Sop/Trumpet to Mello

[notasop]

I've been throwing around the idea of playing lead mello in a corps not this summer but next summer (as opposed to say 2nd sop or lower lead), and I was wondering about what some of the rest of you guys who play trumpet but mello in corps think about it. Mellos have probably the most fun parts to play in the ensemble, and they have a very distinct sound, but I have noticed that it is MUCH easier to play on a mellophone than on a trumpet. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping your trumpet chops up, or do you just have to build them back up when it's all over? Or is there even that much of a loss in chops? I'd be curious to hear from some of you that have done this.

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I have played both. Really not much of a pitch adjustment when playing sop to meli. Although, meli to trumpet is different, especially if playing more of a lead trumpet. If much time is spent on the meli, you will notice that your upper register will have suffered a bit because most arrangers don't write for meli's in that register. So, you will have lost a bit of the upper register stamina, and some feeling for that register. Just will take a bit of practice to return to form.

I myself prefer meli over sop just because of the color, and all the counter lines that are written for the meli, even tho i have quite an extensive range on either sop or meli.

[mossy84]

I played trpt for 10 yrs all through school before I joined the White Sabers and ended up on mello. The biggest hurdle was the change from Bb to G. I found that I really liked the sound of the mello, and we often have neat parts in songs. For those who know him, our brass instructor Ben Chaffee (Prof. Dover) likes to put the mellos in the spotlight every so often. When I go back to my trpt however I find that my higher register is harder to hit. So I would suggest playing both as equally as you can.

[spamula]

The switch from any Bb to G horn will be hard at first, just gettin use to the pitches, regardless of sop or mellophone!

But with that stated, I marched 2nd sop last year, and as of April, They moved me to lower lead mello. The only difference that I noticed was the air support needed to maintain the upper register as well as on sop. Granted, going from trumpet to mello may be a jump, just because I prefer to use a 6V on mello and a 3c on sop... truly, my range improved when I switched to mello, even in one week from F mello in marching band to DCA finals on sop.

Your best bet is just to maintain the right embouchere, and practice breating to maintain your air support ($1 to John Blickwedehl ), and just keep tootin both horns B)

[Penguin]

After playing mello all summer and coming back to trumpet recently (to get ready for school), I can tell you that I definitely took a step back as far as trumpet chops go. My highest comfortable range is about 3 whole steps lower, and I just don't play the trumpet with the same ease as I did before I switched. It's gonna take a few weeks to wake up the ol' chops.

Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions to keep your trumpet chops up while you play mello.

[KevinDCAChamp]

After playing mello all summer and coming back to trumpet recently (to get ready for school), I can tell you that I definitely took a step back as far as trumpet chops go.  My highest comfortable range is about 3 whole steps lower, and I just don't play the trumpet with the same ease as I did before I switched.  It's gonna take a few weeks to wake up the ol' chops.

Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions to keep your trumpet chops up while you play mello.

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Weird isn't it how things work differently for different folks...

I played mello for most of my earlier drum corp career, but always using Bach trumpet mouthpieces (a 10 3/4 DW, per a Hy Drietzer fitting...), and of course on a G horn. It might seem like a bad mouthpiece choice, but it gave the brilliant sound Hy was looking for. We used french horns for the darker sound that seems to be prefered for Mellos today. When I played trumpet in a rock band at that time, I had about a 3rd higher (relative) range comfortably than I had on the Mello, using the same mouthpiece. I found the trumpet way easier to play, needing much less air support. And not the worry about tuning and pitch control, always a challenge with the Mello.

Now we use Mello mouthpieces, mostly 6V, though I use a warburton 5. When I play my G soprano with the Bach 10 3/4 I have almost a 5th higher range. The mello mouthpiece made my chops better for the soprano!

We are all like snowflakes, each and everyone different....

Guido