problems. Actually, I think that using a variety of cup diameters "exercises" your playing muscles a good bit. As always, YMMV

Just settle in on one size for a week or so before an important gig and get used to it.

Dave,
An old Sideman and Teacher that spends WAY too much time on the internet.