Issues with Lotus mouthpiece

[bmaassen]

Hello,

About two and a half months ago I purchased a 2M+ lotus mouthpiece after hanging with Adam Rapa a little bit. Since then, I've had sort of good days where my range and tone were solid, and absolutely horrible days where I couldn't play above the staff. While I hoped that over time the issue would go away, it seems like I still have major problems. Over the past couple days I've been really working on not using pressure with the mouthpiece and I can barely hit a G above the staff.

When I met with Adam he told me that I was a "textbook shitter" and that I work way too hard when I play. At the time I thought he was just saying that I have some chop issues, but now I'm beginning to think he was saying I need an entire embouchure change. While I do set slightly low, other teachers I have had have told me that my embouchure is fine.

Is there any sort of exercise I can do to work on getting more used to this mouthpiece? I feel like I have to work 10x harder with it than with other pieces. I'm also beginning to worry that my overall setup is completely wrong. Any words of advice would be super helpful, thanks.

[Turkle]

My suggestion is that if your mouthpiece is causing you that many problems, you should throw it in the trash.

Or sell it to some other unlucky soul in the Marketplace here.

Trumpet is hard enough without fighting your gear!
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Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3.

[bebop]

Maybe your chops are hitting the side of the cup. You might need more undercut on a mouthpiece. I played on the 3M+ and I sound much better on the 3L+. The M cup just didn't work for me.

[JVL]

hello
hard to say here...
but to add things to bebop's post, indeed sometimes it can be caused by rim contour, cup shape, backbore size & shape, not to talk about ID & OD that you supposed are right for you, and your embouchure we don't see, your practice etc...

i'd have lessons with Bobby Shew, face to face, he knows about chops, practice, mpcs, horns etc.
best

[Brad361]

So, you said:

“Is there any sort of exercise I can do to work on getting more used to this mouthpiece? I feel like I have to work 10x harder with it than with other pieces. I'm also beginning to worry that my overall setup is completely wrong. Any words of advice would be super helpful, thanks.”

Why would you put this much effort into acclimating to a MOUTHPIECE?? Is it because Rapa endorses it? Do you think he would work 10 times harder to acclimate to a MOUTHPIECE?

I have no idea whether you have embouchure problems or not, but again....(see my first sentence). No disrespect intended here, but IMO, your time would be better spent practicing on a mouthpiece that seems to work well for you fairly early on, rather than fighting a possibly losing battle with one that may never work well for you.

Brad
_________________
When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval

[Steve A]

I'm just another random on the internet, so please don't take my thoughts as gospel, but for what it's worth:

Adam Rapa sounds great on Lotus gear, sounded great on Monette gear before that, and no doubt on whatever he played before that. He may prefer the Lotus stuff, and that's cool, but it's definitely not the key to his success, and I'd like to respectfully suggest that it's not going to be the key to yours either.

It sounds like this mouthpiece really isn't working for you. Rather than trying to change yourself to fit a mouthpiece, why not just go back to whatever you were playing before?

[Andy Del]

[wiemelen]

[pepperdean]

When I go to a shoe store, I shop for something that fits me, not something that fits someone else. You should take the same approach to mouthpieces.

After you get something that works for now, hang with someone who will suggest ways to improve your chops, not someone who just labels them as "textbook shitter" You can always fine tune your mouthpiece choice after you learn to play.

Alan

[mbauer]

Brian!
Total bummer about the mouthpiece. I've got a couple a couple of ACB ones you can try next week if you want to see if they're a better fit.

[Jaw04]

I have a few reactions to this post. First of all sorry to hear you are having problems playing, its always a drag to be feeling like you are doing everything wrong. I've been there.
Secondly, the "textbook shitter" statement I don't think has to do with your chops I think its more about how you blow the trumpet and use your body while you play. To me textbook shitter (and I've also watched vids of Adam talking about this) means you use a lot of force, strain, and overblowing to get your sound to be big.
Third, the deal with Lotus and Monette mouthpieces, that have a shorter shank and more open throat/backbore, -the claims that those manufacturers make and all the info about acclimation- I do in fact believe in. I believe the Lotus could work for you even though others are saying get rid of it. If you do keep playing the Lotus, my advice is really focus on keeping shoulders down, neck relaxed above the spine, and not overblowing. Don't beat yourself up - I recommend playing everything really really soft for a week. Don't even play above mezzopiano.

[wohlrab]

I played monette's for about seven years of my playing career and I've spent a fair time on Lotus mouthpieces too. I have similar problems that you're describing every time I go from a Monette standard to The Prana, and similar with the Lotus standard to the Plus. Those mouthpieces need you to play 100% relaxed or else it will not work for you. If you can play with 100% relaxation which most people can't then the mouthpiece will play great but if you have any tension they'll shut off on you completely. If you like the rim and sound of the lotus but still have these playing issues, then try the standard model and tell us what you think.

[Brad361]

Just my two cents, but I don’t see the value in spending significant amounts of time or effort in order to acclimate to a mouthpiece, most of us have access to many choices in relatively inexpensive equipment that should work just fine without the time expenditure.

Brad
_________________
When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval

[Jaw04]

[JayKosta]

[Jaw04]

[chapahi]

[kevin_soda]

I'm still baffled as to what a "textbook shitter" is... I've never read a textbook on shitting but I imagine it's not great. Is this a reference to playing with strain? I'm pretty sure that whether it's playing trumpet or pooping, too much strain is never a good sign... curious analogy, really.

Also, if he thinks you play with too much strain then it's not an embouchure issue. Remember, "it's a wind instrument, not a lip instrument."
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Kevin

[JayKosta]

[blbaumgarn]

I haven't yet ascended to the top of the mountain so I have no clue what a "textbook shitter" is, but have you thought of simply going back to the mouthpiece or pieces you used and were satisfied with previously and give them a month or two try again. It couldn't hurt to try.
_________________
"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush