PPT mouthpieces

Mouthpieces Mouthpiece problem

ArtyLady

Member
983
Essex
Hi all,

firstly sorry if my technical terms are not very good ;} but I wondered if I could ask some advice.

I have played an Alto Trevor James Classic Horn and got on quite well with it.

10 days ago I bought myself a Tenor - Trevor James Horn Revolution II after trying it in the shop and being stunned by the free blowing and quick action (compared to my Alto). When I got my Alto I upgraded the mouthpiece from the Trevor James that came with it to a Yam 4c as suggested at the time.

With the tenor I'm having problems with the occasional squawk on the upper register (this happens even if I'm very careful with my embouchure) and slight raspiness in the sound 90% of the time.

Could this just be me getting used to the Tenor, or could it be the Trevor James mouthpiece? - should I change to a Yam 4c (or has been suggested 5c) I have tried to find a local music shop that will let me try both out but none of them stock both so am at a bit of a loss to know what to do for the best 🙁

thanks for any advice 🙂
 
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My gut feeling is to change to the 5C, I'm sure it's better than the stock one.

I can't believe a shop that would stock a 5C won't stock a 4C, have you asked them if they'll one one in?

Another gut feeling is that wider tips are better on tenor, so I'd say just go for the 5C. But ideally at this stage you might want to try some others, e.g. an Otto Link.
 
My gut feeling is to change to the 5C, I'm sure it's better than the stock one.

I can't believe a shop that would stock a 5C won't stock a 4C, have you asked them if they'll one one in?

Another gut feeling is that wider tips are better on tenor, so I'd say just go for the 5C. But ideally at this stage you might want to try some others, e.g. an Otto Link.

Thanks for that Pete, two shops had a 4c, none had a 5c, and one wanted me to pay for both and buy them so they could be ordered in :shocked: which slightly defeated the object!

Interesting about the wider tips - that may be why the 5c was suggested to me 🙂

I really like the TJ mouthpiece, I did squeak a bit when I was using a rico royal #2, but with a 2.5 I was fine

That's interesting Chrisse as this has been suggested to me also! I'm using a rico royal 2 so will definately try a 2.5 before I spend out on a mouthpiece 😀
 
Ten days on a tenor doesn't sound like a long time to make a decision on buying a a new mouthpiece.

I've had a walstein baritone for two months now (and I practice at least 15 minutes most days) ... after 18 months playing a conn-selmer prelude alto. I still can't get the high F# on the bari without slurring to it from a lower note, and I'm still much less reliable at getting the notes cleanly on the bari than I am on the alto.

Of course, it could be that all the experienced people here think I need a new mouthpiece too, but my guess is you should spend more time getting used to your new horn before shelling out more money.

Oh, you might think about experimenting with reeds too ... I use a vandoren 2 on the alto, and started with that on the bari, but I've also tried 2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5 as well, and find that a 3 works best for me. Baritone reeds are sooo expensive, or I'd have experimented more with them.
 
Ten days on a tenor doesn't sound like a long time to make a decision on buying a a new mouthpiece.
.

Not sure I entirely agree with that point. In my opinion (and it is just my opinion, other people may have a quite different view) a suitable mouthpiece for any player needs to meet a certain minimum quality. Although I don't think beginners benefit from chopping and changing mouthpieces, and that they don't need to spend a fortune, some mouthpieces just aren't up to standard for any playing. I can't speak for the TJ ones, but the one which came with my Walstein soprano (great horn) was only good for use as a door stop. I would think a Yamaha mouthpiece would justify the very modest additional cost.

Good point about the reeds - they can vary enormously, and it's well worth trying a few different types and strengths to find what's best for you.

With all this, the friendly guiding advice of a good teacher is invaluable.
 

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