Euphonium Mouthpieces — A Teacher`s Guide David R. Werden
Transcription
Euphonium Mouthpieces — A Teacher`s Guide David R. Werden
Euphonium Mouthpieces — A Teacher's Guide David R. Werden t is generally accepted that the mouthpiece is [most important piece of equipment a brass ^er owns, yet most teachers invest very little : helping the student select this relatively inexisive item. Choosing a proper mouthpiece n't have to be a burden. However, it is essary to have good comparative specifications well as an understanding of mouthpiece charleristics. This article is designed to help the her guide the student toward selecting a propnouthpiece. ertain variations in a mouthpiece's design will predictable relative effects for any player, start by looking at some of these general dencies. rim ) Diameter he student should use the widest diameter he i manage; it permits more of the lip to vibrate, ducing a larger sound, A wide cup needn't limit Hurance. It will discourage the player from usj excessive pressure for high register playing, ereby encouraging proper use of the lip Uscles. There is no need to select a very small cup for s beginning player. It will only lead him into bad |bits. Consider 24.5-26 millimeters as a good nge for the young student. Most advanced Bayers will use diameters of 25.4-26.4 lillimeters. • Depth Cup depth is critical and may have a greater imct on a mouthpiece's characteristics than cup ameter. A deeper cup will give a darker tone and ill improve low register response. However, it ay flatten the high register and could lower the erall pitch of the instrument. It may also ssen endurance. A shallower cup will have the asite effects. A cup with a more V-shaped boti will produce the same results as a deeper cup. |The beginner will probably be most comfortable nth a medium or medium-shallow cup. The more ilvanced player will want to select the deepest cup appropriate for his needs. The shallower cups would only be chosen for players needing a brilliant high register. Throat Diameter The throat is the narrowest part of the mouthpiece's interior, and may be specified in millimeters, inches, or drill bit sizes (the letter designation of the bit which fits most snugly through the throat). A large throat offers the player a bigger sound and makes the low range play easier; it may also make the extreme high register easier to attain. However, it could diminish endurance and make the high range too sharp. A small throat could restrict the high range and make it flat, as well as make the low register difficult to play. For the beginner select a medium throat (6.5-7mm). Encourage the more advanced student to try a larger throat (7-7.5mm). Backbore The backbore lies between the throat and the end of the shank. It is difficult to describe numerically, as design variations occur only in its shape. A tight or closed backbore is one in which the inner walls of the shank are more convex; an open backbore is one in which the inner walls are more concave. To think of it another way, an open backbore is one which increases in size rapidly beyond the throat. A tight backbore increases in size very little beyond the throat until about halfway down the shank where it opens more rapidly to meet the end of the mouthpiece. An open backbore offers a darker sound and greater volume potential, but lessens endurance and ease of response. A tight backbore may flatten the high register and make the low register stuffy. It will also brighten the sound. With the major mouthpiece brands, you can probably ignore the backbore in your process of selection. A mouthpiece chosen carefully for its other characteristics will generally have an appropriate backbore. Rim Width and Shape Rim width and shape can affect endurance, flexibility, and sharpness of attacks. Most players should use a medium-wide rim, which will allow optimum comfort and endurance by distributing mouthpiece pressure over a larger area. A wide rim (known as a cushion rim) might be necessary for players with very thick lips if they find the David R. Werden is principal and solo euphoniumist with the U.S. Coast Guard Band and was named 1980 "Euphonium Player of the Year" by Sounding Brass magazine. He is a clinician for Boosey and Hawkes, and euphoniumist with the Atlantic Tuba Quartet and the U.S. Coast Guard Tuba Quartet. MAY IW1/1HI INS1KUMENIALISI 23 medium-wide rim uncomfortable. However, for most players the wide rim will limit flexibility and may encourage the use of too much mouthpiece pressure. A narrow rim increases flexibility, but its tendency to cut off the circulation of blood in the lips will decrease endurance. The rim should be relatively flat for good pressure distribution. One that is