i`ve been playing on a 5c mouthpiece for about 3 years and i resently made first chair. I decided to start getting really serious about my playing and switched to a 3c(2-3 weeks ago). I figuered it was time to move up. I`ve been practicing daily with it but my range has if anything decreased and i cant play high for more that anything past my warmup. I get the thing where the note comes out a little bit then turns into all air.I dont want to ruin my position on the first chair and i think its too late to switch back.

Maybe you`re not ready for a new mouthpiece.But if you want to get better endurance and range on your new mouthpiece practice lip slurs and pedal tones on it.Also remember that the bigger the mouthpiece the more air required.Hope this helps.

Finding the right mouthpiece is generally never the same for any two people. What works best for you most likley won`t be the best for the person in the next chair. But based upon what I have learned from switching mouthpieces, where the Bach numbering system is concerned, the higher the number, the smaller the cup diameter, and a smaller diameter cup, using less area of the lips will theoretically make playing high notes a little easier. Think of it in terms of blowing up a balloon and releasing the air while pinching and stretching the blow hole. The tighter you stretch it, the higher pitch squeal it makes. You have moved from a 5C to a 3C with unsatisfactory results. I would suggest moving the other direction, perhaps to a 7C. You might see if your band director has a 7C you could try before purchasing one. By the way, the Bach 7C and Blessing 7C trumpet mpcs are virtually identical.

He could try a 7c but would acheive a better tone with a 3c.It may take more air and you may have less range at first but work on long tone,lip slurs,and petal tones and you will soon acheive a better tone on a 3c and your range back.

This exact thing happened to me. If you have braces it is alot harder to adjust to these types of things so, I agree, move to a 7c instead of the 3c and if you don`t have braces and your having trouble its probably your emboucure or that you need to give it some time to work into it and you would most likely would still have better luck with a 7c just it makes and it easier on you. Well which ever you chose good luck with it.

I had a harder time playing a 7c than a 3c. My endurance was crippled whenever I tried to play one. why not stick with what you know? I agree with the poster that says slurs. Lots of them. When I first switched to my Parduba, I couldn`t hit low c without some effort, and anything lower was really really hard. Lots and lots of slurs later I overcame that.

If you really want to switch try the mpc trial program that music123 has. I think they will let you try up to 4 at a time. try a 10.5c, then maybe try some other manufacturers as well. Bach`s are good, but everybody is different.

fun stuff. i switched from a 5c to a 1b (BIG FRIKKIN" DIFFERENCE) and i lost 2 notes and gained them back by doing lip slurs

I use differant mouth pices for differant situations. Playing in the symphonie orchrestra I`ll usualy use a bach 7c or 5c, in my symphonic band I`ll usualy use a 1c or a 3c depending on the part I`m playing, and in marching band and drum corps I use a selmer 3b because of the way it rests on my lips. So I guess I`m just lucky that I can adjust to differant mouthpieces so easily. As weird as this sounds try learning to play the french horn, if you can adjust to the mouthpiece on a french horn, then adjusting to differant typs of trumpet mouthpiceses will be a breez.

umm i swtiched from a 5C to a 3C in Jan when i got my new trumpet...I played on that 3C for 8 months...3-4 of those months doin crauso`s(spelling?)...my range deterioated BADLY...sometimes i couldn`t even hit a G at the top of the staff and i`m 1st chair player(sophomore)...Maybe about a month after caruso`s, my range increased but i became more and more inconsistant...like i could get up to a High C pretty easy some days but then on other days i`d still have trouble hitting G...just about 2 weeks ago i switched back to my 5C...Things r strting to go better as i can hit a G everyday now...i miss the force i could put in a 3C and how the high Notes sounded...but Being a first chair player and not being able to hit a G is a big NOOOOOO

Dude....you should of stayed on the 5c. It worked for you, why change!? Dont change anything if you already were sitting on top! Look, if you were unsatisfied with your original sound, keep the rim or "inner diameter" you were at and change the cup. Ive seen alot of young players after two years of playing mess with their mpc setup and after half of year of playing on it swear that the mpc was the "key". Fact of that was that they were still growing and learning their instrument. They were going to get that range or playing ability anyways, with or with out that new mpc. It was all in their heads! Unless youve been taking lessons from a graduate of sorts I wouldnt change a thing. Its like using codes in a video game to get all the key items, youll get to go through all the doors but never get the story. Getting those pieces are either going to confuse you or boost your esteem, then really get on your nerves. I messed with a few pieces here and there before I started taking lessons, but once I started forking over a hundred a week really opened my eyes to the pedagogy of trumpet playing. Oh btw, the teacher doesnt even have to be some reknowned player from some New York Symphony. A guy right out of college will do wonders, trust me. Plus they are really cool since youll be able to connect with em better. The Older guys are used to the old "rules" of teaching. So a paddle and strict teaching. Heres a food for thought, ever wonder why a 7C comes with almost any horn you buy? Its the standard because most trumpeters are playing on something too big anyways! I am not saying "large" mouthpieces are bad, but that they are different, and present a different challenge. I used to play on a 1c and range from a pedal C to a G above high C. However, my accuracy was really poor. I started moving to smaller mouthpieces, had exactly the same range but my acc. really started to improve because I was able to take my mind much further away from the mouthpiece. I did however sacrifce some endurance, but I still can play a G above high C at the end of a 12 hour day. Oh and guess where I landed in mouthpiece inner diameter? .650 inches or, abou a 7C! Woah isnt that cool....

ok a few things to clear up. if ur sound has lost core, then the mouthpiece is too big plain and simple. (1 is biggest rim then 5 is smaller). The bigger the mouthpiece the more variety of sound and dynamic u have, u can play a lot louder on a big rim (tho the sound may darken up), more lip to vibrate, more strength required to maintain stability.
So u need to stop worrying so much, and start practicing relaxed and focussing on the sound. It`s a given that u`ll get tired more quickly on a 3c than on a 5c, it`s normal. A 3d might be an option, tho the shallower cup may make u go a bit too sharp up top.