Griego mouthpieces are envisioned, designed and manufactured by musicians with a mission to make the best performing equipment on the planet. This channel aims to give a behind the scenes look at that process and showcase the talents of the many talented artists with whom we collaborate.
I really like what you have to say about legato articulation, but I wanted more. I am just a beginner, I'm figuring out what's the difference between a slur and legato? If a piece of music has a slur notated, does tongue play any part in controlling the airstream between notes? How else is the airstream controlled from note to note in, for example the Cichowitz airflow studies? In such a way as to produce a clean ending of each now and beginning of the next? Thanks for the great information here and I'm looking forward to more.
I was a little bit skeptical about watching this video, but I'm glad I did. It's very enlightening. I think I've been mostly an active player and really need to become a lot more passive.
I saw a clinic on here not long ago by Jon Froelich said that Ed Kleinhammer said that the Chicago trombones never used any other articulation than a Dahh tongue for everything,their legato was just a softer dah ,the only time a other T tongues was used was for sfzz tongue ?
The first time I've ever heard of the gap is with Harrison of Harrison Trumpets. He supposedly sells inserts to widen that gap. Do you have anymore videos speaking about this topic?
Anytime I'm adjusting mouthpiece I consider the lead pipe in the equation. I try to not throw out the entire setup just for a mouthpiece. Find a mouthpiece that matches your lead pipe and life will be good.
He uses the word "upstream" incorrectly. Upstream doesn't refer to horn angle, but to the angle of the airstream as it leaves the embouchure. The fact he's placing the mouthpiece mainly on the top lip makes him downstream.
@@AidanRitchie - Not moving, little to no "rotation". Doing everything on one embouchure, ..... ..... whereas Mr. Markey say to do as little as necessary, but then show how to move the piece, for example upwards on the lips while moving the jaw out for the lowest notes.
Very interesting. This is something that I never heard when I was majoring in music while in college, but it makes sense. It also makes me think that trying to buy a stock mouthpiece where you wouldn't possibly know if it is going to "fit" or not before you buy it could lead to a lot of frustration. I've been playing a Bach 1-1/2 G on a 1970's Bach 50 B2 (independent valves) for years. I haven't kept up my playing, but several things have always been true on the horn: 1) it is difficult to get the notes below the staff to pop in without a lot of work and 2)1st position F below the staff with the F trigger is hard to tune. Outside of that the horn is okay other than it always takes more air than I could ever provide regardless of how big a breath I take. It's probably me and if I practiced more maybe I could overcome some of the difficulties in playing this horn, but it very frustrating so I don't practice.
i'm going through this engagement thing right now and I''m tossing in the towel, getting a new horn. I have a Yamaha Xeno 822G. i like the sound and relative ease of playing WHEN on certain mouthpieces. For example the notes especially in the upper register and lower register slot so much better when using a Yamaha mouthpiece. My 58 and 59 slot well, although compared with others I have, I'm not wild about the sound. Also my newest Wedge mouthpieces with the "deeper" shaft for "deeper" receivers slot better, again with not quite the sound of, for example my Markey 85 and 87 or my Greg Black 1 7/16th and my Greg Black 1 3/8. These 4 insert further than the previously mentioned pieces. They slot well enough in the mid range, but require 300% concentration to catch a low E or E-flat with f-trigger. Way too much leeway in pitch. When I switch out for a Wedge or the Yamaha, the accuracy and tone colours are better on these low notes. I tried experimenting wrapping the shanks with teflon tape and that brought some improvement, but ... sporadically it was like the horn stopped playing and it appears that bits of tape would break loose and slop up the main slide - big chunks of teflon goop. This "engagement" problem is well known of the Yamaha 830, 822 and what I've heard the older 620 and 613, 612. So I'm going to try the new Yamaha 835GD that is supposed to have solved this problem and see how my mouthpieces fit. Will also try the Shire Q series. I'm 71, so am not going to invest in a boutique horn, since I'm now retired from public performance and only play for my own enjoyment.
Pretty darn cool find there!!! The Martin-Committee Miles used was the #3 large bore. He had one as did Freddie Hubbard and even Maynard Ferguson played one from 1953-1954. Dizzy, Conte Candoli, Ernie Royal, Lee Morgan, Bob McCoy all played the 2b medium bore model. Renold Schilke was a collaborator on the design of the old Martin's and if you asked Mr. Schilke, he would say "The Martin's were designed by a committee of one...ME!"
I have a real commiitte not an RMC, it does have a distinct mellow sound compared with other trumpets but It's not about the machine, it's about the player.
John Stork is the one who made Miles' Giardinelli mouthpieces. At that time, John was the mouthpiece maker at Giardinelli's before he relocated to Vermont to start his own custom mouthpiece business.
I don't know about damping adding weight to that part of the bell, and haven't really liked too many cut bell trombones I've tried. Damping and adding weight to the throat, close to the main brace though ... It's definitely a tool that can work.
