Saturday, December 15, 2012

Find The Best Trumpet Mouthpiece To Suit Your Personal Needs

By Celia Hall


Choosing the best trumpet mouthpiece can be a lifelong adventure. Though beginning students will need help from their teachers to select that all important first one, professionals are known to collect several over a musical lifetime. For them, quality of sound is what they seek, and they often find that certain configurations help them the most.

Beginners can find less expensive ones made from plastic and brass. Other common metals include silver and gold. The different parts of each mouthpiece, known as the rim, cup, throat and back bore each are crafted with varied measurements. The precise sizes can be ordered in combination, and many professionals know exactly what combination they need for each component.

It is not uncommon for professionals to carry several mouthpieces with their trumpets. They use different ones for different functions. Some produce a brighter or more vibrant sounds. Others produce a darker or more subdued sound. What matters most is how these sounds will serve the music that will be played, regardless of style or historical period.

Though many musicians collect several sizes and shapes, they eventually tend to use two or three treasured ones. Their favorites become so because they can depend upon them to produce the sounds they perform on a regular basis. Some professionals carry those that will work well for commercial or popular music, for participation in a symphony orchestra, or for working with a small chamber ensemble.

Some misconceptions exist concerning these essential trumpet parts. While a smaller mouthpiece will allow for playing a higher and therefore brighter sound, the quality of sound is highly dependent upon the person who is using it. A larger piece will help performers to reach lower and fuller tones, but the sound produced will tend to be of higher quality when an experienced professional is playing. Technique varies among players and therefore one musician can achieve sounds that others may not be able to produce.

All players do seek comfortable rims, and finished metals for these parts. They all tend to advise beginners to be certain that the finish be in tact so that potentially harmful metal residues will not leach onto tender skin. They look for good air flow and listen carefully to how the cup, throat and back bore sound when they breath into them. The resulting resonance will become an important part of their overall sound.

World class trumpeters are known for their fascination with the antique mouthpieces of famous musicians. Players will sit together for chats about how a musician did this or that with a particular kind of piece. Brand names are often discussed and the relative merits of specifications investigated. The questing for information is always about producing the ultimate prized sound that results from partnership with an instrument.

Choosing the best trumpet mouthpiece is a long process that may never truly end. Deciding what works and what does not is a unique combination of experiences, proficiency and the sound required of the musician in many different settings. The search for the most perfect sound is part of the joy of playing and wondering about that next special piece can be quite enjoyable.




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