Mouthpiece Switching
Choosing the right mouthpiece is a crucial decision for any trumpet player. It's a complex process, influenced by various factors that contribute to how a mouthpiece performs for a given player. To help you navigate this process, I’ve outlined two key points to guide your decisions.
It must help you play what you are hearing in your head. The timbre and tonal color palette that it enables you to achieve must be in alignment with what you are pre-hearing and what you want to sound like.
It must feel comfortable in the context of thousands of hours of practice in even the most taxing musical settings and complement how you physically play the trumpet.
Mouthpiece switching is like anything on the trumpet; it takes time to get used to. Most players find that using the same rim shape, contour, and diameter helps with this process, though players like myself have a lot of luck with varied rim shapes, contours, and diameters. I prefer a Bach 1.5 C-inspired mouthpiece for all of my classical repertoires. After years of trying to find something similar to my lead mouthpiece's rim diameter, I settled on being happiest with completely different rim shapes, contours, and diameters. I share this to emphasize that anything is possible. My mouthpiece setup is the following: GR X66.8C* for all classical work C, Bb, Eb, D, GR 63 XES* for all commercial lead trumpet work, GR 63XESS* or GR 63MS* for all second trumpet big band work and musicals, 63M* for all combo work, GR 63FLXES* for flugelhorn work, GR 63#3 for cornet work, and GR 63PS*, 63PM* for piccolo work. The takeaway from that list of expensive gear is that GR 66.8C is a very different mouthpiece from GR 63XES.
Getting used to switching takes time, specifically about 21 days. Practice playing what you hear or how you want to sound on the different mouthpieces. Your sound concept has to change with the gear you are playing. The timber and tonal color palette must be in alignment with what you are pre-hearing and what you want to sound like. Avoid fighting the gear. If you are changing to a smaller mouthpiece, allow the sound to change.
Playing anything on any gear is a necessary skill, though it’s all about balance. If you believe you must play on a specific mouthpiece to be able to play something, then challenge yourself to do the opposite. The opposite is equally true, which brings me to my final thought on equipment switching: Switching gear causes us to have a physical response that triggers a psychological response. Don’t downplay this challenge; we must program our minds and bodies to be okay with this new normal for true success and comfort. This programming is done through mindful practice over about 21 days. Make sure to play on the “new” mouthpiece daily during that period.
