mouthpiece advice?

[Balance450]

Hey ladies and gents,

I used to play on a Getzen Eterna for many years, but a few years ago I had the chance to do a good deal on an Adams A4LT Test model Trumpet (with 0,4 bell gauge).

I love the sound of the trumpet, even though I don't play/practice enough ... but that's also due to other work and life in the mountains.

Now on the mouthpiece: I've started playing on a bach 7c ... went to a 3c for a little while and then about 20 years ago I started playing on a Bach 1 1/2 C because my trumpet teacher told me to train on that to get the best sound.
Back in the days I could get to a contraC and sometimes get up to a contraE/F
After some fatigue a high A or G would be the limit.

Now I only recently started to play more again and I wanted to deal with a frustration and have some questions on that:
1) my endurance on higher tones is pretty weak and even though I need to play and practice more, I'm doubting if the mouthpiece isn't just too big for me (last year played a couple of times on a Yamaha student model with a 3C mouthpiece and I straight away got higher tunes easy)

2) what mouthpiece fits to this type of trumpet? Adams A4LT is a bit heavier than the Getzen, but still not a big gun ... it asks a bit more air for sure. But I don't want to end up putting pressure on my lips to get sounds out. I play every week once with a sort of jam session band in a local bar (with poor or no sound amplifying), mostly rock and funky tunes nothing too complicated and just would like to get a bit higher up the scales again: now my max is mostly high A and then it sinks down to a high F and by the time some hours have passed I'm even stuck on a E or even D. When there is no amplifyng happening for the trumpet, then I play to loud and ofcourse am out of embouchure fast too.
I guess heavypieces and wide mtpc's are definitely not a good choice for me?

I tried to read in on the subject and there's so many options ... I guess you also learn to ride the bike that they give you, but maybe you guys have some advice on that. I feel like I'm a complete noob on this matter.
I live in Austria, so I guess that limits the options on buying a bit more.

Thx for reading and sending advice...

[HERMOKIWI]

If you did better on a 3C then switch back to a 3C.

That being said, range and endurance issues are technique and physical issues, not mouthpiece issues. Unless the mouthpiece is completely wrong for you, which would be extremely unusual/rare, changing mouthpieces isn't going to do much (if anything) for you in terms of increasing your range or endurance.

Find a cup diameter that you're comfortable with and which works for you. Choose a cup depth which gives your lips enough clearance to vibrate without them bottoming out in the mouthpiece. Then practice, practice, practice.
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HERMOKIWI

[Dave CCM/SSO]

Hello,

Since you have had success on the 3C in the past, play the 3C and forget about it. That's a perfectly good mouthpiece that is used by many pros in a variety of settings. It will definitely be easier to develop endurance and range on that piece, IMO. You could develop the same on the 1.5C, if it's comfortable. That might require a more significant commitment, however.

3C and done. Have fun playing!

Best of luck!
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Dave

Springfield Symphony Orchestra (OH)
- www.springfieldsym.org
Seven Hills Brass
- http://www.facebook.com/sevenhillsbrass

[cheiden]

I liked my sound on a 1.5C best but after trying a good while I found my range and endurance a problem. I retreated to a 3C and got back what range and endurance I had lost, but didn't like the sound as much. Eventually had my favorite 3C rim threaded onto my favorite 1.5C underpart. Best of both worlds. It's not a particularly cheap solution but it worked for me.
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"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart

[spiker97]

I’d go back to the 3C and stick with it. I am a comeback player that played all 3C in college and beyond, then sold off the fleet and just kept my Olds Ambassador, and two Olds 3C mouthpieces along with a Bach 3C and 7C. When I started my comeback, I couldn’t barely get a sound out of the 3C’s, so the 7C was what I started with. However, after reading many posts here and elsewhere and also getting new (to me) horns that supplemented the Olds, I started working with the 3C’s and the difference was amazing. With a lot of practice (Irons especially) I actually got a lot of my range and a really full sound back.

So, the moral of the story? Your 3C worked before, befriend it again. Your sound and range will probably improve with a lot of practice and relatively quickly as well.

Good luck with your quest.

Three things make a difference – the mouthpiece, the horn and the player. The goal is to get all three to work seamlessly together. When they do, life is good.
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When the spiker speaks, nobody listens
but everybody reads

When he is playing is another story