HowtoSelectaBrassMouthpiecebyRenoldO.Schilke

FromtheSchilkemouthpiecebrochure

Theimportanceofasuperiorbrassmouthpiececanscarcelybeoverstated.Manydirectorsandteachersofbrass,nottomentiontheirstudents,havestrongconvictionsaboutthebrandnameoftheinstrumentusedbuttendtoneglecttheimportanceofthepropermouthpiece.Oneshouldbearinmindthatthemouthpiecewhichcomeswithaninstrumentmaynormaynotbesuitableforaparticularplayer.(ItisforthisreasonthatSchilkeinstrumentscomewithoutamouthpiece.)Intruth,everyplayershoulduseamouthpiecespecificallyadaptedtohim,hisneeds,andhisinstrument.Properembouchuredevelopment,correctbreathcontrol,andagoodinstrumentareallimportant,butletusnotneglectamostimportantvariablethemouthpiece.

Inselectingthebestmouthpieceoneneedstoconsidertheplayer'steeth,jaw,andshapeofthelips(thicknessandwidth),aswellasthestrengthoftheembouchure,thedesiredtonequality,easeofplayingtheupperandlowerrange,endurance,intonation,andtheplayingdonemostofthetime.

Thoughamediumwidthcupdiameter,rimthickness,rimcontour,backbore,cupdepth,volume,andshapemayberecommendedfortheaverageplayer,asageneralruleitisdesiredtoencouragetheuseoflargersizesastheembouchuredevelops.Alargercupdiameterandcupvolumeallowsmoreoftheliptovibratewhichinturnproducesafullerandmoreresonantone.Thisalsoencouragesmorelipcontrolandendurance.Thelocationofthehighpointofthecontourisanothervariablethatshouldbekeptinmindthischangesthefeelofthewidthofthecup.

Thesharpnessoftheedgeoftherimorthe"bite"affectsboththeflexibilityandprecisionofattackandisanimportantvariable.

Asmallorshallowcupproducesthebrightestsoundandaidsinplayinghighnoteswhilealargerdeepcupaidsinproducingthelowertonesandproducesaricherdarkersound.TheSchilke"C"cupisagoodstandardsizeproducingagoodtonewithoutundulyfavoringeithertheveryhighorverylowregister.Thehighnotecrazeofsomestudents,especiallywhenhighnotesareforcedorsqueezedandoftenproducedontoosmallamouthpiece,istobediscouraged.Theplayerwiththicklipsshouldchooseasomewhatdeeperorlargercuptocompensatefortheextraspacehislipstakeupinsidethecup.

Aplayerwhoneedssomehelpintheupperrangeshouldexperimentusingashallowerfirstcupwithawidenedsecondcup.Theshallowfirstcupfacilitatestheplayingoftheupperregisterwhilethewidenedsecondcuppromotesafullerandrichertone.Asthebottomofthecupbecomesflatterone'sattackimprovesbuthequalityofthetonebecomessomewhatcoarser.Themorethecupshapebecomesconicalthebetteristhequalityofsoundbutasthisisaccentuatedthetonemaybecometoodark.

Aroundandnarrowrimcontourpermitsgreaterlipflexibilitybuttendstoreduceendurance.(Obviously,theamountofpressureonthelipsisanimportantconsiderationtoo.)Aratherflatandwiderimcontourfeelsthemostcomfortablebuttendstoholdthelipssomewhatimmobile,therebyreducinglipflexibility.Formostplayersajudiciouscompromiseinrimcontourissuggestedusingamouthpiecewhichhasareasonablerimcurvaturetoprovideflexibilitybutwithsufficientsurfacetoimproveendurance.

Anaveragesizethroat(thenarrowestpartofthemouthpieceopening)isalsopreferredfortheaverageplayer.Howeverwithaddedembouchuredevelopmentasomewhatlargerthroatshouldbetried.

