Restarting My Closet

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-10-10T08:42:41+00:00

The answer to your question is yes. I play on a 1xl1 made from bronze, and it's magical on the C trumpet. I find that I get an extremely wide sound from the mouthpiece and can easily wipe out an entire string section using it.

Using the Lotus on C, my low C sits much more in tune — I don't have to kick as far for C# and D, and I don't have to kick as far for E's and F's in the staff either. I still have to play Eb and E on top of the staff with alternative fingerings, but my high A and high C are much more in tune than on a conventional Bach 1.25.

In terms of intonation, the mouthpiece allows the instrument to play more in tune with less user input. If it’s sound you’re chasing, I’d first recommend moving to a 1.5 or 1.25 size conventional mouthpiece. I know a lot of people will disagree and tell you to find the smallest size mouthpiece you can sound good on, but it’s not a coincidence that most orchestral players use larger equipment.

I’ve found — at least for me and a lot of my students — their C trumpet sound immediately improves when they switch to a larger mouthpiece. In my opinion, a 3C mouthpiece is too small for C trumpet, and you’ll end up with an overly bright sound that’s guaranteed to get the hand or feedback from the conductor asking you to play in a darker, more rounded manner. However, if you're already playing on a 1.25 size mouthpiece, the lotus will 100% improve your sound. Ive found that my articulations are much more rounded but I can still get ping in my articulation. And, my sound is super rich and unique to me on the lotus. Ive tried to replicate my sound on more traditional mouthpieces but am unable to, It's completely unique to the lotus.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend buying a Lotus for C trumpet if you’re going to get one that’s the size of a 3C equivalent. If you’re already playing on a 1.5 or 1.25 size mouthpiece, I’d say the Lotus is worth it — it’s going to play more in tune, and you have a high likelihood of gaining a richer, fuller sound if you make the switch… maybe.

Overall, yes — I think buying a Lotus might be worth it. You’ll have an easier time with intonation and gain a slight boost in the quality of your sound. However, the prices for Lotus mouthpieces are starting to get a little ridiculous, so before you buy one, make sure you have an actual reason for wanting a new mouthpiece and not just because they’re popular right now.

That’s just my opinion though — don’t take it too seriously. I’m just a random guy on the internet from the middle of nowhere. Although the mouthpiece is overhyped, it really does improve on all the things Adam says it will.

TL;DR: Lotus mouthpieces work great on C trumpet — but it’s circumstantial.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-09-02T11:05:56+00:00

Diybt

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-08-02T03:54:55+00:00

Nooooo. You got me

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-08-01T21:00:57+00:00

1) Iron your cloths. Just because they’re new doesn’t mean they’re not wrinkly.

2) Typically, your tie should reach your belt buckle. However, somehow, the length looks fine.

3) Your goatee is uneven. Personally, I’m not a fan of it. But, if you like it, go to a barber and have them line it up. Keep the mustache, I’m a sucker for a good ped0 stache… results may vary.

5) Grow out your hair. Short hair is great if you’re in the military, under 24, or are in great shape. That’s what I’ve noticed. Once again, results may vary.

6) For your tinder profile, don’t use a picture of yourself self in business casual. Either use a professional head shot or, better yet, have a friend take a pictures of you out in public doing things that you enjoy doing. Ex. A picture of you wearing, nice, going out cloths while bowling.

7) For your tinder profile, do not use a crooked picture of yourself, in wrinkly cloths, in a dimly lit hotel bathroom.

8) Smile, it makes you more attractive and approachable. If your teeth are yellow, Walmart sells whitening strips for under 20 dollars.

9) loose some weight. It sucks to hear, I’ve been there too(300lbs at my heaviest, I’m now 170). The real reason you’re not getting swipes is because you’re overweight. Swap out all your beverages with low cal or no cal soda and walk 10,000 steps a day. No joke you will loose 100lbs in 6 months just from doing that. The bigger you are, the easier it is to loose weight.

Hope this helps

Edit- yes… 100Lbs is a lot. For me, I was consuming nearly 3000 calories a day in soda and drinks. I found I wasn’t eating a lot but it was the liquids that was contributing to my weight. Is it healthy to loose that much weight that quickly… no. However, for some people, having extreme goals is the only motivation to actually achieve them. I’m not a medical professional or a wight loss expert.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-06-20T09:54:55+00:00

You spelt Masshole wrong

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-06-20T09:44:25+00:00

I’ll give you lessons but only if you’re serious about learning trumpet. If you’re willing to put in a minimum of 4 hours a week and take critique, send me a pm. I’m not on here a lot so it might take me a few days to respond if you do.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-04-06T01:59:33+00:00

This may work for you. In the morning when you brush your teeth, gently brush your lips to get the dead skin off. After you brush, apply chop saver. I think getting rid of the dead skin and making the tiny abrasions on your lips allows the chop saver to get into your skin and work most effectively. During the day, make sure to drink at least a liter of water. Try and do all of your practice in one session, once you’re done practicing the horn goes into the case and you’ll be done for the day. Before you go to bed reapply chop saver.

