C cup or E cup first, when attacking a daily routine?

[Vince Synchronicity]

Backstory: Comeback cornet player (with 16+ years prior experience with trumpet & flugelhorn), seeks to develop new chops in the best way.

Target Application: Solo recording (track level, within a larger composition) and church music, alongside a choir

Mouthpiece choice: Would completing a 3-month "ramp-up" routine work best by emphasizing the C cup (Schilke mid-size) or E cup (Schilke deep cup)?

Priorities: Tone and flexibility, with chord-based improvisation at times, and the occasional desire for a strong and high final note

Would it be best to work hardest at deepest cup (E depth), in this kind of situation? Thanks (sorry if my wording sounds academic, but trying to be accurate). Thanks.
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Vince Francis — Technical Writer
• Bass guitar player, comeback horn player
• Schilke C Cornet (A2C)
• Bach Bb Cornet (181ML Strad)

[Goby]

Go for the standard cup. In my experience, playing excessively large equipment does more to ingrain bad habits than it does to “build strength”. Virtuosos like Allen Vizzutti and Doc Severinsen play on pretty shallow pieces, but are able to get a good sound while enjoying the benefits of small-volume mouthpieces (improved range, flexibility, endurance, etc.). If you want to build muscular strength in your Embochure, buy a Compression Training System from Larry Meregillano (url linked below) and use it as prescribed in the accompanying ebook.

https://www.trumpetlegacy.com/

[JayKosta]

[bach_again]

Define your sound goals, and act accordingly.

Classical cornet sound I would use the C cup. Brass band/SA band soloist sound I would use the E cup.

The Schilke E cup is conservative in the brass band world, in fact on the smaller side, so don't worry too much about that impeding you. Use what gives you the sound you want, and IMO stick on it.

Being that you are coming back to the instrument there is a certain logic that says play on the easier playing piece - it might be either, everyone is different!

Good luck!
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Maestro Arturo Sandoval on Barkley Microphones!
https://youtu.be/iLVMRvw5RRk

Michael Barkley Quartet - Portals:
https://michaelbarkley.bandcamp.com/album/portals

The best movie trumpet solo?
https://youtu.be/OnCnTA6toMU

[Steve A]

Personally, I'm not a big believer in sequentially changing mouthpieces as a way to work up a piece. I think you should practice the piece with the mouthpiece that gives you your best target sound/feel, and stick with that.

If you need to do something to build up, transposing to lower keys first, or if it's something you'd be be playing on C trumpet (or D, or Eb, or whatever), playing it on a lower keyed trumpet, but in the same relative key is a much better approach.

At least for me, I think this is a better way to ensure that the positives you develop in the "easier" practice carry forward into the subsequent stages.

[Vince Synchronicity]

Thank you, everyone, for the great responses and clarity. The insights are so ... enabling. I'm certain this will help me much. Thanks again.