Choosing the right mouthpiece is often overlooked for middle school and high school trumpet students. We often focus a lot more on choosing the right trumpet but, choosing the right mouthpiece may have as much or more of an impact on your playing than choosing the right trumpet. Here are some things that you should consider when you start to look for a mouthpiece:

1. Try Before You Buy: In my opinion, it is extremely important to try out the mouthpiece before you purchase it. Here at Paige’s Music, we have a great stock of different trumpet mouthpieces from different manufacturers. Although doing research online or talking with your teacher is an important step, trying the mouthpiece out for yourself is vital. Please make sure you try out the mouthpiece either by borrowing one from someone or stopping by Paige’s Music. You won’t regret it, I promise.
2. Lip Size/Shape Matters: I often use the analogy that a mouthpiece is like a shoe. Your lip size and shape are important in determining what mouthpiece you should use. Personally, I have large lips, so I play on a large mouthpiece. For a long time, I played on a smaller mouthpiece because it was what everyone else played on but when I finally sought advice from experts, the new mouthpiece made a drastic difference in my playing.
3. Brand Matters: Please, do not buy an off brand from Amazon. They likely are made inconsistently and the mouthpiece that you purchase may be a different size than the one that you intended to purchase. For instance, a Bach or Accent 5c may not be the same size as a 5C purchased on Amazon from a non-reputable brand. Please do your research on the brand you are purchasing from and feel free to reach out to us at Paige’s if you have questions. I usually recommend trying to get the same brand as your trumpet especially for upgraded instruments as the mouthpiece receiver and the mouthpiece will fit perfectly without any gaps in the receiver. This is not a huge deal but can make a difference.
4. Trust Your Opinion: While parents, teachers, and friends can give opinions on how a trumpet mouthpiece sounds. Only you can know what mouthpiece works best for you regarding how it feels when playing. Comfort is very important. Playing the wrong mouthpiece or playing while pressing too much on your lips can cause an injury or make it so you don’t reach your full potential in the future. Be mindful of how the mouthpiece feels as well as how it sounds.

If you have any questions about mouthpieces or would like to schedule a time to come in and try out what we have to offer, please contact us!