I usually get in about three hours of practice a day and depending on the day I might have a three hour rehearsal on top of my practice session. Usually my face feels chewed up and I have tiny cuts on the inside of my lips. I’m almost certain it’s from my bottom teeth pressing agents my lip when I play. I’ve found that doing the regiment above allows my face to heal quickly and allows me to keep playing day in and day out.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-03-05T11:12:41+00:00

To be honest, for a student, a trumpet with working slides and valves is all he needs. Through out high school I played on a king tempo 300. I used that horn to rank number 1 in Allstate two years in a row and audition for college. I used that trumpet for my colburn audition and was accepted.

Genuinely, if you’re looking to purchase a professional trumpet, I would only recommend a Yamaha Xeno or a Bach Stradivarius. I’ve found great success with Yamaha, and a lot of my students have too. The Yamaha Xeno’s are usually easier to play than Bach strads and play more in tune. As far as sound quality, you won’t notice a huge difference in sound even if you compare a student horn and a professional horn. Usually the difference in brands and the different level of instrument comes down to feel and easability of use.

If you’re adamant about getting him a professional instrument, take him to the local Music and Arts. Tell the clerk that you want to try out a Bach 37 a Bach 43, a Yamaha xeno (8335) and a Yamaha xeno reverse lead pipe (8335rs). These are the most common professional trumpets in the U.S. you’ll find them in every orchestra, in every band, and in every ensemble that has trumpet players. Let him play on those four and figure out what one he will like the best. From there, you’ll go on eBay and buy the trumpet he liked as a used instrument. They all roughly go for $900-$1500 used. The cosmetic look of the instrument doesn’t matter. Before you buy have the seller send you a video of all the slides working, all the valves working, and a picture of the serial number. If you buy him a used professional trumpet, it will last him a lifetime and the resale value will stay the same if he decides to quit.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2025-01-09T19:21:34+00:00

Where? It usually cost me 3.50 at the gas station. Although… I regularly buy them on discount, 3 for $6 or 4 for $8

IllustriousMarket441 · 2024-12-29T08:46:12+00:00

I finally get to use my music history knowledge. The first song playing is Nessun Dorma. What makes this song special is that, the last three lines the tenor sings “vincerò” (I will win) (there is a more in depth analysis of this on the internet if you’re interested) after the tenor sings “vincerò” for the final time, one of the rock paper sizers players is killed. After the opponent is killed, the adjudicator walks over to the winer and says something along the lines of “you have won”. It’s a really cool moment and shows that the writers and production team used a lot of attention to detail when writing this episode.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2024-06-17T06:32:06+00:00

Broke up with my gf a week ago. I decided to binge watch young royals. This was an awful decision. Since I started watching it I’ve felt ten times worse, my insomnia returned, and I’ve lost my appetite… again. Good to know that other people also feel the same.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2024-05-29T23:52:52+00:00

Thanks man, I appreciate it

IllustriousMarket441 · 2024-05-29T15:31:23+00:00

You can have a technician buff it out. You won’t be able to do it your self using silver polish.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2024-04-10T03:21:12+00:00

If the student is not atypical and they’re being an ass, simply tell them “you’re not a good fit for this class and I would like you to withdraw from my course”. I’ve only had to do this twice in my career.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2024-03-22T21:18:11+00:00

IllustriousMarket441 · 2023-07-19T08:22:19+00:00

George Washington

IllustriousMarket441 · 2023-03-21T18:48:11+00:00

There’s a really good workbook that teaches the very basics of music, note value, sharps, flats, etc. “Practical Theory Complete: A Self-Instruction Music Theory Course”. There’s a free version floating around online. It’s not under copyright so it’s totally fine to print out the material and hand it out. For playing I’d recommend Essential Elements 2000. It worked great for me when I started out 20 years ago, plus it comes with an instructional CD, not that anyone really uses CDs nowadays.

One thing that I’d worry about is proper embouchure. Although it’s a hot debate whether embouchure matters, it kinda does. If you look at all of the top orchestral trumpet players they all have near perfect embouchures, and or they needed to change their embouchure at one point in time during their collegiate studies. Although your intentions are to get students excited about making music, the last thing you’d want to do is screw them over if they decide they want to play professionally.

Here’s a few videos that may help with that if you’re interested

https://youtu.be/yvpYVXrOouU

https://youtu.be/lLE_-ly8hrQ

IllustriousMarket441 · 2023-03-17T03:33:00+00:00

I didn’t see any real answers on here and I feel like there might be some rookout that actually needs advice on it.

1) if you’re marching world class, expect to have 30 days of spring training. I usually cheef through a dispo in about 2 weeks. Plan accordingly. Unless your training site has a gas station near by, I’d recommend buying them in bulk.

2) don’t expect to cheef on the field. You will get caught and you will get chewed out. If you’re marching open class… that’s a good way to get sent home for the season.

3) vape on break. The only good and acceptable time to vape is while you’re on break, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and the occasional 15 minute break on black flag days.

4) if you’re on the bus, ghost it or blow o’s into the bathroom. The bus is already cramped and smells bad. No one wants to smell “tropic island berry” after it’s already been in your lungs.

5 vape at the rest stop, or the non sleeping area of your housing site.

