Choosing the Best Trumpet Mouthpiece

[@cheknfaks]

Good stuff you shared. Thank you very much. I have a "Grand' trumpet thats all I know about it. it looks pretty old like 40's- 50's by looking at the case. not sure about what is a good mouthpiece but really like what you did with yours. Thanks again and God bless!

[@JonathanMilam1]

I have one old trumpet I had trouble getting info on. Then I learned that Conn made horns badged with several different names, lesser subsidiaries. Thank God for the internet; so much easier than going to a library.

[@revocolor]

great explanation and demonstration. Thank u ♥

[@JonathanMilam1]

Thank you! I put more thought into this video than most any other I've put up... And I get very few comments on it. :) So... Thank you! :) Glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend, Orcun.

[@robertg7538]

I need to study the Bach mouthpiece manual to understand what the numbers mean. In high school, I could never advance much with the omnipresent 7C and I stopped playing until I was 70. Now, I use the Eric Miyashuro Lead and my tone and my high range is better and my low range is excellent.

[@JonathanMilam1]

Well, the 7C is not as popular as it was when we were kids, but it's a really deep mouthpiece. Frankly, horrible for a beginner. Glad you got a good Miyashiro. :) He's an awesome player!

[@jonathanmeyer163]

A very informative video. Thanks Jonathan

[@JonathanMilam1]

Jonathan; Thank you! Mouthpieces are always interesting but when we begin matching mouthpieces and horns... Fascinating. :) By the way - us 'Jonathan's' must stick together!

[@jonathanmeyer163]

Jonathan Milam of course Jonathan’s must stick together. By the way I’m a freshman in high school. I’m the lead trumpet player and first chair in all bands. I love your videos, thanks for the content

[@JonathanMilam1]

Very kind comments; thank you. High School... I vaguely remember those years - 40 years ago for me (wow... I'm suddenly feeling quite old!). In High School I played French Horn. I could squeal on the Horn... I've never had trumpet range like I did on the Horn, sad to say. I still prefer V shaped mouthpieces - probably because my first chop set was shaped to match that style mouthpiece. If your first chair as a freshmen - congrats. That's quite an accomplishment. If you ever get a chance, check out this vid... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXKVpKufltF8eac&start_radio=1 I heard this album when I was in High School and talked Dad into getting me a trumpet, which I played for church, still playing the French Horn in school. Phil Driscoll was a great inpiration to me back then (and still is). He was just a few years older than you when he made this album. He was backed up by the Stockholm Symphony Orchestra; they applauded him after virutally every number. The second song is breathtaking... Lot's of double and triple tonguing at breakneck speeds. Sorrry to go so long! :) Again, thanks for the kind comments. Best of luck in school!

[@cheknfaks]

I'm glad. I fit in a size 9 shoe. I just barely made it too!

[@JonathanMilam1]

Proud size 10 here. :)

[@paulgrimm]

I got thick lips. The standard Bach’s bite my lips .The Bach Artisan 1 1/4 is very comfy . My Bach 190 Anniversary has a thick heavy bell with that wire in it. I’m looking more comfort in the rim first. What brand do you recommend for comfort in the rim and a mellow sound?

[@JonathanMilam1]

Curry has a rim that a lot of people like, it seems. I'm using a Warburton rim on most of my mouthpieces; very comfortable. Fairly thin and well rounded, which most people don't like, but it works for me. :) With a thick rim, I tend to press harder.

[@paulgrimm]

@@JonathanMilam1 Thank You Jon

[@user-hr5uj1wq5q]

Hi, what do you think of yamaha bobby shew jazz?

[@JonathanMilam1]

It’s a little larger diameter than I like, but it seems to be a very well-liked mouthpiece. Do you play on one?

[@user-hr5uj1wq5q]

@@JonathanMilam1 yes, I play this mouthpiece. Excellent in all, it slightly suffers the tone on the lower notes. Maybe we need more study

[@robertg7538]

I like the BSJazz, but the Eric Miyashuro Lead B is amazing for tone, volume, and high range. And, I have no trouble with low notes going to F#. I play 4th trumpet in a swing band!

[@sherrybirchall8677]

What do you recommend for a beginner with thin lips?

[@JonathanMilam1]

Sherry, I use a rim like a Bach 7C. Perhaps a Curry 7M would do you well? Mark Curry makes a great mouthpice, much easier (more comfortable) than a Bach rim, and very affordable as well. Check out Ebay, Reverb, and TrumpetHerald.com in the Marketplace. :) Good luck - and keep in touch! :)

[@sherrybirchall8677]

@@JonathanMilam1 thank you. I will look into that.

[@paulgrimm]

Standard Bach 3c and 7c bites my lip.My Bobby Shew is comfy on my lips on my Flugalhorn .I want rim comfort .My Bach 11/4C Artisan is comfy .How is the rim on your Reeves?

[@JonathanMilam1]

Reeves has a nice feel on their 41 rims, which I used to use. They're a little flat for me, in general, so I've been using Warburton rims on most of my mouthpieces.

