Lightweight? Heavyweight? Why Should YOU Care? | Trumpet Demystified Episode 4

Thanks for all the support on this series, everyone! This episode is a little 'heavier' (heh) than usual, so please do ask any lingering questions or provide your own experiences in the comments below. Professor Sam's office is always open ;)

It's great to see that someone else uses an old style spool holder as a mouthpiece holder.

Great content, high quality, clear, and very dense in terms of information. Recently, I've started to play a Courtois Evolution 1 (ca late 90s?). It's a heavy weight trumpet with many of the design elements mentioned in your analysis (e.g., valve caps) plus some rather wide "plates" à la Monette. It's a great horn with unique sound and playing characteristics. I can now appreciate it even more, thanks to you. Best.

Height it’s misunderstood…. Visual effects of “heavyweight” don’t means Heavy. In fact it’s the thickness and different alloys that defines Light vs. Heavier. Light can project, but should disperse … Heavier should need more “psychological” effort from the player (psycho ‘ because player try to translate his head sound goals and desires), but it can carry’s the sound projection much farther. Heavier looses high frequencies, light loose the lower, the bottom harmonic frequencies, in a acoustic way. Triggers works like Braces…. Like rings, Caps …. Yours “Stability”. Most brands confuse the players (because if the Marketing involved), but The most effective CAPS, besides the aesthetics, are the Upper Caps , because of the lightweight Cluster’s and valve block construction. Nowadays mouthpieces tend to have more deep cups, large throats and open backbores… without increasing the weight (that was taken away) the so called Stability will decrease and the “light machine” will be unbalanced. Therefore, the main reason of a “increased” Receiver. Comparing a shallow Cup mouthpiece, like 14A4A “lead” can have the same height or more than a 14E4D “symphonic” piece. Choosing the right spots, increase or decrease height (besides the Alloy and his thickness m) can makes huge impact on instrument. It’s all about balance. Light can be Bright, Heavier can be Dull, From this point, the way of players blow and his specific job, will define everything. We can have a “visual” regular standard Heavier, and a aesthetically “heavier trucker” and be very lighter.

Wow. What incredible knowledge and wisdom! Thank you for creating these video’s, we trumpet players need this information to be as efficient as possible in our craft 😎👍🏽

I love your videos and your channel, man! Specially this series. I like to get nerd about brass instruments. Thank you so much for your work and dedication. I have some question, but maybe I'll wait to the next videos. Greetings from Mexico!

Loving the series

Great and interesting video Samuel!🤗👍👍

Samuel, just finished kind of watching this while I was multi-tasking at the office, and noticed your preference for a very lightweight Yamaha. In my small trumpet collection, my lightest horn is an old Los Angeles Benge 3X (circa 1977). It's noticeably lighter than my Mt. Vernon Bach Strad, and even lighter than my '75 Bach Strad Model 43 that has both lightweight body and bell, and definitely a LOT lighter than my Conn Vintage One with sterling silver bell that I also have heavy bottom caps on (thing is really heavy, but I love its sound). I was just curious if you were familiar with the old Los Angeles Benge 3X trumpets, and how the weight compares to your Yamaha? Thanks.

I've seen some people, especially natural trumpet folks, who swear by seamed and hand formed tubing. Do you think the resulting radial thickness inconsistencies might make for an instrument where bending notes affects the tone less? Perhaps the slight randomness might spread the tonal sweet spot a little bit?

Would you say that more mass in the mouthpiece and trumpet make the instrument more efficient with the energy? So that after you’ve overcome the inertia to start a note, less of the energy you put in gets lost, because the air vibrates inside a more stable casing. It’s definitely about striking a balance, as with everything in trumpet, but it helps to see the effects of extreme variations in both directions.

Don't you think that the "more mass" equals more "efficiency" thing, is better achieved when the mass is increased at the begining of the instrument than at the end of it?

wedge?

Starting to get a little hairy. hahaha!