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Q&A from emails I receive

 On Oct 8, 2009, at 1:44 AM, p uppman wrote:

Can any one tell me from experience, if removing the tuning slide brace (the only one) would help give an already fine trumpet, a little more zing?!

Or, will intonation etc.. be affected?

Thanks in advance.

The horn in question which I use every day on gigs is a Kanstul made Besson 709.

gr:
Re: Tuning Slide Brace Removal

It will add a little more spread, and not inhibit some mid-highs as a brace will, but projection into the room can suffer as well as the fact that it will allow your chops to chase the air a bit more into the cup giving the illusion of a bigger sound but opening the door to un-even pitch - generally flatter in the upper and sharper in the lower. On a Bach removing just the brace on the slide (not the crook) definitely will help all around. However when there are no braces the intensity of the sound and pitch will suffer a bit.
This is why many now prefer the Schilke with the brace. As I have done - pix on we site

The best way to test is to play in a large auditorium and listen to what returns to your ears. Un-solder the brace so you can listen with and without it.

Can you tell me whitch notes I need to use slides for?

gr:
Every horn is different but I will give you a chart showing the general tuning accepted by most manufactures:

On Sep 23, 2009, at 7:24 PM, Kenny wrote:

George,

Does mouthpiece design have any influence in learning air-play?  I have several mouthpieces and I really can't tell that one makes any difference over another in the air-play way, but then again air-play is new to me so there could be advantages/disadvantages of a mouthpiece.  I will list some of the mouthpieces that I have and if one or two of them stick out as a prime candidates for air-play, please identify them for me.   

Claude Gordon Personal (Brand new by Marcinkiewicz - suppose to be the most accurate recreation of Claude's personal mouthpiece)
Monette MF II
Monette MF III
Bach 3C in Monette Style                                                                         (Air-Play Prototype preview )         

Marcinkiewicz Bobby Shew 1
Marcinkiewicz Bobby Shew 2
Schilke 6A4A
Schilke 12A4A
GR 64
Northern Brass 63*** (Made by GR)
Dennis Wick ?
Weril W46

gr:
they all look pretty good. Whichever rim feels the best, with a cup that sizzles a bit is best for practice. It it responds real quick you will get used to backing off and letting the horn speak in it's own clear timbre. If you play into your music stand and get a good sizzle back you will practice easier and get more done - than trying to overcome some room sounds.
good questions

Here is what I play through and they all work well - perhaps the Stevens and the Loud LM84M do the best - however I am working on a very special set of 3 Air-Play mouthpieces that will be perfect for Air-Play users.

Stevens with Warburton 5
Loud LM 84M
  then:
Bach new York: 10.75 c, 10.5 cw, 10.25dw,
Reeves Purviance 8b, P1,

For starting Air-Play it helps to have a wider rim to hold your chops still - a tight Backbore -28 preferably, and not a Bowl cup. From that one you can move to just about anything as you et the knack and the repetition of success. Sometimes you get a big fat screaming sound and other times you can be off just a tiny bit in relaxation or alignment and get zip.

Try to get one that works on the real soft sounds and the notes just come by themselves and use that for Air-Play practice  see preview above right:)

gR