[Trombone-l] Mouthpiece advice

[Wayne Dyess]

I started on a 12C myself back in 1960.  It hurt me in several ways.   
When I made the switch to a Conn 88H, I tried using an adapter so I  
could continue to play the 12C I was used to.  That was my band  
director's suggestion.  But he was a sax player, and had the good  
sense to get me to Neil Humfeld at East Texas State within a very  
short time.  Dr. Humfeld set me straight in no uncertain terms.  Play  
the mouthpiece that came with the 88H.  It was a Remington at the  
time.   I would play that for the next 10 years, and with a good  
measure of success.  But I had range problems at first due to having  
played such a small mouthpiece for so long.  I didn't move to the 88H  
until my sophomore year.  I had actually grown out of that Conn  
Director and small mouthpiece as an 8th grader, looking back on it.

I had excellent results when I taught beginners many years ago as a  
middle school band director.  I recommended the Bach 6-1/2 AL, and  
that was small enough for the beginner embouchure (most students),  
but large enough to carry the students well into high school.  I had  
students to make the All-Region bands, and later in high school All- 
State.  When they made the shift from small bore beginner instrument  
to a large bore professional model, they could simply order a large  
shank version of the 6-1/2 AL and keep on trucking.

If a student was serious or needed a better tone, I would recommend  
the 5G.  But only when it became apparent there was a need for the  
change.

Worked for me.  No one in southeast Texas has their beginners start  
on the 12C anymore.  They did before I moved here.  The local music  
store even replaces the mouthpiece that comes with their beginning  
instruments over to the 6-1/2 AL for most schools -- no charge.

My two cents.
--Wayne Dyess



On Nov 30, 2007, at 9:26 PM, Bob Woodard wrote:

> I need the advice of those of you who have experience teaching  
> developing
> young trombonists.  What is your opinion about changing mouthpieces  
> to a
> larger cup/bore with young students?  What do you take into  
> consideration in
> deciding on mouthpiece size and how do you determine when it is  
> time to make
> that change (assuming that most students will start on something  
> comparable
> to a Bach 12C, which has always been my standard recommendation)?   
> Here is
> the situation that prompts this question and makes me question what  
> I have
> believed and recommended about mouthpieces in the 15+ years I have  
> been
> giving private trombone lessons.
>
> I have a new private student who is a 7th grade boy - has played for a
> little over a year.  He has a great attitude and has worked hard on  
> the
> material I have given him in the 3 lessons we have had so far.   
> This past
> weekend he played in a trombone trio at a district solo/ensemble  
> festival.
> He was pleased that the group had played well and received positive  
> marks
> and comments from the judge, a retired band director and trombonist  
> who has
> judged students of mine in years past and who has always seemed  
> right on
> with his comments and observations.  My student told me that the judge
> talked with the trio after their performance and recommended to him  
> that he
> get a larger mouthpiece to help open up his rather thin, weak  
> sound.  He
> suggested that this student get a Bach 5G.
>
> My immediate response was "Boy, (student), that is an awfully large
> mouthpiece for a 7th grade student."  I have always waited to move  
> a student
> to a larger mouthpiece until they have developed a strong  
> embouchure, a
> solid 2-octave range, and a well-supported open sound on the smaller
> mouthpiece.  The recommendation of the judge goes against my teaching
> philosophy from all of these years, but.......  Teaching practices do
> change, and I am certainly open to new ideas. I do have a great  
> deal of
> respect for this judge's opinion based on his previous track  
> record.  Do I
> need to rethink my ideas about mouthpieces?
>
> Any advice/opinions on or off-list would be appreciated.
>
> Bob Woodard
> Small After School Studio Teacher of middle and high school brass  
> students
>
>
>
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Dr. J. Wayne Dyess
Professor of Trombone
and Director of Jazz Studies
P. O. Box 10044
Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas 77710
Visit our alumni jazz band website @
http://www.ndotex.com

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