Manybrassteachers,students,andmouthpiecemanufacturerstendtoneglecttheimportanceofthebackbore.Itisnotunusualtofindmouthpieceswhicharesuperiorineveryrespectexceptthebackbore.Playersfrequentlyexaminethemouthpiecewithgreatcarefromthetopbutneverreallyexaminethebackbore.Partofthetroubleisthebackboreisnotsoreadilyvisibletothenakedeye,butprobablythemoreimportantreasonisalackofunderstandingoftheimportanceoftheshapeofthebackbore.Thetighterthebackbore,themorebrilliantisthe

soundthelargerthebackbore,themelloweristhesound.Occasionallyachangeisthebackborewillimprovetheinherentfaultyintonationofaninstrument.Thelargesttrumpet/cornetbackboreIuse,oftencalledtheSchmidtbackbore,givesthelargestvolumewithcontrol.However,shouldonewishmorecontrol,abackboretowardthe"a"rangewouldbedesirable.

Thereisnosubstituteforthecarefulanalysisofaplayer'sneeds,bothphysicalandmusical.Someexperimentationintestingisencouraged.Butthecontinuousseekingofthe"perfect"mouthpieceiscertaintoproduceonlyfrustration.

Allteachersandplayersofbrassinstruments,bothprofessionalandamateurwillbenefitmuchbyunderstandingthevariouspartsorsurfacesofabrassmouthpieceandwhatfunctionseachhas.Onlythencanonemakeintelligentandpracticalrecommendationsastowhichmouthpiecewillproducethedesiredresultswithaparticularplayer.

Lackofcontrolsinthemanufactureofmouthpieceshasbeenfoundthroughextensivetestingofmouthpieces.Somemanufacturesdonotholdtolerancesverywell.Itisforthisreasonthatmarkeddifferencescanbefoundwithinthesamemouthpiececategoryofthesamemanufacturer,somuchsothatoftentwomouthpieceslabeleddifferentlyaremorealikethantwowhicharelabeledthesame.Thisvarianceisoftenparticularlynoticeablewhencomparingthesamemouthpiecemadeindifferentyears.(Shapersaresharpened,andtosharpenthemsomemetalhastoberemoved.This,achangeindimensions.ShapersattheSchilkefactoryarereplacednotsharpened.)Itshouldbementionedthatsmalldifferencesindimensions,toosmalltobediscernedbythenakedeye,canbediscernedbyadiscriminatingplayeraswellaswithspecialmeasuringtools.

Whenaplayerwishesabettermouthpiece,Iusuallyaskhimseveralquestions.Whatmouthpieceareyouusingnow?Whatdifficulty,ifany,doyouhavewiththatmouthpiece?Inwhatdirectiondoyouwanttogo?Achangeoftonecolor?Increasedrange?Betterintonation?Increasedendurance?Theanswerstothesequestionsdeterminewhatnewmouthpiecesshouldbeused.Forexample:

Nowplays: Bach7CObjective: MorebrillianceSolution: Schilke#12

Nowplays: Bach3CObjective: MoreenduranceSolution: Schilke#15

Nowplays: Bach3CObjective: MorevolumeandflexibilitySolution: Schilke#18

Nowplays: Bach1CObjective: MoretoneandflexibilitySolution: Schilke#20

Nowplays: Olds3Objective: MorecuproomandlipfreedomSolution: Schilke#11

Thesearebutafewexamplesofthemanyproblemsoftrumpetplayersandthesuggestedsolutions.

Itisnotunusualforaperformertobecompletelysatisfiedwithaparticularrimandcupheisusingbutwishesadifferenttonequality.Inthiscaseitisasimplemattertoduplicatethedesiredrimandcupexactly(regardlessofmake)andadjustthethroatorbackboreandprovidehimwithacustommouthpiece.

