Mouthpieces
The mouthpiece is the bridge between the player and the instrument and can change the overall tone of the euphonium, as well as influence endurance, flexibility, range, comfort, precision, response, and volume. Since so many factors of playing can be affected by the mouthpiece, it is important to make sure that the mouthpiece is well suited for the individual musician and fits the needs of the music being played. The following information should be considered when choosing a mouthpiece.
Parts of the Mouthpiece
Rim
The rounded edge of the mouthpiece that makes contact with your lips is called the rim. The thickness and shape of the rim can affect endurance, flexibility, range, precision of attack, and overall tone. Since the rim is the point of contact with the lips, overall comfort while playing is also greatly affected by the rim.
Wide Rim
Narrow Rim Rounded Rim Sharp Inner Rim |
Increases endurance, but limits flexibility.
Improves flexibility and helps cover a wide range of pitch. Improves comfort for crooked teeth, but loses clean low register attacks. Produces a brilliant metallic tone and precision of attack is more reliable. |
Cup
The bowl shaped area inside the rim of the mouthpiece is called the cup. Typically, a wider, deeper cup will allow for more volume and a darker tone, but requires more control and endurance. A narrower, shallower cup will produce a brighter, more brilliant tone with improved response and precision.
Large Cup Diameter
Small Cup Diameter Deep Cup Shallow Cup |
Produces a large volume and reduces risk of cracked tones.
Requires little strength. Limits tone and inhibits embouchure development. Darkens and improves the tone, especially in the low register. Designed for brasses in high keys. Brightens tone, improves response, and aids in high register production. |
Throat
The hole at the base of the cup where the air enters the backbore is called the throat. The function of the throat is to not have too much or too little endurance as to provide enough resistance to play easily in all registers with good intonation, and have sufficient endurance and tone.
Large Throat
Medium Throat Small Throat |
Increases blowing freedom, volume, sharpens high register. Can make playing softly difficult, however, it may help produce a bigger tone.
Produces an even register, good intonation, and sufficient endurance. Increases resistance, endurance, brilliance, flattens high register, and chokes the tone. A small throat does not produce an easier high register, it makes the high tones flat and the low tones sharp. |
Backbore
Except in general terms, it isn't possible to identify backbores by size because they also vary in shape and taper. Various combinations of size and shape make the tone darker or more brilliant, raise or lower the pitch in one or more registers, and increase or decrease volume. In each instance, the effect depends in part on the throat and cup used in combination with the backbore. If the backbore is too small, the high register will be stuffy and flat. If it is too big, the mouthpiece will not have sufficient resistance and the player's embouchure will become exhausted.
Material
Mouthpieces come in a variety of materials for a variety of reasons. Most mouthpieces are made from brass, but because of the high lead content and toxicity upon contact with the skin, brass mouthpieces are plated with gold or silver. Recently, there have also been mouthpieces made out of plastic, steel, and titanium. Anything from the desired tone to an undesired allergic reaction can influence the choice one can make in regards to the types of materials used for mouthpieces.
Silver Plated
Gold Plated Plastic Steel Titanium |
The standard brass mouthpiece plating. Cost effective and provides good tone.
More expensive than silver, but good for students with silver allergies. Improves flexibility and darkens tone. Good for extreme cold. Inexpensive, hypoallergenic alternative to silver. Lacks volume. Steel's density adds volume control at the extreme loud and soft dynamics, as well as focus and response. Hypoallergenic for gold or silver allergies. Expensive. Darker tone than steel with same advantages in volume and focus. Also hypoallergenic. Extremely expensive. |