Update on “Clocking Trumpet Mouthpieces”

On July 10 of this year, I contacted my AI source (openai.com) to establish the top twenty most popular mouthpiece manufactures at that time. From the list of twenty manufacturers, I was able to locate nineteen who are listed below- Bach Yamaha Schilke Warburton Monette Denis Wick Curry GR Mouthpieces Marcinkiewicz Pickett Brass Stork Custom Mouthpieces Kanstul Jet Tone Giardinelli Reeves JK Mouthpieces ACB (Austin Custom Brass) CarolBrass Doug Elliott Mouthpieces   From the list of twenty, I received five responses- Home – Stork Custom Mouthpieces grmouthpieces.com Bob Reeves Brass Mouthpieces Mouthpieces – Brass & Woodwinds – Musical Instruments -…

Blog # 1,002- Thank You All for Following thetrumpetblog.com

This post has been listed as our 1,002 Post and to all who have followed us through the years, “Thank You”. We would like to thank our readers for their continued support and send a special thank you to these sites who have also supported our postings through the years. __________________________________________________________________________ 20 Best Trumpet Blogs and Websites To Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com) This site has listed our blog #1 Trumpet Blog every year for the past seven years. #1. The Trumpet Blog | Blogging anything & everything trumpet Branson, Missouri, US ”The Trumpet Blog regularly posts information related to trumpets and…

Clocking Mouthpieces- A Practice from the Past

My first introduction to clocking a brass instrument mouthpiece began several decades ago when I was returning home from Willard Elementary School in Moline, Illinois. On the way home I stopped at a local gas station to visit with its owner.  That day I happened to be lugging my Olds Recording cornet home with me and as I visited with the proprietor, we were joined by a customer who aggressively questioned, “Hey kid, what are you doing with that horn”. As a grade school youth, I was more than intimidate as I replied, “I’m taking it home to practice” was…

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Substantiating Evidence That All Trumpet Mouthpieces are Not Equal (or consistent).

In a previous post, I addressed the practice of “Clocking” your mouthpiece (“Clocking” Your Mouthpiece Part #2 – Trumpet Blog (thetrumpetblog.com). At the end of my post, I admitted to the possibility that rotating one’s mouthpiece can and did change the sound as well as a resistance factor. In the same article I admitted that I was originally skeptical of this technique but after trying it myself, I was convinced that the rotation made a difference in the final outcome. I also admitted that I had no idea why this happened. I recently had the pleasure of visiting with someone…

Musician Humor

From time to time I am sent musician jokes from friends and I thought these were worth posting. A seasoned musician will understand clearly what is going on for we have all been there. Enjoy. A very intense, self-absorbed saxophone player is sitting at the bar after playing all night. A beautiful woman shyly approaches him and says, “Excuse me, I hate to intrude, but I just have to tell you that I saw you play tonight. I have never been so deeply affected by music before. It’s like it woke up my mind and my heart. It also woke…

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The Great American Shoot Out Part 5- String Trio vs. Brass Trio

In our ever-continuing struggle to gain prominence in the world of instrumental performances, I have now posted the 5th in our series entitled “The Great American Shoot Out” which compares music written for various ensembles and solo instruments to the technical ability of the Trumpet. Vivaldi composed this number (La Follia) originally for a String trio. My transcription was done for two Trumpets and a Euphonium. As you will hear, the violins were much more used to the difficult skips and the outrageous tempi. An additional problem would be the constant playing. Today we continue with our challenge as we…

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Required Listening Assignment

As the interest in Trumpet choirs continues to grow, some ensembles seem to occupy the highest level of professionalism. Such is the case for the San Luis Obispo County Trumpet Alliance and their most accomplished director Warren Balfour. I have had the pleasure of knowing and following this remarkable ensemble for several years and continue to be impressed not only with their playing ability but also their range of music which spans everything from Bach to Rock. If this talented ensemble is new to you, be sure to check out all of their videos and if you happen to be…

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Possibly The Most Difficult Record Copy Ever Made

One of my all-time favorite Dixieland groups was Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen. A list of their successes in the early 1960s would include the following- Midnight in Moscow, The Green Leaves of Summer, Sukiyaki, Hello Dolly and When I’m Sixty- Four. But the most impressive recording in my opinion, was a lengthy (6 minutes 28 seconds) number entitled High Society. To an average listener, the extended Clarinet solo which lasts through seven full choruses might seem excessive but to a fellow musician it has the effect of sheer amazement. The traditional Clarinet solo was recorded by Alphonse Picou and…

More Interesting Assumptions Proven and Disproven

In our never ending quest for truths and the American dream, I came across this assertion which sounded very plausible, yet questionable. On one of the more popular trumpet bulletin boards I found a reference to a trick which apparently Mr. Armando Ghitalla was given credit. The writer mentioned in passing that “Ghitalla did a lot of experimenting with paper clips, and various hand fashioned doodads, placing them in the backbore of the mouthpiece and other places”. Now I am not a strong fan of placing paper clips in my instrument but the name Ghitalla raised my interest. If this…

Living in the Inseparable Worlds of Art, Music and Drama

Choosing a title for this post was not easy for what I wished to describe is as fluid as an oil painting, as subtle as a string quartet and as emotional as a masterfully delivery text in a play. From a musical composer, transcriber, or arranger’s standpoint, the choice of instruments in a composition is as important as the colors on an artist’s pallet or an actor’s interpretation of a text. In each case, there is only one perfect combination of elements to produce a perfect finished product. This realization was what prompted me to leave my comfortable bed at…

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