Other Trumpet Related Gear:

Some of my students ask me to recommend various trumpet accessories and related equipment. Here’s some of the stuff that has served me well:

Mouthpieces:

I utilize several mouthpieces for the various horns and situations I encounter:

• Monette B2 STC-2 weight trumpet mouthpiece. My main mouthpiece and used this for 85% of my playing. This ‘piece gives my sound slightly more focus, and a tad more brilliance than my original STC-3 weight mouthpiece. It is not the ideal “small jazz group” sound I hear in my mind’s ear, but it is more suited to the type of playing I do these days.
• Monette B2 STC-3 weight trumpet mouthpiece. Up until about 2014 this was my main mouthpiece and was the original mouthpiece suggested to me by Dave Monette when he built me my B957 model trumpet. I just love it for the few chances I get to play small group jazz stuff.
• Monette B2LD STC-2 weight trumpet mouthpiece. Gives me a bit more bite. Sometimes I’ll use this when playing in R&B type bands where I need more cut.
• Monette B2FL STC-3 weight Flumpet mouthpiece. A very big, deep, mouthpiece. The Flumpet mouthpiece is great in a small jazz group setting where I want a more intimate and focused sound than even a flugelhorn.
• Monette B2 STC-1 weight trumpet mouthpiece. This is used for my conventional non-Monette trumpets.
• Monette B2 FL flugelhorn mouthpiece.
• Monette BP3 piccolo trumpet mouthpiece.
• Denis Wick 3B cornet mouthpiece.

Some people debate whether it is a good idea to have use several different mouthpieces. I say “yes” provided you are experienced, and have a reason to do so. For my students, I would say “not a great idea” at least until you are more advanced… consider:

• Almost all my mouthpieces are some version of a Monette B2 size. This means the rim and diameter feel the same on all of them which makes it easier to switch. We are not talking about radical or extreme differences!
• Even though I have many mouthpiece options at my disposal, I use my B2 STC-2 for the vast majority of my playing.
• Do you have the time to make sure you are practicing all your mouthpieces regularly so that you know the tendencies, of each? I do, but maybe you don’t.
• I have been playing for many years. I am likely to have to play a wider range of styles than most of my students who typically only play in the school concert jazz band groups. I have more reasons to use multiple mouthpieces. Barring any plating loss damage, or cuts in the rim of the mouthpiece that cause discomfort, I would guess that your current mouthpiece is just fine for you.
• I do not recommend that my students constantly experiment by switching mouthpieces! Constantly looking for the perfect “high note” mouthpiece is a quick path to trumpet frustration. It is important to not upset embouchure development! Only after you have experience and knowledge should you attempt using multiple mouthpieces, and then only if there if a logical reason to switch.
• Keep your mouthpiece clean… get a mouthpiece brush and use it to keep crud from building up inside it. Prevent dents and scratches by using a mouthpiece case or pouch.

Mutes:

Mutes are a personal thing so try different types and brands and use what you think plays in tune and sounds good. When purchasing a mute, try to play play test it first if possible. Play the mute through your entire range to check tuning. Try to compare several mutes of the same type to compare tonal quality & resistance. I find many harmon mutes have poor intonation starting at about low C and below, and have an overly “brittle”, “metallic”, harshness to the tone.  I want a harmon mute that has some “sizzle” but also one that helps me project “warmth” of tone when I want. If you are new to playing with mutes and don’t yet a have a specific sound in your mind’s ear then just try to buy the best quality mutes you can afford. You can’t go too wrong with any of these quality trumpet mute makers:

• Jo-Ral
• Denis Wick
• Denis Wick
• Tom Crown
• Humes & Berg
• Harmon

(Note: the term “Harmon” confuses some newbies. Harmon is a specific brand, but harmon is also a generic term for this type of mute… (think about someone who tells you: “I have to make a Xerox copy of this document”).

Here are the trumpet mutes that I am currently playing:

• Humes & Berg Stone Lined cup mute.
• Humes & Berg Wa-Wah Du All full copper harmon mute (Yup, that’s really what it’s called!).
• LeBlanc Vacchiano straight mute.
• Dollar store rubber toilet plunger, (for wah-wah effects… very cool!) Whenever I have to buy a new one it’s always fun to watch the reaction of the check out clerk when they kindly remind me that I forgot the handle and I tell them in a totally straight matter-of-fact voice: “Oh, it’s  OK, I don’t need the handle… I just use my hand!” (Ha-ha-ha!)
• Yamaha Silent Brass noise reduction practice mute system. This is an awesome practice aid. I can literally play when everyone is sleeping without waking anyone. A bit pricey but hey, there are times when I have to play the trumpet at 3AM!

If you are shopping for a trumpet mute or two, check out some offerings from my friends at Tapestry Music.

