[Dixielandjazz] Mouthpiece for tiny trombone

[Ministry of Jazz]

Shalom Steve,

Are you talking about a soprano trombone, what they call a slide trumpet? I
don't think you'll find a bone mouthpiece that will fit into the lead pipe
of a slide trumpet. Being a lifelong bone player myself, and having taken up
trumpet (cornet, slide trumpet, pocket trumpet, herald trumpet, etc.)
relatively late in life, I have found it difficult to play a standard 7C
trumpet mouthpiece. What has worked well for me, though it did take some
time to get used to it, was to use a large trumpet mouthpiece, like a 1 1/2
C. Some brands are easier to play than others, but the Bach style works well
for me. I also have been introduced to plastic mouthpieces by a company
called Kelly. They are sized and shaped like common mouthpieces for the
various horns they support, but I have found them to be quite comfortable to
play, and easier to blow. Also, they don't get cold when doing those pesky
outdoor gigs.

I have never tried this on a slide trumpet, but on a couple of the
mellophones I have collected, I have found that an alto horn mouthpiece fits
and allows me to play the full range of the horn without much difficulty,
compared to using a cornet or French horn mouthpiece. Using the latter, I
can only get the high range, and I lose the lower octave of the horn. The
alto horn mouthpiece is between the sizes of trumpet and bone mouthpieces,
and it might work on a slide trumpet. You might need an adapter for the lead
pipe, the kind that allows a trumpet to take a cornet mouthpiece. Worth a
try.

Good luck,

Elazar
Dr. Jazz Dixieland Band
Tekiya Trumpet Ensemble
Jerusalem, Israel
www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz
+972-2-679-2537


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve & Cathy Pendleton [mailto:bestofbreed at alltel.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 4:33 PM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Mouthpiece for tiny trombone


A delightful Christmas present, was the mini-trombone that someone bought
for me from Bob Romans (thanks, Bob.)

Now I am looking for a mouthpiece.  Don't think my embrouchure (sp?) can
handle a trumpet mouthpiece for long, so I want a full trombone-sized cup.

Dave Hanson suggested I contact Giardinelli (thanks, Dave.)  Any other ideas
out there?  Does anybody have one lying around they want to sell?

Thanks

Steve Pendleton

Trombone
A little North of Atlanta