HowtoSelectaBrassMouthpiece

byRenoldO.Schilke
FromtheSchilkemouthpiecebrochure
Theimportanceofasuperiorbrassmouthpiececanscarcelybeoverstated.Manydirectorsandteachersofbrass,
nottomentiontheirstudents,havestrongconvictionsaboutthebrandnameoftheinstrumentusedbuttendto
neglecttheimportanceofthepropermouthpiece.Oneshouldbearinmindthatthemouthpiecewhichcomes
withaninstrumentmaynormaynotbesuitableforaparticularplayer.(ItisforthisreasonthatSchilke
instrumentscomewithoutamouthpiece.)Intruth,everyplayershoulduseamouthpiecespecificallyadaptedto
him,hisneeds,andhisinstrument.Properembouchuredevelopment,correctbreathcontrol,andagood
instrumentareallimportant,butletusnotneglectamostimportantvariablethemouthpiece.
Inselectingthebestmouthpieceoneneedstoconsidertheplayer'steeth,jaw,andshapeofthelips(thicknessand
width),aswellasthestrengthoftheembouchure,thedesiredtonequality,easeofplayingtheupperandlower
range,endurance,intonation,andtheplayingdonemostofthetime.
Thoughamediumwidthcupdiameter,rimthickness,rimcontour,backbore,cupdepth,volume,andshapemay
berecommendedfortheaverageplayer,asageneralruleitisdesiredtoencouragetheuseoflargersizesasthe
embouchuredevelops.Alargercupdiameterandcupvolumeallowsmoreoftheliptovibratewhichinturn
producesafullerandmoreresonantone.Thisalsoencouragesmorelipcontrolandendurance.Thelocationof
thehighpointofthecontourisanothervariablethatshouldbekeptinmindthischangesthefeelofthewidthof
thecup.
Thesharpnessoftheedgeoftherimorthe"bite"affectsboththeflexibilityandprecisionofattackandisan
importantvariable.
Asmallorshallowcupproducesthebrightestsoundandaidsinplayinghighnoteswhilealargerdeepcupaids
inproducingthelowertonesandproducesaricherdarkersound.TheSchilke"C"cupisagoodstandardsize
producingagoodtonewithoutundulyfavoringeithertheveryhighorverylowregister.Thehighnotecrazeof
somestudents,especiallywhenhighnotesareforcedorsqueezedandoftenproducedontoosmallamouthpiece,
istobediscouraged.Theplayerwiththicklipsshouldchooseasomewhatdeeperorlargercuptocompensatefor
theextraspacehislipstakeupinsidethecup.
Aplayerwhoneedssomehelpintheupperrangeshouldexperimentusingashallowerfirstcupwithawidened
secondcup.Theshallowfirstcupfacilitatestheplayingoftheupperregisterwhilethewidenedsecondcup
promotesafullerandrichertone.Asthebottomofthecupbecomesflatterone'sattackimprovesbuthequality
ofthetonebecomessomewhatcoarser.Themorethecupshapebecomesconicalthebetteristhequalityof
soundbutasthisisaccentuatedthetonemaybecometoodark.
Aroundandnarrowrimcontourpermitsgreaterlipflexibilitybuttendstoreduceendurance.(Obviously,the
amountofpressureonthelipsisanimportantconsiderationtoo.)Aratherflatandwiderimcontourfeelsthe
mostcomfortablebuttendstoholdthelipssomewhatimmobile,therebyreducinglipflexibility.Formost
playersajudiciouscompromiseinrimcontourissuggestedusingamouthpiecewhichhasareasonablerim
curvaturetoprovideflexibilitybutwithsufficientsurfacetoimproveendurance.
Anaveragesizethroat(thenarrowestpartofthemouthpieceopening)isalsopreferredfortheaverageplayer.
Howeverwithaddedembouchuredevelopmentasomewhatlargerthroatshouldbetried.
