Chris, you are exactly correct. I had an incredible high horn range right off, but with little control. On the low end, I could not play anything below a G. I had no teacher. However a friend handed me a Denis Wick 4 mouthpiece (18 mm inside rim) which helped considerably. Eventually I found PHC has an 18 mm rim, which is what I use to this day. In lieu of a teacher, I purchased the Farkas book, from which I learned to place the mouthpiece as I now do. I still check back in that book for brush-ups on basics. I also use the warm-ups every time I practise. I strongly adhere to the habit of practising the entire range every session.
When I first started with Burt Myers, my trumpet teacher, we spent the first two months almost entirely on the low range. I recall nearly quitting with him because of that....since I already was an advanced player and felt such exersises were below my level. I later learned that his purpose was to break me of playing with mouthpiece pressure. After the two months, he completely changed me to a light pressure technique. It did not talke long until I had both a srtong high range and considerable endurance up there. I wish I could find a horn teacher that good locally.
Alburtis Myers was a cornet soloist with John Philip Sousa for a few years, and conductor of the Allentown Band, America's oldest civillian band for 50 years. Once I was trying to choose between two new cornets. He offered to try them out preceeded with the excuse that he had not played a cornet for about ten years. At age 83, he played absolutely beautifully, with a tone that I had never heard before. He told me to buy the Bach Strad, and went back to working on his cigar.
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Thanks for that Hobbes. I will watch my diet before playing. Your post reminded me of another fear. As a 16 year old trumpeter, I gave myself an inguinal hernia showing off in a parade trying to play lip trills (c/d) while marching up a steep hill. The surgeon warned that likely the other side would go next if I was not careful. Never happened. I always remain seated when playing high notes, for the extra support. I never feel any indication of another such injury while playing horn. It is one reason I enjoy horn over the trumpet.
