Trager Trumpet Talk

TRAGER TRUMPET TALKtm.

presents

I'll Buy That 20F Mouthpiece, Please!

(a very brief overview)

What's the story with mouthpieces? Is bigger always better? Is smaller easier? Is shallow easier? Is there a magic mouthpiece that will give you everything it promises, and make you big and famous? Why are there so many mouthpieces available? Is one mouthpiece enough for a pro player? Should a person switch mouthpieces for different playing situations? Will I answer all of these questions?

I would like to begin by stating that this article is a brief overview, and should be viewed as such. I will not be discussing throat bores, back bores, etc. For in depth information concerning overall mouthpiece design, check out http://grmouthpieces.com/index.html . Now, let's start by answering the last question first. I will try to answer all of these questions in a pretty straight foward manner, but like most issues in the trumpet world, there are more opinions than mouthpieces. Will everyone who reads this page agree with "my take" on mouthpieces? Of course not, we're trumpet players, and we're born and bred to have our own special opinions on anything and everything trumpet related.

Which is better - bigger or smaller?

I would like to answer this question with a question, and then go into some detail. When you go into a shoe store, do you ask which shoes are better, the bigger ones or the smaller ones? -OR- Do you ask the salesman to measure your foot first? Obviously, you ask to have your foot measured first, or if you know your shoe size, you ask the salesman for a selection of shoes in your size. The same is true for mouthpieces. In most cases, when starting out on trumpet for the first time, you select a mouthpiece that is of medium diameter. If you are an older beginner, perhaps you will need a larger diameter than if you are a much younger beginner. Also, many mouthpieces have different rim contours, so a mouthpiece that is a smaller diameter, might feel larger due to the contour of the rim edge. Other considerations are: the "flatness", or "roundness" of the rim; and the thickness or thinness of the rim. The trick, and it''s not an easy one, is to find a diameter that work's for you.

I find that most players tend to play on mouthpieces that are too wide in diameter for them. There are a lot of players that are looking for a very dark sound, and feel that the way they can obtain this sound is by playing a bigger mouthpiece. The problem with this philosophy is that intonation is highly affected by this practice, and the upper range tends to "sag"(go flat), while the lower range tends to ride on the sharp side of the pitch. Too small a mouthpiece has it's drawbacks too. The intonation might tend to be sharp throughout the entire range, but the sound quality may be thinner even if the mouthpiece has a deeper cup. The ideal diameter is one that provides for even intonation from the bottom of the trumpet range to the higher end of the range, with minimal adjustment from the player. The easiest way to determine this, is by using a tuner while trying out mouthpieces for the best diameter. Using the same cup depth, and the same trumpet, the student should try out various mouthpieces of various diameters with a tuner. Throughout the mouthpiece testing process the student should look for the following:

1 - Which mouthpiece maintains the most even intonation throughout the entire range of the instrument with as little adjustment from the player as possible.

2- Which mouthpiece has the nicest, and purest sound.

3- Which mouthpiece is the most comfortable.

The mouthpiece that fits these three criteria the best, is the approximate diameter that works best for you. The next decision that needs to be made is cup depth.

The depth of the mouthpiece affects the overall timbre of the sound. Shallow mouthpiece cups afford the player a "bright cutting" sound, but beware; if the cup is too shallow for the player the sound will become "thin and possibly squeezed", and the player might invariably "bottom out" in the mouthpiece. "Bottoming out" is when you lips touch the inside walls of the mouthpiece, and might even block the throat opening, preventing the airstream from entering the throat of the mouthpiece. Deep mouthpiece cups afford the player a robust, dark mellow sound with very little if any "edge" to the sound. Medium cup mouthpieces are best for all around playing, since many of them can "cut" through a section if needed, but can also be made to sounf mellow with minor adjustments made by the player. Minor adjustments are made by adjusting the size of the "player's sound chambers - i.e. oral cavity, and overall compression.

Most professional players look for ways to make their playing as effortless as possible; therefore many of them change mouthpieces depending on the playing situation. For lead playing most players will use a "shallow cup". For symphonic playing most players might use a medium to deep cup. Again, it all depends on the player, and what works best for them. I believe that this practice of changing cups is legitimate, but care should be taken to keep the rim size similar, or the same. This is not an easy task, because with many of today's mouthpiece manufacturers; the rim contour is slightly different with each varying cup depth. Certain mouthpiece manufacturers allow the player the option of a screw off rim. This is a great alternative for many players. It allows the player to play on the same rim, but change underparts for various playing situations, and different instruments too. For instance: If I play a #41 rim, I can purchase underparts for my cornet, and flugelhorn while keeping the rim size exactly the same. This gives the player something invaluable in the playing world, it's called - "consistency". The less changes you make, the greater your chances are that NOTHING is going to happen. You never want to experiment when you are performing for others. Experimenting should be left home in your practice room.

As I stated earlier, I will not be discussing throats , and backbores in this article. Do they play an important role in the selection of a mouthpiece? That all depends on your logic and opinion. I believe that the choice of rim and cup are more important than the throat and backbore. If a player feels that the standard throat is too small; it can be opened up. Special backbores are available on certain mouthpieces for certain playing situations. I believe that although backbores play a role in the mouthpieces overall response, they still hold a back seat to the proper rim size and cup depth.

Again, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at: wtrager@msn.com

Sincerely,

Wayne