Mouthpiece Dependancy....
[ the act of using the mpc rim as a crutch so as to produce the lip vibrations more easily as opposed to being able to buzz freely the same way on and off the horn, ]
...is partially why some people find the 'momentary plus' of a new mpc rim exciting, only to find that later on, that momentary 'plus point' has retreated into the mists of time as their playing settles down again into a normal playing pattern.
If your TOO mpc dependant this will have a significant effect on your perception of ANY mpc at ANY given point in your development.
So what's the answer?...you have to realise that either....
a) YOU are either making the sound on the trumpet by buzzing efficiently ....or...
b) YOU are using the mpc too much to aid you in buzzing and therefore, you will succumb to the parameters that the characteristics of the mpc you are trying will have on your personal physiology / trumpet sound.
In other words, if you're a very mpc dependant player and you do change mpc's then you are going to HAVE to change your old practice routine to cope with the negatives of the new mpc [every mpc has positives and negatives]. Also the more 'mouthpiece dependant' you are in producing your sound the more difficult it is to make a change.
How do you know whether you are mpc dependant or not?
Can you "free lip buzz" well without the mpc?
When you find a mpc you feel you can work and improve with, the next question of course is,
How well is it suited to the INST you are using?
Find a comfortable MPC, one you like pretty much ALL the characteristics of, to an average degree, and concentrate in the practice room to improve those characteristics which are at fault.
Imagine for a moment a player who adopts different playing techniques over a period of years in an effort to improve. If you're a type 'A' player in 2002 and a type 'B' player in 2004, then the sets of 'rules' you have learnt for your chop set up in 2002 [in terms of understanding the mpc and it's affects] MAY NOT be applicable to you in 2004!
It is up to the individual to correctly analyse these effects at ANY given point and in making the choice of mpc "weigh up" the lesser of the evils to be targeted for extra practice, because, they 'will' be there.
THE MPC SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A 'CRUTCH' AGAINST ANY PLAYING PROBLEM!!!
You should have the same range on all the mouthpieces you try or use. The reason for trying different mpc's is a tonal / timbral change or comfort.
Yes it's possible to change your tone / timbre by adjusting your blow but that is inefficient way to play over a long period of time. Using the wrong style mpc for your physiology [teeth/lips], cuts down on your endurance as [if your a good musician] you will be trying to force the mpc to play opposite to the designers original intention.
My other favorite when this subject crops up is the guy who says: "yeh well 'so and so' uses a *****C to play"
Well it does'nt matter to anyone realy, we should all want to develop our own sound. Also, maybe I don't wanna sound like 'so and so' no matter how famous he is, I want to develop my own sound / style. If you did get the same mpc and copy a famous guy and ended up sounding just like him, it'll do you no good as he was there first and he's got all the gigs!!! :wink:
Highly unlikely anyhow with physiology differences!
Using an excessively BIG mouthpiece to get a BIG tone in an orchestra at the expense of endurance or range......
....Or....
Using an excessively small mpc to play high parts in band at the expense of tone is ALL a question of personal acceptability.
What is acceptable for one player's view of tone/personal sound concept or range, might be unacceptable for another.
Try NOT to impose your personal values on any given aspect upon someone else who is also learning. For we are ALL still learning.
Sometimes it is WORTH going to mpc extremes to convince oneself of a theory, but beware the dangers in doing so, you may lose your point / term of reference to enable you to make the journey back to your starting point.
Find the right equipment balance for YOU! - and let everyone else find their OWN!
When you think you have a good understanding of mpc's and their characteristics and effects on YOU...start all over again and add in the variable of how different mpc designs/sizes correspond directly and indirectly with different horns in terms of bore size, bell shape, bell materials, horn weights, conical and cylindrical bores, leadpipe design, mpc gap adjustments, valve alignments etc.
Teachers who don't take into consideration the style to which the pupil [if indeed he/she is at a stage of development where this has started to become a factor] maybe are'nt being as helpful as they could be. It is paramount to the development of the pupil to NOT imbue one's own set of rules in any doctrinal way so as to leave them with YOUR emotional mpc baggage from any particular year. Set them up to ENABLE their OWN correct analysis of the mpc situation when they need to do so.
NO ONE CAN FIGURE ALL OF THE ABOVE FOR YOU - ENJOY THE HUNT,
BUT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE LOOKING IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!
1."DO YOUR OWN THING"
2."SIZE DOES'NT MATTER, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGY "
3. "FIND A MPC THAT SUITS YOU, YOU WOULD'NT WEAR SOMEONE ELSES SHOES!" :lol:
