[TPIN] Big or Small???

[David Arndt]

I started my son on the cornet with a 7B.  After the first month, I could
see he was having trouble keeping his lips in the mouthpiece, and was
uncomfortable playing (and getting a raspy sound).  After switching him to a
1C, things straightened out.  He plays easily and claims to "love" the
bigger mouthpiece.  He's now 11 (but the switch was done when he was 9!)

With regard to the origional topic -  Switching to smaller equipment after
having played larger equipment, for the purpose of playing commercial stuff:
I've heard a lot of good players say they continue to practice on larger
equipment, but switch off to smaller, brighter mouthpiece for commercial
playing.  

For me, I stick with my Bach 7E for the most part (mostly jazz & rock), but
occassionally practice on a 7B, 7C or 1 1/2 C to "regroup".

- da

-----Original Message-----
From: tpin-bounces at tpin.okcu.edu [mailto:tpin-bounces at tpin.okcu.edu] On
Behalf Of vaxtrpts at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 10:49 PM
To: tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
Subject: Fwd: [TPIN] Big or Small???




-----Original Message-----
From: vaxtrpts at aol.com
To: trumpetplayer at optusnet.com.au
Sent: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:47 pm
Subject: Re: [TPIN] Big or Small???


Well, I would have to completely disagree with this. Young people do not
have the lip size, muscle development or any thing else to start on a 1 1/2
C.  Talk about possible discouragement?  I also suppose you wouldn't let one
of your students play a "real" lead trumpet mouthpiece, even if their life's
desire was to play like Wayne Bergeron or Buddy Childers, or Bill Chase?
I know that the big mouthpiece "camp" looms large on this list, but there
ARE those of us who play everything on a smaller mouthpiece.  Those
mouthpieces are NOT "screamers" or "cheaters," but the proper tools for the
jobs that we do.  And - as I have said before on this list, there are those
of us who actually do ALL of our playing on one mouthpiece, and it happens
to be towards the smaller end of things.  This is not wrong, it is just
different.  Granted that most of us who do this are commercial players, not
orchestral players.  But if one of you has a student whose desire is to play
the more commercial end of music and you won't even let them try a smaller
mouthpiece because it will "hurt their sound, or endurance, or flexibility,
or whatever," then you are doing them a disservice.  As I have stated
before, some of the most glorious trumpet sounds I have ever heard were
performed on "small" equipment.
Rant over.
Mike Vax


-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Del
To: 'Glenn Bengry' 
Cc: tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
Sent: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 1:24 pm
Subject: RE: [TPIN] Big or Small???



A wise player once said to me that on trumpet it takes MORE lip control,
xperience and being in shape to play on a small mouthpiece than a larger
ne. You've got a (admittedly slightly) smaller cup and rim to put very
mall muscle control into: when he was out of form, he used a larger mpc to
ood result.
This is why ALL my starter students get a 1 1/2C mouthpiece to play on. The
ajority - by far - have fewer issues with their production than those who
rrive after a few years of playing on the usual 7C or Yamaha equivalent.
More experienced students use different mpcs. I think my best student is
sing a 3C/3E depending on lead playing / piccolo / Bb / C.
cheers
Andy


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