I play an Arnolds & Sons 3c and I personally think it even sounds better than a Bach 3c!!! Feels more open and sounds warmer too! Anyone have the same experience with this?
I have an older Ian Bousfield Getzen I bought from new serial number 0486 ,i ordered the new rotor valve cap recently and it definitely made a difference.Ive tried the pillars but I'm not sure of sound difference so dont use them now.do you have any advice about the pillars for the trombone and is the newer Getzen IB with the modifications a different sounding instrument ,when i tried the pillar's i felt the copper one was better than the silver one? I'm using a Doug Elliott XT 102 rim with an H cup (similar to a 4G) i seem to prefer a deep cup rather than a G cup which I also have .I used to play on a Bach 5G with large lettering which l loved but Doug watched a video of me playing way back in 2012 and said my embouchere shape needed a wider 4G rim ,so thats where I am today.Ive had 4 months off playing due to cateract surgery,im now into 2 weeks back playing but my stamina is absolutely shocking,im practicing every day and bands most evenings,i thought i may be doing too much after my break but ive got a very important brass band competition coming up in 2 weeks time on principle trombone and need to very quickly improve my stamina, I will trial your passive way ,(although I feel im doing that already trying to minimise mouthpiece pressure and concetrating on my firm corners whilst trying to relax the active side of my playing.I find this video very interesting, I did try your CS5 mouthpiece that came with the instrument on one rehearsal it was very comfortable but sounded very bright compared to the DE mouthpiece, I feel it would be too soon to change until after my competition, I'm starting to panic a bit now and don't want to confuse my muscle memory.All the best Al
Don't panic this will cause stress (emotional) and tension to start creeping into your playing. It takes me a while to get endurance back after time off, and I focus on resting more than playing. Short practice sessions with breaks that are short and slowly increase the practice session time and diminish the break time. Your endurance will come back, just play smart during this time. Diminish volume by one marking during performances until you have the strength back to go to eleven. Don't change equipment close to performance time, just focus on recovery. Diet is important to aid in recovery, treat your chops like an endurance athlete would with diet and recovery shakes, etc. The deeper the cup the more work in the upper register so just understand this and enjoy the rests and allow the face to recover.
So, a question, then. How do you become passive in the upper register? I've seen so many videos and articles about embouchure and how to get the upper register clearly...but NONE of them truly explain and show what to do. So, again. What do you do to be passive and have a strong upper register? And for that matter, how does a person build an embouchure properly? I'm sure teachers everywhere could use an actual guide.
Not intending to sound sexist, listening to trumpet players, the females often produce better sound. My theory is that they try less to “muscle” the instrument and focus on musical elements.
Christian, as an amateur tenor trombonist, choir singer, and self-professing audiophile, I relate strongly with your observations. At home tonight I put on headphones and played the ‘bone while attempting to play passively. The result was better efficiency, less tiring, a better centered pitch. Blow, find the sweet mouthpiece placement, and move the slide. With ear phones I could sense pitch but not the spectral balance, meaning one less item to actively control!
Makes perfect sense. By playing year 25 I had reached passive control up to high Eb. I thought of myself as floating up to notes in the high range focusing on the sound not thinking about what my chops were doing. Then, at playing year 65, I had to have my front uppers replaced with caps. Now, playing year 70, high Bb with difficulty is about it. I’ve tried mightily, but I can’t find my old upper range. Add in worsening Essential Tremors, and things suck! Getting old is not for wimps! I’m 80. One bright spot however is Christian’s new ES5 mouthpiece. I’m loving it! Old, but not dead…..YET!
I feel you. I'm 71, bass trombonist, and retired from professional public playing almost two years ago due to old-age-lip-tremor. It's sporadic, and concentrating on what Christian would called passive playing, between pedal b-flat and high f-g, playing lyric etudes that I love, my mind gets off the tremor and on to the melodic shaping of my playing. Then in the middle of one or the other such etude, I'll notice, that the tremor is gone and I try some arpeggios up to high c and then starting at pedal f going up to that c and back down. If the tremor stays away, cool, I continue. If not, I simply stay with these etudes (Concone lyric exercises for the low voice). I've written them out for high bass trombone and low bass trombone. So much fun and work even with a bit of tremor. What I don't do is ... sweat it. I don't beat myself up for this. It is what it is and can just as sporadically disappear. So I let it.
Hi Christan! I was curious....if I'm getting the feeling of "too swollen" inside the mouthpiece (feeling like I have to force my lips in but NOT that they are getting blown out by resistance), would a slightly wider rim diameter be the way to go? If a slightly wider rim diameter is the way to go, do you think going slightly shallower in cup depth is needed for "feel?" For instance, switching from a 5C to a 4B in the Griego Artist series. Obviously this is nuanced and thanks in advance!
I would go to the next size series in the same cup (depending upon the type of work you’re doing). If playing principal or solo work then yes go to B cup in 4 series. If section work stay on C in 4 series.
Christan, have you found that the Yamaha bass leadpipes do better with mouthpieces that don't go in so far? I'm talking about the 822, with the shank eating pipe.