Manybrassteachers,students,andmouthpiecemanufacturerstendtoneglecttheimportanceofthebackbore.It
isnotunusualtofindmouthpieceswhicharesuperiorineveryrespectexceptthebackbore.Playersfrequently
examinethemouthpiecewithgreatcarefromthetopbutneverreallyexaminethebackbore.Partofthetroubleis
thebackboreisnotsoreadilyvisibletothenakedeye,butprobablythemoreimportantreasonisalackof
understandingoftheimportanceoftheshapeofthebackbore.Thetighterthebackbore,themorebrilliantisthe

soundthelargerthebackbore,themelloweristhesound.Occasionallyachangeisthebackborewillimprove
theinherentfaultyintonationofaninstrument.Thelargesttrumpet/cornetbackboreIuse,oftencalledthe
Schmidtbackbore,givesthelargestvolumewithcontrol.However,shouldonewishmorecontrol,abackbore
towardthe"a"rangewouldbedesirable.
Thereisnosubstituteforthecarefulanalysisofaplayer'sneeds,bothphysicalandmusical.Some
experimentationintestingisencouraged.Butthecontinuousseekingofthe"perfect"mouthpieceiscertainto
produceonlyfrustration.
Allteachersandplayersofbrassinstruments,bothprofessionalandamateurwillbenefitmuchbyunderstanding
thevariouspartsorsurfacesofabrassmouthpieceandwhatfunctionseachhas.Onlythencanonemake
intelligentandpracticalrecommendationsastowhichmouthpiecewillproducethedesiredresultswitha
particularplayer.
Lackofcontrolsinthemanufactureofmouthpieceshasbeenfoundthroughextensivetestingofmouthpieces.
Somemanufacturesdonotholdtolerancesverywell.Itisforthisreasonthatmarkeddifferencescanbefound
withinthesamemouthpiececategoryofthesamemanufacturer,somuchsothatoftentwomouthpieceslabeled
differentlyaremorealikethantwowhicharelabeledthesame.Thisvarianceisoftenparticularlynoticeable
whencomparingthesamemouthpiecemadeindifferentyears.(Shapersaresharpened,andtosharpenthem
somemetalhastoberemoved.This,achangeindimensions.ShapersattheSchilkefactoryarereplacednot
sharpened.)Itshouldbementionedthatsmalldifferencesindimensions,toosmalltobediscernedbythenaked
eye,canbediscernedbyadiscriminatingplayeraswellaswithspecialmeasuringtools.
Whenaplayerwishesabettermouthpiece,Iusuallyaskhimseveralquestions.Whatmouthpieceareyouusing
now?Whatdifficulty,ifany,doyouhavewiththatmouthpiece?Inwhatdirectiondoyouwanttogo?Achange
oftonecolor?Increasedrange?Betterintonation?Increasedendurance?Theanswerstothesequestions
determinewhatnewmouthpiecesshouldbeused.Forexample:
Nowplays: Bach7C
Objective: Morebrilliance
Solution: Schilke#12
Nowplays: Bach3C
Objective: Moreendurance
Solution: Schilke#15
Nowplays: Bach3C
Objective: Morevolumeandflexibility
Solution: Schilke#18
Nowplays: Bach1C
Objective: Moretoneandflexibility
Solution: Schilke#20
Nowplays: Olds3
Objective: Morecuproomandlipfreedom
Solution: Schilke#11
Thesearebutafewexamplesofthemanyproblemsoftrumpetplayersandthesuggestedsolutions.
Itisnotunusualforaperformertobecompletelysatisfiedwithaparticularrimandcupheisusingbutwishesa
differenttonequality.Inthiscaseitisasimplemattertoduplicatethedesiredrimandcupexactly(regardlessof
make)andadjustthethroatorbackboreandprovidehimwithacustommouthpiece.
Attimesaplayermayhaveairescapingatthesideofthemouthpiece.Usuallythisisnotthefaultoftoolittle
pressure,butstretchingthelips(insteadofcontractingthem):perhapshisteethandjawformationistoo
irregular.Mouthpiecepressurereducesendurancebecausethebloodcirculationinthelipsiscutoffandlip

swellingresults.Ontheotherhand,wideningandflatteningthemouthpiecerimcontourwillcompensateonlyin
partforaddedpressure.Carryingthistypeofmouthpiecetoofarreduceslipflexibilityandthedesiredexact
pointwherethelipscannotandshouldnotvibrate.Pinchingthelipsusingtoomuchmouthpiecepressure,and
usingtoosmallamouthpiece(unlessabsolutelyessential)arenosubstituteforembouchuredevelopment.
