Update From The Dark Side

This is another update from the DARK SIDE. For those unfamiliar with my use of this term I will explain.

This past Christmas my wife gave me an unusual gift for a trumpet player… a trombone. It wasn’t that she dislikes my trumpet playing for she has far less desire to listen to a struggling trombone player. I have always wanted to play trombone even as a child. Fortunately I went the way of the valved instrument and have been very happy with my decision. But now I have the time and desire to learn a double and the new PBone drew my interest. From Christmas until now I have warmed up on my trumpet and practiced only the trombone to answer a few questions I had about the compatibility of the two instruments. To my surprise, I found them to be very compatible and even decided that one complimented the other.

What I have decided is that the larger trombone mouthpiece actually improves my trumpet playing. It might be that the larger mouthpiece allows more lip muscle to be developed or it could be that the trombone mouthpiece works to rejuvenate the trumpet muscles for better trumpet playing. Whichever the reason, I am convinced that the two are compatible and actually compliment each other.

Now to the reason I have posted this material today.

While doing my trombone practicing last week I had a thought of a way to help those interested in trying this combination without actually lowering oneself to playing a trombone. If the larger trombone mouthpiece seems to improve my trumpet playing for the reasons listed above, what would happen if a trumpet player used the larger mouthpiece at the end of the day to cool down rather than using pedal tones? I tried it this past week and found it actually works and here is how I did it..

At the end of the day, I put the old PBone mouthpiece in my trumpet and played for a few minutes. To my amazement, the lip muscles began to relax even faster than if I were playing pedal tones on the trumpet for more meat was vibrating in the larger mouthpiece. This morning I enjoyed a great warm-up and I attributed it to the previous evenings time spent on the trombone mouthpiece inserted in my trumpet.

If you are interested in trying this strange combination, do not order a new trombone mouthpiece over the Internet or purchase one from your local store for they are too expensive for just an experiment. Ask a trombone playing friend if you could borrow one of his/hers. If you have no trombone playing friends or at least one kind enough to loan you a mouthpiece, you might check at your local music store. Most players on the PBone very quickly realize that the weakest link in the PBone equipment is the mouthpiece and for that reason they usually upgrade to a real trombone mouthpiece, and for that reason you may be able to find an original plastic mouthpiece at your store.

Two advantages of the plastic PBone mouthpiece are these. 1. You should be able to pick them up cheap for no one wants them and 2. The weight (or lack of weight) is better for playing in your trumpet.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.