[@paulgrimm6850]

The 7c used to be the standard,I’m looking at the 3e

[@JonathanMilam1]

Yes, used to be the 7C, now it's the 3's. :)

[@pablomigueldiazdelacruz5560]

Nice video about mouthpieces. Greetings from Lima Perú

[@JonathanMilam1]

Pablo; Greetings from Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Thank you for checking the video out and commenting - very kind of you. I had a blast making the video - just sorry that I went so long. 20+ minutes... Wow. :) Continued best wishes, Jonathan

[@jonaspangilinan3715]

What do you recommend for a lead player with a thin brass bell and mostly plays outdoors?

[@JonathanMilam1]

Jonas; Wow... Playing outside is tough - so hard to hear (and not overblow). For years I tried very tight backbores; Warburton has a Q and Qm, they're both quite tight. They let out a very focused sound and I thought I could get more projection easier. I used a 4S (4 shallow; about like the rim diameter of a Bach 3C). Eventually I decided that I did better with a less tight (normal) backbore. Recently, I've found Reeves remakes of Purviance pieces to be very nice. I have a P6 that I thought was a nice lead piece and I just picked up a P8 (I always buy used - I got the P8 underpart for $25 at TrumpetHerald.com) and it's a masterful piece for lead. Right after I picked it up, I found a video of George Rawlin (fantastic trumpeter in Atlanta with 51 vids here at KZbin) talking about it. He said, "...The Reeves P8 should be in the mouthpiece hall of fame..." :) It's a fairly shallow bowl type with a nice open throat but it produces a very cutting sound. For more ideas, maybe start a forum with your question at TrumpetHerald.com (one of my favorite places on the web). I imagine you can find other guys that play outdoors can pitch in with what's worked best for them. Thanks for watching, Jonas; your question is great!

[@rickcroucher]

I live in Charleston. Grew up here. James Island

[@JonathanMilam1]

Rick; very cool! I'm one of the new guys clogging up the roads... :) Been here two years and really like it! Came here to be with family, and then they moved to Florida... Go figure!! Thanks for commenting!

[@paulgrimm]

I have ordered a SEPTRA TONE modular mp from Harrelson Trumps. I can pick the ring size and type of rim,the cup.the throat ,and the shank length .Check this out Jon

[@JonathanMilam1]

I've seen that, Paul. I'm pretty set with my underparts and rims now, but let me know how you like it. If you immediately become Arturo Sandoval, I MIGHT pick one up. :) Havea good day, while you're at it. :)

[@paulgrimm]

@@JonathanMilam1 lol.He can recreate any mouthpiece you’ve got or fully customize one,plus I found my horn . A Bach 180 #7 Bell NY Model .It’s a beautiful horn with factory gold slides and customized valve buttons . It’s not marked ,but was told it’s a 461 bore. Easy blowing horn.I up graded it with 190 springs and metal guilds. I found my true love

[@IndianOutlaw1870]

A Bach 3 is too wide for me. I play a Curry 6. The Curry 7 works for me also, but the 6 feels a tad better.

[@JonathanMilam1]

It's all in getting the best fit possible. As an adult, it took me maybe 8 or 9 years to finally figure out what size worked best for me, and it's roughly the diameter of a plain old Bach 7C. :) I don't like the Bach cup, but it's almost the same size. I prefer the Reeves 42C (with a 41 rim), or a GR64MX or MS with a Warburton 6 rim. Thanks for commenting! :)

[@nikolayao1801]

A shallow mouthpiece like Vincent bach 1E really troubles me , cauz it's quite shallow :(

[@JonathanMilam1]

Wow... a 1E... Big rim and a shallow cup. I'm sure I'd 'bottom out' on that (have my lips falling into the bottom of the cup). :) When I use a shallow mouthpiece, especially if it's somewhat 'C' or 'bowl shaped' I initially feel like I'm blowing into a sealed mouthpiece. Mentally, I feel so much air bouncing around - it's not comfortable for me. If I can pause and focus, discipline my breathing and work with the mouthpiece I do better; but that is a challenge for me. I do better with a shallow mouthpiece if it's 'V' shaped; but they're still a challenge for me to play. Medium Shallow is about as small as I can go; maybe a Bach D type. Great comment, YaoNikola; thank you for listening and commenting. :)

[@pauldance7387]

Btw: enjoyed the music

[@JonathanMilam1]

Thank you. Phil Driscoll did that style, in a minor, on a record from the '60s. I've never forgotten it.

[@pauldance7387]

Jonathan does a smaller bell require less air volume to play? If that’s the case a 10 year old child should not be learning on large bell trumpets?

[@JonathanMilam1]

Paul; I find a smaller bell does require less effort. But more importantly, where does the bell need to be smaller? I've played older, vintage horns that had a small bell flare (the end of the horn) at less than 4.5", which is pretty small. They weren't smaller at the bell crook, though, and so they weren't any easier to play - they just had a more pin-point (slightly laser-like) focus. I've got a CarolBrass 7770 trumpet (the review video should be out soon) that is a little smaller in the bell crook... It's a magnificent trumpet and requires a little less effort to play. I think most instructors want kids to really work to expand their lungs, breathe deep and labor to produce quality tone (which is indeed very important, maybe all important) so the theory of the small, somewhat tighter bell may not be for everyone. Great thought, though; great thought.

[@pauldance7387]

Jonathan Milam looking forward to the review on the 7770 and how it compares to the CarolBrass CTR-5060H-GSS-L specific to openness.