Everyteacherandplayershouldrecognizethatamouthpieceonaninstrumentwillnotsoundthesametothe
payerastoonestandingdistanceaway.Agoodtaperecorderisveryhelpful.Furthermore,thesamemouthpiece
andinstrumentcanactuallysounddifferentwhenplayedbytwodifferentpeople,differencesintheformationof
lips,teeth,jaws,nottomentionbreathcontrolandexperience.allcontributetodifferencesinthesound.Again,
there'snosubstituteforadaptingthebestpossiblemouthpiecetotheplayer'sneeds.Thismustbeconsideredtoo
whentryingtohaveaperfectlyblendedbrasssectiontoproducetheultimateinuniformtonequality.
Twoseriousshortcomingsareoftenoverlookedbybothteachersandplayersofbrassinstruments.Thefirstis
whenamouthpieceisabittoolarge:agapwillexistbetweentheendofthemouthpieceandtheinsideofthe
tubing,themouthpipeasillustratedhere.
Whenanodalpointofavibration(sound)hitsthisgapordepressiontheresultisthesameasifthemouthpipe
hadasuddenbulge.Sincethemostcrucialpartofanybrassinstrumentisthemouthpiecefollowedbythe
mouthpipe,onecanseetheseriousnesswhenthemouthpiecedoesnotbuttagainsttheendofthemouthpipe.
Thisshortcomingcanbecorrectedbyturningdowntheshankabitonalathe.Oneshouldrememberthatwhena
mouthpieceisfartherinthemouthpipethatthepitchoftheinstrumentisraised,thisrequirespullingthetuning
slideabit.
Equallyseriousistheoppositeoftheforegoing,namelywhentheendofthemouthpieceistoosmallandgoes
insideofthemouthpipe.Thiscanhappeniftheforegoingfaultisovercorrectedbyturningdowntheshanktoo
much.Bothfaultsjustmentionedareseriousandoccurfrequentlyonallbrassinstruments.Ifyouarea
discriminatingteacher,player,ormusicmerchant,itismostdesirablethataparticularmouthpiecefitthe
instrumentexactly.
Sinceitisimpossibletodeepdirtfromcoagulatinginamouthpiece,andsinceanydirtespeciallyinthethroat
andbackboreinterfereswithintonationandplayingease,itisimperativetokeepthemouthpiececlean.A
mouthpiecebrushshouldbeusedeveryweek.
Whenamouthpiecehasthesilverplatingwornorgroundoff,itcanbereplated.Pleasesenditdirectlytothe
SchilkeCompany.However,ifthemouthpiecehasbecomenickedorbadlycorroded,itisbesttoreplaceit
entirely.
BesuretowritedownormemorizetheexactnumberofyourSchilkemouthpiecesothatifyoushouldloseit,
youcanorderanexactduplicate.
Aseveryknowledgeablepersoninthebrassworldknows,itisundesirabletousetoomuchmouthpiecepressure
tohitthehightones.Instead,oneneedstodeveloptheembouchuremuscles.Thistakestime.Also,ittakestime
togetusedtoanewmouthpiece,especiallyifthecupdiameterislargerthanthepreviousoneaplayerused.
Howeverthehighregisterwillneedtosufferonlytemporarily.
Inselectingabrassmouthpieceoneshouldstriveforoptimumtonequalityandaccurateintonationratherthan
easeofhittingthehighnotes,unlessthelatterisanabsolute"must."Oftenthebestpossiblemouthpieceisan
intelligentcompromise.Everyteacherandplayershouldstrivefortheoptimumcombinationofthemajor
variables.Aswithmanythingsinlife,there'smoretoafinebrassmouthpiecethanwhatmeetstheeye.

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