Microphones:

• Shure SM-57 dynamic microphone. Whenever I have to provide my own mic on a gig I use this. One of the best all around live mics. You can do anything with this mic, it is solid, and works well for louder instruments like trumpet. Here’s a link here.
• Behringer B-2 Pro condenser microphone. A great mic for a project studio. I use this for most of my audio clips when recording at home. Link here.

Valve Oil:

“Really? You’re adding valve oil to your list of gear?” Yes… Yes I am! Valve oil is important. Not only does it keep your pistons working smoothly, it also helps to keep them clean. Here’s a video by master trumpet builder Dave Monette showing the best way to oil your valves and why you should use this method. I am amazed at how lax many of my students are about oiling their valves! Remember, the best oil in the world will be of little use if you don’t use it! My Monette’s valves were built with very close tolerances, and as a consequence I can’t use just any old valve oil. I need an oil with a very light, low viscosity, and high film strength. Here’s what I use in order of preference and depending what is available when I pop into the store:

          

All of these oils (along with others) are stocked at Tapestry Music. For most students any of them would be just fine. If you have a horn that has has finicky valves make sure your horn is clean. If that still doesn’t do it try another oil. Make sure you clean your horn before using a new oil. Often times different oils do not play well together… mixing them can cause the horn to stick. Seems weird but it’s true! If that happens just keep applying the new oil until the old is washed away. It could take 3 or more applications for the old oil to be replaced. Once you have a bit more experience playing you will probably find an oil that works best for your horn and becomes your favourite.

Software:

Questions?

This is only a partial list of gear that I use to ply my trade! If you have any questions about any other related trumpet gear not listed here, feel free to talk about it with me at our next lesson.

Band In A Box : If you only have 1 piece of music software then this is the one to have. Band In A Box is a music accompaniment application. By typing in a set of chords, picking a key, and a style, Band In A Box will generate a rhythm section for you to play or record with. It also has some limited notation abilities but it does produce nice fake sheets. 98% of the playalong tracks that we use together in our lessons are generated with Band In A Box.

Finale: Notation software. Alas, after many years Finale will not be developed and is no longer for sale!. I recommend the product below:

Dorico: Modern, slick, and chock-A-block full of features. Dorico is music notation software built from the ground up! I highly recommend it! The Dorico community is wonderful and has a very active and helpful forum. I have have asked many questions on the forum and received answers more than once from the Dorico Head Product Manager Daniel Spreadbury! Wow! You can even start by downloading Dorico SE  …it’s free!   

Muse Score: The new version 4.XX is a complete re-design and it is VERY good! If you are on a budget this is the only music notation software you really need. The best part is that is open source, which means FREE! Musescore are out to make the best music notation program free or otherwise.

Reaper: My DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) of choice. Reaper has made my life better. Reaper is better than rainbows and unicorns. Reaper makes me smarter and more handsome. Reaper is the solution to world peace. Reaper is… well you get the idea. In a word, Reaper is AWESOME! Reaper is software you can try for free! The demo is fully functioning. When you consider how powerful this software is, the price of a license for Reaper is downright cheap. In the past I have tried and owned versions of Cubase, Sonar, Music Creator, and Pro-Tools. For me, Reaper is W-A-A-A-Y easier to use! It is very well written software and the developers seem to take pride in the fact it is very efficient with no bloat. I run Reaper on a low end HP laptop purchased in 2012 just fine thank-you-very-much! With this setup it has never crashed. I can easily install it on my desktop and that low power laptop without goofy hardware dongles or software keys… it’s an old school software installation. Now remember this is still audio recording software. If you have never used a DAW before, even Reaper has a learning curve. But having said that,  I wish I had known about Reaper before I wasted all that time, money, and frustration!

Choice #1:

The best oil I have used, ever, bar none. ‘Nuff said!

Choice #2:

Hetman Synthetic #1 (light viscosity) & #2 (medium viscosity). The #3 (heavy) is not carried at Tapestry.

Choice #3:

I can always use the ‘ol reliable and ubiquitous Al Cass! This oil is great and works for almost everyone.

Choice #4:

Honourable mention and very cheap! I keep a bottle of this around for emergencies!

Valve Oil  Buying Tip:

When selecting a valve oil look for one with a high film strength. A high film strength is an oil that resists breaking down and thinning out due to the mechanical shearing action of the piston moving up and down inside the valve. You may ask: How can I know if an oil has good film strength? Answer: shake it! Shake the bottle vigorously for 5 seconds then stop and watch the bubbles. The faster the bubbles dissipate, the better! A good quality oil will have bubbles that dissipate in 1-3 seconds. Obviously this will only work for oils that are packaged in clear or translucent bottles.

If you really wanna geek out, check this link. Probably way more than you ever really want to know about valve oil and the science behind it. It may make your eyes glaze over a bit (hey, I told you it was geeky!) but you’ll have a better understanding of most about what makes a good trumpet valve oil.

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