What mouthpiece should I get??

Trumpetman16 · Regular Member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 15

I am a 16 year old in a high school concert band. Today we were working on a certain part and my teacher had a chance to hear me alone for the first time. She told me at the end of the class that my tone was extremly sharp and petetrating in terms of me blending with the other students. She said that i dont blend well with the other students and I should change the tone to a much darker tone when I play with the concert band in order to blend better. I'm in the middle of a Marching Band season and I play extremly loud in that because I am one of the only trumpet players in the Marching band that can project. She told me that Im not on the feild any more and should change my tone. She said that it works great for jazz solos but in the band, I should blend more.

I currently use a Bach 3C mouthpiece. Ive been playing for about 7 years,(seriously for 1) and I foud that I really like the tone and sound that I get out of a deeper cupped mouthpiece. I have medium sized lips and like playing with a deep cup. In order to achieve a deeper tone like my teacher wants me to, what type of mouthpiece u guys think I should try out? I have been considering buying a 1.5c megatone but after reading about what types of mouthpieces I can get from this forum I was wondering what possibilities there could be. Im just looking so I really don't care about the price range, I just want to see what I can get for how much and what It will do to my sound if I play like this with my Bach 3C currently?

Also as a footnote, I have a very large range with this 3C and I can squeak out double c's with it. I dont think it will take too long for me to adapt to a larger cupped mouthpiece.

Thanks

dmh737 · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:20 pm Post subject:

Do you like your sound? If you do, tell your teacher to take a flying leap. You'll end up spending the next few years trying out everything and you'll come back to what you have. Find the sound that you like irregardless of what others think.
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mafields627 · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:45 pm Post subject:

1. Your teacher is just now hearing your play by yourself? Yikes!

2. Just back off and relax. You can have as dark a sound as you want with a 3C. You just have to change your sound concept. Listen to some CD's of Wynton, Phil Smith, opera singers, etc. Don't worry about changing pieces, just worry about becoming a better players and work on making your sound become what you want to hear.
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No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher!

djm6701 · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:57 am Post subject:

Given that you have a strong upper register (I am assuming that you have really solid fundamentals and are not using arm pressure to produce the notes), I am wondering if you are playing with a bunch of people whose sound is not as focussed as yours might be, and therefore you aren't blending because of *their* sounds, not yours.

Are you playing as loud in concert band as in marching band? That wasn't clear in your message.

The 3C is an excellent all-round mouthpiece and if you are really bright on it, the larger mouthpieces aren't going to tone it down *that* much. I agree that you should stick with the 3C and work on your sound concept, trying to imitate other players' sounds. Get some brass band or brass quintet recordings and learn to hear that sound in your head while playing in concert band - it'll come out the horn soon.
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Back of town · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:05 am Post subject:

Why isn't your teacher advising you on possible choices, rather than throwing you out of the band? Isn't that what she is there for, being paid by taxpayers and all?
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Trumpetman16 · Regular Member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 15

I think my upper register is strong. I can hit the G above high c without moving my jaw too much, and if i want to squeak out higher all i do is move the piece lower. This is what I do for fun I dont need these note in band and it would be terrible if i needed to because i sound totally different when I do that.

When I play in concert I realized that I have been playing everything like a solo so i add vibratos when I think it would sound good and make the tone the way I want it. I think the vibrato thing is bad, but its a habit. But when I do stop it, I think I can make my trumpet sound very full. I personally think I have a great tone not to sound cocky compared to the rest of the trumpets. I see what you are talking about in terms of them blending but I also think my teacher has a predisposition that I will play loud because I play extremly loud in Marching Band. I dont play nearly as loud in Concert compared to Marching Band so I personally don't think its a problem.

I love imitating other players. When I play in concert I think of Arturo's birght sound when he plays classical but I dont know why my teacher doesn't seem to like my sound.

Also about my teacher advising me its hard because he doesn't know as much as u guys about these kinda things

. One of my teachers are focused on getting me to play on a mouthpiece thats as big as a toilet bowl lol.

Thanks for the advice guys, I think im gonna stick with this piece for a while longer. I have a question though, I really want a gold plated mouthpiece so after the marching band season I want to get this one plated. Where should I send it out to, to get that done. If I can get jeweler to do it will he do just as good of a job as it done by sombody else?

JackD · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 2:40 pm Post subject:

Arturo is a great player, but in my opinion is not the greatest classical role model.

Players that to me have gorgeous sounds include Wynton Marsalis, Phil Smith, Robert Sullivan and David Hickman. If you listen a lot to the sounds these guys make in the middle register, you'll have a fantastic sound concept for the classical side of things.

_Ford850 · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 3:17 pm Post subject:

The other posters are right a 3C is a good all around mp and many, many people play it with a dark sound. I think it is more your concept of what you want to come out of your horn. If you are *loud* on the field perhaps you aren't coming down enough when inside? Listen to your teacher and see what you can learn because where ever you are playing the person up front is the boss (even if they don't deserve to be there).
As far as a gold mouthpiece a jewler can do it but when a mp is plated it becomes a little smaller and that can be noticable. I have a plater do mine and he puts a lot of nickle on first then the gold making it too small sometimes.

If you get a chance try a Bach 3B, it is my favorite mp and has a sweet, rich sound.
The best way to change your sound is to play duets with someone who has the sound you want and just do your best to blend with them.
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Trumpetman16 · Regular Member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 15

I had a chance to see Wynton at CW Post last year but he played jazz (amazing show by the way). Ill try to get my hands on some of those guys stuff and listen to it and try to imitate.

I kind of know what you mean with not coming down enough because sometimes during the season I dont realize how loud I'm really playing while I'm inside. I always try to keep it the volume down in concert band though.
About the jeweler doing it, what do you mean that the mouthpiece gets smaller when people get this done? U mean the cup of the mouthpiece? Also, if I do get it done at the jewelers do I get the whole thing done inside and out or just the outside?? I'll also try to get a chance to try out a 3B if I can. Thanks for all the advice.

_Ford850 · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject:

When something is plated metal is added and depending on how much the dimentions will be noticably different. The cup will be shallower, the rim narrower, the shank thicker and as a result the gap will be increased. What sometimes happens is my guy leaves it in the nickel solution too long and it is way different. I would guess that the jewler would pay closer attention and not leave it in the solution too long. You would need to get just the outside done.
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Mark LaSavio
Calicchio R1S2
Duda modified F. Besson
Getzen Renaissance
Conn V One C
Getzen 3850S cornet