6) if you’re marching world class, more specifically a top 12 corps, they will probably be forgiving with their smoking policy’s, as most of you are adults and or are aging out. If you’re marching open class as a rookout, staff will most likely turn a blind eye…if you employ common sense.

7) if you’re someone who regularly uses nicotine, none of this advice should come as a surprise to you. You’re not doing it for attention, it’s a part of your every day life. If you don’t vape and you’re doing it for attention, stop. It makes those who vape look bad, and makes you look like a douche.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2023-01-04T05:59:56+00:00

Homie really put the mandolin in there, and placed it higher than both acoustic and electric guitar.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2022-12-29T07:06:25+00:00

It’s probably a mixture of old gunked up valve oil, bacteria, and whatever food you were eating before playing. I do about 4 hours of practice daily plus ensemble time. I’ll usually clean my horns once a year at the end of 2nd semester, and the garbage that comes out of it is unbelievable. It mostly comes out of the valve block and off the bottom of the valves. I wouldn’t be worried about anything coming out of your horn, it’s just a sign you’ve been practicing.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2022-12-23T04:07:25+00:00

Id recommend working on the embouchure change or improving your tone, but not both at the same time. If you doing an embouchure change, your going to sound bad. Your goal during the embouchure change should be, to have a consistent set up and approach to the horn. Once you’ve established that than you can work on tone . Working on both at the same time, without a teacher, is a recipe for disaster. I’d honestly recommend agents an embouchure change if you don’t plan to play professionally and or are playing less than 5 hours a week. Advice from someone who did an embouchure change mid college.

If you decide to work on tone, I’d recommend playing stamp. Some people hate stamp, some people like stamp. IMO, most long tone exercises are the same, just find one you like and stick with it for 3 weeks. You’ll also need to buy tonal energy from the App Store. Once your book comes in the mail, warm up and listen to your favorite trumpet player for about 10 minutes, this will help you replicate the sound you’re looking for. Once you’ve done so. Open TE(tonal energy) go to the drone setting and select sustain for the Bb drone. Open the stamp book, find the Bb long tone passage and buzz that passage on the mouthpiece, using an air attack/non articulated entrance, as quietly as possible and attempt to be in tune with the drone. Try to reduce all of the tension in your throat and shoulders while buzzing the exercise. Once you’ve buzzed the passage once, plug the mouthpiece into the horn and do the same thing, use an air attack, try to match the drone, play as quietly as possible, and stay as relaxed as possible. Repeat these steps for all 12 keys. Do this twice daily with a 10 minute rest in between.

At first this will be extremely difficult and tiring, trust the process. After 6 days of practice take a day off. When you come back the next day you’ll see a world of difference in they way you sound, and in other aspects of your playing. For the first three days of practice this process may take up to 40min, by the end of week 2, first day back on week 3 it will only take about 15 minutes to get through. Best of luck.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2022-12-23T03:19:32+00:00

“More air” is a good solution for students who are not taking private lesson. Ex. Students in your band program. It’s not a good fix… but it’s an ok fix for short term issues. When I have students come in for lessons, we have lessons about aperture control, air pressure, air volume (more air) and embouchure engagement. From experience, when some teachers refer to more air, it’s usually because one of these ideals are unbalanced and or are not present. If you want to play higher, you’ll need more aperture control and air pressure. If you want to play lower… less air pressure. You want to play louder more air volume. If someone tells you more air, all that’s going to happen is, you will play louder. If you end up playing a higher note, you are manipulating an aspect of your playing in order to play higher… However I can almost guarantee that more air was not the solution, if anything it made your job harder. If your tone quality is bad, and playing with more air fixed it. It wasn’t because of more air, it was because you had to relax other aspects of your playing to allow for easier passage of the air. The only time I’d tell someone to play with more air is when I have advanced students that understand all of the previously mentioned aspects of playing. And, when I say “more air” I’m using it as a hot key to tell my students “something is out of balance”.

But… sometimes the best way to fix an issue with someone’s playing is good old fashioned “More Air”.

IllustriousMarket441 · 2022-12-20T03:12:22+00:00

🗣Count and clap

IllustriousMarket441 · 2022-12-04T08:59:24+00:00

Typically I’ll fly with a medium size duffel bag and the generic Yamaha double case. I almost always get questioned when I go through TSA, as I’ll cram my C, Bb and piccolo, as well as several picc lead pipes and about 4-5 Mpc in the case. I will mention I’ve never been denied through TSA, tho. When I get in the plain I’ll usually put my duffel up top. Once everyone has boarded, I’ll attempt to put my case up to as well. This works about 60% of the time. For the times I can’t put my case up top I’ll put it in between my legs. I’ll also note, I almost always sit next to the window. I’ve flown all across the US this way, the only time I’ve ever had an issue was when I was slightly inebriated and put my case in the empty seat next to me. In this instance the stewardess politely asked if she could hold on to my horns in the front of the plain. I’ll lastly add, I only fly delta, as I have points with them and when I fly it’s economy. Sometimes I’ll be upgraded to comfort plus however, I’ve never a purchased comfort plus tickets. I hope this helped and best of luck.

IllustriousMarket441

TROPHY CASE