TromboneChat

I'm a freshman in HS and i'm looking for a MP for my Yamaha YBL-835 Custom, can someone help me?

Bach 1½G, Schilke or Yamaha 58. Good starter mouthpieces -- maybe good forever pieces.

I usually tell students to start with a Faxx 1-1/2G ( which is a copy of an old Bach 1 1/2G) But if you can find a used mouthpiece in the 1 1/2G size range, I would do that too.

On the Yamaha website it looks like that model comes with a Yamaha 61D4L. I have one of those - it's a pretty good HUGE mouthpiece. Put it in a drawer and don't take it out again until you're the size you are going to be as a grown adult AND have been playing bass trombone for at least 3 or 4 years. And even then you should probably leave it in the drawer.

In the meantime, follow the advice above. Get something along the lines of a Bach 1-1/2G. The Faxx version is excellent and affordable.

GabrielRice wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2025 8:22 am In the meantime, follow the advice above. Get something along the lines of a Bach 1-1/2G. The Faxx version is excellent and affordable.

Start with a recognized standard. The Faxx is a great suggestion. Don't mess with a lot of mouthpiece experimentation (and cost!) before you can even tell how well you're doing and have developed a good embouchure and some skills. THEN maybe (or maybe not) think of moving to something else. It takes this approach in order to have reasonable goals, expectations, and an ability to evaluate things that you try.

In addition to what's been mentioned the Yamaha 59 is another good choice.

WGWTR180 wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:35 am In addition to what's been mentioned the Yamaha 59 is another good choice.

FWIW, I agree. It's my Goldilocks bass 'bone mpc! The 58 is a tad too small for a big & bold lower range and the 60 is a bit too large for a bright & sassy upper range for me. The 59 is perfect for me and it enables a beautiful tromboney sound, which lacks with the 60 for me. AND, on the 59, I can still play as high as I can on any tenor horn. Notice all the "for me's". YMMV.

GabrielRice wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2025 8:22 am On the Yamaha website it looks like that model comes with a Yamaha 61D4L. I have one of those - it's a pretty good HUGE mouthpiece. Put it in a drawer and don't take it out again until you're the size you are going to be as a grown adult AND have been playing bass trombone for at least 3 or 4 years. And even then you should probably leave it in the drawer.

Yeah, on paper it's pretty bid. It actually has the exact same listed specs as the Doug Yeo mouthpiece. Definitely not a starter mouthpiece. The 830 used to come with a 59, which is much more "reasonably" sized, but Yamaha really wants to play to the "wide open" crowd with the changes they made.

WGWTR180 wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:35 am In addition to what's been mentioned the Yamaha 59 is another good choice.

I've had good success with the Yamaha 59 as a beginner bass trombone player. Felt better on the face and it played better than the Faxx 1.5g I originally started on.

WGWTR180 wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:35 am In addition to what's been mentioned the Yamaha 59 is another good choice.

I've had good success with the Yamaha 59 as a beginner bass trombone player. Felt better on the face and it played better than the Faxx 1.5g I originally started on.

Trombola2112 wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 11:11 pm

WGWTR180 wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:35 am In addition to what's been mentioned the Yamaha 59 is another good choice.

I've had good success with the Yamaha 59 as a beginner bass trombone player. Felt better on the face and it played better than the Faxx 1.5g I originally started on.

I agree. And technically the Yamaha 59 is slightly bigger than the Faxx 1.5. Not much but just a tad.

I agree with the Bach 1.5G suggestion. High School “bass trombone” parts can be more like hybrid tenor trombone parts and can get a little high for a bucket mouthpiece. The 1.5G Is a relatively cheap mouthpiece that is well balanced. I have a HS student using it right now and he’s doing very well.

If you’re looking for an eventual upgrade - the Griego GP (Gerry Pagano) is my all time bass mouthpiece.

Part of mouthpiece selection may involve the sound you want to get from it (in combination with your leadpipe and horn). You'll want a different sound for big band/jazz/etc. than you do for symphony or concert band. And as in high school "bass trombone" parts, big band/jazz parts can be not just "more like" a hybrid tenor, but exactly like the 3rd tenor (who may not even have an F attachment!) sitting next to you -- or you'll see the 4th part playing above the 3rd (while in the same piece also doing a lot of work in the double valve and pedal registers). You'll even see the bass trombone part go above the 2nd part at times. All this is another reason to start with something that's "vanilla" until you get some skills and the lay of the land, in order to make informed decisions instead of just shots in the dark.

