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Advice for adding a flugel and mouthpiece dilemma



 
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cannelg
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Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat Jun 26, 2021 5:39 pm    Post subject: Advice for adding a flugel and mouthpiece dilemma Reply with quote

Hi all,

I’ll try to keep this brief but it is a long explanation. I’ve played most of my life on a Bach 3c. Mostly concert/orchestra stuff. I’ve played my share of gigs but I’m not a pro - I have a different day job. I actually put down the horn for a while and picked it up after a few years to start playing in an 8 piece New Orleans jazz group. It’s a lot of playing so I started playing on a GR 3MS. It’s worked well. Nice bright sound for the style and easier on the chops. Recently I also started playing in a 5 piece combo - more standards and jazz out of the real books. As you know, that’s a whole different sound than a dixieland band would need. I also got a flugel, which has a Getzen 3fl mouthpiece to mix in on some of the sets. I’ve only had that about 2 weeks. It is hard to transition from the GR 3MS to the deeper cone shaped taper of the 3FL so I decided to go back to the 3C and try to just build up the chops and use that more. I started the 3c this week. It felt and sounded good for the first two days. Then on Friday I woke up and went to play and the chops weren’t responsive at all. Had a very airy sound, cracking notes, couldn’t hold notes out for long., etc… Looked at my lip and just on the underside of my top lip it was swelled and purple looking. I guess I bruised it somehow after practicing so much with the 3c and flugel and switching back and forth, although I didn’t feel like I had while practicing. So I played low and slow on the 3c for a while but it was clear I had to stop after 60 minutes and it wasn’t getting any better. Today it was a little better and I had a rehearsal this evening so I went back to the 3MS just to be safe. I was able to play ok although not 100%, much better than yesterday.


So do I go back to the 3C and try to adapt slower over time? Do I stick with the 3MS? Do I try a different flugel piece? I like the sound of the flugel but it takes a lot to play it. Is there a good compromise piece for flugel that maybe isn’t so deep but also gets a fairly decent flugel sound?

I realize these are personal decisions and nobody can really say what would
be best so I guess I am just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences and what the common practice is for situations where you play in multiple groups that need different sounds while also mixing in a flugel mouthpiece.

Thanks,
Greg
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royjohn
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Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 2272
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

PostPosted: Sat Jun 26, 2021 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think what you're describing is the start of embouchure overuse. I would lay off and play a little less for a while, if possible. Some days of light playing or even a day or two of complete rest might help. If the 3MS is easier for you to play, try to use that. Since your flugel piece and regular tpt mpc are both the same ID, I think you could learn how to transition from one to the other by practicing that. While practicing, play the tpt just until comfortable on it an then move to the flugel and see what you have to do to get a good sound out of it...then move back to the tpt and go back and forth for a while. I think for some folks, this is a skill that just has to be developed. This might work on its own.

You could certainly try some other flugel mpcs if the Getzen 3fl isn't working well for you, but you might find that if you get too close to a tpt cup on the flugel piece, that it starts to sound like a trumpet.

You might consider whether there are some technique issues you need to work on. If you are using a too much pressure, maybe that's part of the problem shifting from one mpc to another. Or it could be just more playing than you've been used to and you have to build up to it.

There are people who get used to playing on swollen lips...they have trouble when first starting practice and need a long warmup to get the lips swollen to play. If you think this is you, you prolly need some help to break that habit.

Just trying to cover a lot of bases and hope I haven't offended you...good luck...
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . .
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