ME and GR

In 2004 I was picked out from my lead chair at one of the conservatoires Big Bands by Eddie Severn and asked if I’d be interested in some private lessons. This transpired to be one of my most valuable experiences that I had at college.

Eddie played a GR mouthpiece that he had a hand in developing with the manufacturers named that ES range.

After a fitting with Eddie where I tried playing on lots of mouthpieces I settles on the GR 65ES.

DON’T LOOK AWAY – Today’s blog isn’t going to bore you with specs, rim sizes and cup depths (on this occasion, but you can see the RECAP for a taste of this). Instead this is a short entry to let you know the nature of the GR beast.

My GR gives me a solid and reliable upper register. It gives me a big fat range up to a double G and opens up the slots of the notes proceeding it (i.e. they are easier to pitch).
However for those out there who crave technology over technique this mouthpiece is not for you. The GR (specifically the ES range) is unforgiving for the technically weak players and will provide great results for a short period of time before you lose your chops and cannot continue. These players will then blame their equipment rather than their lousy and lazy technique.

To Recap:

The compression mouthpiece allows for a bigger sound in the extreme register whilst not compromising tone in the mid. to low register.

Players will often find that tone and upper register would be inversely proportional to the properties of most mouthpieces but, whilst the Extra Shallow/ Eddie Severn range may not suite the physicality of all that try them try, I am confident that GR create a range of mouthpieces that should be taken note of by any serious professional trumpet player.