Good *Inexpensive* Bass Trombone Mouthpieces
viewtopic.php?t=37645

The Yamaha bass trombones seem to work better with larger rather than smaller mouthpieces, so it would be worth your time to see if a Bach 1-1/4G (slightly larger than the 1-1/2G most are suggesting) is manageable for you..

heldenbone wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:16 am Good *Inexpensive* Bass Trombone Mouthpieces
viewtopic.php?t=37645

The Yamaha bass trombones seem to work better with larger rather than smaller mouthpieces, so it would be worth your time to see if a Bach 1-1/4G (slightly larger than the 1-1/2G most are suggesting) is manageable for you..

This is a good point. I have no experience with the early Yamaha bass trombones(pre YBL 613H/622 models) but the newer ones, for me, don't seem to work as well with a 1 and 1/2G. However I find that other modern instruments don't work as well either with the 1 and 1/2 size pieces. There are always exceptions.

WGWTR180 wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 7:00 am

heldenbone wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:16 am Good *Inexpensive* Bass Trombone Mouthpieces
viewtopic.php?t=37645

The Yamaha bass trombones seem to work better with larger rather than smaller mouthpieces, so it would be worth your time to see if a Bach 1-1/4G (slightly larger than the 1-1/2G most are suggesting) is manageable for you..

This is a good point. I have no experience with the early Yamaha bass trombones(pre YBL 613H/622 models) but the newer ones, for me, don't seem to work as well with a 1 and 1/2G. However I find that other modern instruments don't work as well either with the 1 and 1/2 size pieces. There are always exceptions.

I totally agree Bill. Older Yamahas worked fine with smaller mouthpieces. Since Doug Yeo has been involved with Yamaha, their instruments tend to work better with the large mouthpieces he favours.

Yes, I also think there is truth to the assertion of the newer Yamaha bass 'bones working a bit better with a little large mpc. But again, for me, there is always the ying/yang of a more fluent lower range vs the kind of trombone sound I want. The larger mpcs tend to make me sound a bit broader and airier than I like. And while the "smaller" bass mpcs give me a more compact and ringing sound, they do so at a bit of a lower-range fluency trade-off <sigh>.

Not to mention that this is a request from a freshman high school student. While a 1.25 size piece might be the best choice in the long run, I think it's most likely that starting with a 1.5 would be the best approach. But perhaps that choice should be made in consultation with the student's teacher.

heldenbone wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:16 am Good *Inexpensive* Bass Trombone Mouthpieces
viewtopic.php?t=37645

The Yamaha bass trombones seem to work better with larger rather than smaller mouthpieces, so it would be worth your time to see if a Bach 1-1/4G (slightly larger than the 1-1/2G most are suggesting) is manageable for you..

I've found the opposite. Yamaha basses work better with smaller mouthpieces.

Thanks God I didn't think about equipment when I studied trombone, music 40 years ago. In fact I got a high score playing stuff I can't play today. I think my equipment journey started with internet, or when I discovered the internet.

( "1990" My first computer "Atari" And it had a music app called "Notator")

It was amazing, writing music, arrange and print your own stuff for my own students! What an opportunity.

The internet first news was to read what the famous players did play. Of course I had to try it out. Then the forums came and there was a ocean of advices. I thought it was a heaven.

When I joined this forum long time ago I believed everyone here was a professional. Then I discovered afterwards it's not like that. But I joined the trap, giving advices to people I don't know.

I have been a teacher for 40 year's. Mostly kids from 6 to 20 years old. I think my first goal as a teacher was not to destroy the kids natural musicality. And not to kill their self-esteem.

Mouthpieces? Pick one mouthpiece from the advice above. Play it for at least two years. Learn it.

Here you get advices on what everyone play and what is best for them self. It's not best for you!

The best is not to read anything here and do the basic Bb-F-Bb legato, tounge, staccato. And then do it musical. In the end, don't waste time searching, practice and make music within your self.

Leif

Savio wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 7:34 pm The best is not to read anything here and do the basic Bb-F-Bb legato, tounge, staccato. And then do it musical. In the end, don't waste time searching, practice and make music within your self.

Leif