Attimesaplayermayhaveairescapingatthesideofthemouthpiece.Usuallythisisnotthefaultoftoolittlepressure,butstretchingthelips(insteadofcontractingthem):perhapshisteethandjawformationistooirregular.Mouthpiecepressurereducesendurancebecausethebloodcirculationinthelipsiscutoffandlip

swellingresults.Ontheotherhand,wideningandflatteningthemouthpiecerimcontourwillcompensateonlyinpartforaddedpressure.Carryingthistypeofmouthpiecetoofarreduceslipflexibilityandthedesiredexactpointwherethelipscannotandshouldnotvibrate.Pinchingthelipsusingtoomuchmouthpiecepressure,andusingtoosmallamouthpiece(unlessabsolutelyessential)arenosubstituteforembouchuredevelopment.

Everyteacherandplayershouldrecognizethatamouthpieceonaninstrumentwillnotsoundthesametothepayerastoonestandingdistanceaway.Agoodtaperecorderisveryhelpful.Furthermore,thesamemouthpieceandinstrumentcanactuallysounddifferentwhenplayedbytwodifferentpeople,differencesintheformationoflips,teeth,jaws,nottomentionbreathcontrolandexperience.allcontributetodifferencesinthesound.Again,there'snosubstituteforadaptingthebestpossiblemouthpiecetotheplayer'sneeds.Thismustbeconsideredtoowhentryingtohaveaperfectlyblendedbrasssectiontoproducetheultimateinuniformtonequality.

Twoseriousshortcomingsareoftenoverlookedbybothteachersandplayersofbrassinstruments.Thefirstiswhenamouthpieceisabittoolarge:agapwillexistbetweentheendofthemouthpieceandtheinsideofthetubing,themouthpipeasillustratedhere.

Whenanodalpointofavibration(sound)hitsthisgapordepressiontheresultisthesameasifthemouthpipehadasuddenbulge.Sincethemostcrucialpartofanybrassinstrumentisthemouthpiecefollowedbythemouthpipe,onecanseetheseriousnesswhenthemouthpiecedoesnotbuttagainsttheendofthemouthpipe.Thisshortcomingcanbecorrectedbyturningdowntheshankabitonalathe.Oneshouldrememberthatwhenamouthpieceisfartherinthemouthpipethatthepitchoftheinstrumentisraised,thisrequirespullingthetuningslideabit.

Equallyseriousistheoppositeoftheforegoing,namelywhentheendofthemouthpieceistoosmallandgoesinsideofthemouthpipe.Thiscanhappeniftheforegoingfaultisovercorrectedbyturningdowntheshanktoomuch.Bothfaultsjustmentionedareseriousandoccurfrequentlyonallbrassinstruments.Ifyouareadiscriminatingteacher,player,ormusicmerchant,itismostdesirablethataparticularmouthpiecefittheinstrumentexactly.

Sinceitisimpossibletodeepdirtfromcoagulatinginamouthpiece,andsinceanydirtespeciallyinthethroatandbackboreinterfereswithintonationandplayingease,itisimperativetokeepthemouthpiececlean.Amouthpiecebrushshouldbeusedeveryweek.

Whenamouthpiecehasthesilverplatingwornorgroundoff,itcanbereplated.PleasesenditdirectlytotheSchilkeCompany.However,ifthemouthpiecehasbecomenickedorbadlycorroded,itisbesttoreplaceitentirely.

BesuretowritedownormemorizetheexactnumberofyourSchilkemouthpiecesothatifyoushouldloseit,youcanorderanexactduplicate.

Aseveryknowledgeablepersoninthebrassworldknows,itisundesirabletousetoomuchmouthpiecepressuretohitthehightones.Instead,oneneedstodeveloptheembouchuremuscles.Thistakestime.Also,ittakestimetogetusedtoanewmouthpiece,especiallyifthecupdiameterislargerthanthepreviousoneaplayerused.Howeverthehighregisterwillneedtosufferonlytemporarily.

Inselectingabrassmouthpieceoneshouldstriveforoptimumtonequalityandaccurateintonationratherthaneaseofhittingthehighnotes,unlessthelatterisanabsolute"must."Oftenthebestpossiblemouthpieceisanintelligentcompromise.Everyteacherandplayershouldstrivefortheoptimumcombinationofthemajorvariables.Aswithmanythingsinlife,there'smoretoafinebrassmouthpiecethanwhatmeetstheeye.

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