Trumpet: Shallow Cup

   Assuming the embouchure is properly developed, success or failure in using a shallow cup mouthpiece depends on player habits.  The shallow cup is designed to aid the player's upper register work.  As to how effective the aid depends on the amount of lip fed into the cup and how much pressure is exerted against the lips when playing.  Shallow cup mouthpieces are unforgiving.  Feed one of them too much lip tissue and the vibrations are affected.  Exert too much mouthpiece pressure and vibrations can be stopped altogether.
   The Parduba #5 (Parduba & Son) is based on the famous double cup design.  This entails the cup being shallow near the rim but opens to conventional depth as the cup progresses.
   Unlike the Parduba #5, the Bach 10.5E (Conn-Selmer) is out-and-out shallow.  In fact, it is the most shallow of all trumpet mouthpieces.
   "Bottoming out" occurs when lip tissue makes contact with the bottom of the cup.  This causes air around the tone giving notes an airy sound.  It should be noted, however, bottoming out can occur using any trumpet mouthpiece.  But it is more prevalent when using a shallow cup.  Players experiencing this problem are required to make an embouchure adjustment.
   Pedal tones are as easy to produce using a shallow cup as they are when using a more conventional mouthpiece like a 7C.  The "key" to pedal tone production (using any mouthpiece) is embouchure relaxation.  But the value of pedal tones much below third pedal C can be called into question since the lower lip is all but backed out of the mouthpiece by this point.
   Trumpeters fond of valve runs (low to high octave; high to low octave) can be better served using the Parduba #5 instead of Bach's 10.5E since the double cup design allows more embouchure freedom.
   I have spent the past thirty years of my career devoted to shallow cup mouthpieces.  And since 2000 I have used the Parduba #5 exclusively.  I like its wide rim more than I do the more narrow rim on the Bach 10.5E.  But other players might take the opposite view.  Regardless, both the Parduba #5 and the Bach 10.5E are excellent mouthpieces.
   Players who do not possess a properly developed embouchure find shallow cup mouthpieces provide no particular advantage.  A shallow cup cannot augment what is not there to augment.  And for those players under the impression that a shallow cup can, are in for a disappointment.
   There are no miracle workers in trumpet playing.