2) Dear Dr. Tom,

My teacher says I need a bigger mouthpiece. I am a junior in high school and now play a Bach 6.5AL. I want to audition for music school and hope to be an orchestral trombonist. Do I need a bigger mouthpiece?

Thanks for writing.

First of all, I don't know if it's wise to second-guess your teacher. You are paying them (I assume) for their expert advice. They may very well see and hear something in your playing that makes them think you need a bigger mouthpiece.

If you do not trust their advice, find a different teacher. It's very important that we trust our teachers and do exactly what they ask. That means we must very much respect them and believe that our best interests are at stake. Find a teacher that you trust implicitly, OK? It might be the teacher you have RIGHT NOW.

Now.....as for mouthpiece size. My general rule is this:

Use the smallest mouthpiece that allows for the sound you need or desire.

That being said, allow me to explain a few things.

First, the role you play in the ensemle determines the sound you'll need. In a small orchestra, or an amateur orchestra, the trombones don't need to blow the walls down with a massive sound. Blend and balance are ALWAYS our primary concern. We do not have the right to destroy the music by playing too big or too loud. Music comes first, not us. That just shows a lack of sensitivity and immaturity that I cannot tolerate.

Once you play with an ensemble that really does put out a big sound, though, you will need some "weight and body" to your tone. Smaller mouthpieces are limited in this regard. To understand what the critical mouthpiece elements are and how they effect your sound, please read my mouthpiece anatomy page.

Getting too big, though, will have horrible effects on your pitch and endurance. A happy balance must be struck. You first must know very clearly what sound best blends with your trumpets, other trombones, tuba, horns, etc. Your voice cannot stick out in the blend. This is especially true if you're playing 2nd trombone. A lighter, clearer sound might be useful on Principal, but the 2nd trombone is there to BLEND.

A 6.5AL, or equivalent, is on the smallish side for an orchestral trombonist. Some musical material, though, works quite well with this "smaller, lighter" tone quality. I'm thinking of Classical and early Romantic litearture. Some operatic excerpts, too, have a nicer feel when played with smaller equipment. Just remember to blow according to your equipment. You can't blow a 6.5AL like you do a 4G. You cannot expect a similar sound and you must develop your musical mind to account for this. I'm a golfer and I like to relate it to my golf clubs. I do not expect my 9-iron to send the ball like my 3-iron. Although my basic swing is the same, the intended result is purposely different. Just like in music, I try to visualize the ball's trajectory before I hit it. You should hear the desired tone color in your head before ever playing a note.

I too often hear "HEAVINESS" in trombonists. This destroys the composer's intent and destroys a good "quality of MOTION". The music often needs air, and space, and less gravity, and lighter tone, lighter tongue. I don't think this tendency is due to eqipment as much as CONCEPT.

So.....in a nutshell: try a bigger mouthpiece. Try a 5G. The rim will have a similar (albeit bigger) feel to your 6.5AL. Allow everything inside the rim to vibrate "at pitch" while keeping the corners nice and firm. The sound should get bigger, heavier, broader. This will be required in some cases. BUT NOT ALL CASES. Spend a lot of time developing good musical concepts by listening to a lot of musical styles and imitating good musicians (and not just trombonists).