too rounded will offer more flexibility at the expense of endurance, and will make the mouthpiece feel as though it has a larger cup. The rim should have a relatively sharp inner edge to promote cleaner attacks. There should be just enough curvature of the rim to keep the inner edge from digging into the lips. Plating Mouthpieces are made of brass and plated with silver or gold. The gold is more expensive, but may allow a little more flexibility because it has a smoother surface. Once the plating wears off the rim, the mouthpiece must be replated or discarded. Bare brass against the lips could cause a serious infection. This is a problem the teacher must help keep an eye on, as most young players are not aware of the danger. Shank Size Insist that your student buy a mouthpiece with the proper shank size for his instrument. Using an adaptor is never satisfactory. It will degrade tone, intonation, and response. Baritones and euphoniums require one of three shank sizes: 1) small, tenor trombone size (all Yamahas, all true English-style baritone horns, and most American bell-front instruments), 2) middle, or euphonium size (pre-1974 Besson and Boosey & Hawkes euphoniums, Willson euphoniums, and Conn model 24 and 25 euphoniums), and 3) large, or bass trombone size (newer Besson and Boosey & Hawkes euphoniums, Hirsbrunner euphoniums, and new King euphoniums). While it is fairly easy to find models with large or small shanks, it can sometimes be difficult to find one with the middle size shank. If your student can't find this middle size on the mouthpiece he wants, have him buy the large size. It is then a simple matter for any good repair shop to shave it down to fit correctly. The proper technique is to shave the shank just enough so that it extends about one inch into the receiver. Detachable Rims Some manufacturers will prepare their mouthpieces with a removable rim (called a screw rim) for special needs. If your student is sometimes required to play outdoors in cold weather, you might have him consider a screw-rim mouthpiece. He can then obtain a lucite rim for his coldweather playing. This type of rim will never feel cold and won't freeze onto the lips. Another option is for the player to use his regular rim on two or more different mouthpiece bodies. This practice is useful when the player doubles on another instrument that requires a different size cup, such as trombone or baritone 24 Till INSTRUMENTALIST/MAY 1'IBI horn. It is also useful when the player needs tou You'll probabl> different shank sizes for different instrument or most players f With either of these examples, your student ne jf the available si: change only what is required, always keeping t jy with the very 1 same rim he is accustomed to playing. .akes only a sma slement to prodti. General Advice pie if the studei Remember that each student is an individu nouthpiece but fi with a unique physical makeup and his own co lim try a model cept of tone. The mouthpiece that works well f|nore open throat, one student may be the wrong choice for anothf A mouthpiece's Always have each student try the mouthpie|ind a very small under consideration on his own instrument. ^performance. Ins. It is very important to match the mouthpiecefnouthpiece each the instrument. For example a deep cup or a larjjjave him buy a n throat and backbore will probably prove unsatjuse to clean the factory when used with a small-bore instrumeident may polish : Conversely, a shallow cup or tight backbore mfsionally if necess keep your student from gettirtg the most out of Since gold plating large-bore instrument. be polished. Offer to go with your student when he tries oi If you wish to n mouthpieces. Even an advanced player finds a semouthpieces, ge ond opinion valuable. It may also be helpful \bouchure and Me take along an electronic tuner to assess the intoB Division of Selme tion of the mouthpiece in the high and la According to registers. Encourage your student to cover a euphonium play aspects of his playing — high and low, loud alBritish Isles, the soft, tongued and slurred. brands in use are Some Instrument/Mouthpiece Combinations No | In Use In the United States Player: Instrument/mouthpiece • U.S. Army Band David Cobbs: Besson/Lehman bowl, Wick rim Lee Dummer: Besson/Lehman 2 Gary Schumaker: Besson/Schilke 51D • U.S. Marine Band Lucas Spiros: Yamaha/Giardinelli Spiros Glenn Call: Boosey & Hawkes/Lehman 1, 2, & 4 • U.S. Navy Band John Hadderly: Willson/Schilke 51D John Bowman: Willson/Schilke 5ID • U.S.A./F. Band Brian Bowman: Willson/Schilke 5ID • U.S.C.G. Band David Werden: Boosey & Hawkes/Wick 4BL Roger Behrend: Willson/Schilke 5ID • U.S.A. Field Band Carlyle Weber: Yamaha/Perantucci 3 Don Burleson: Besson/Lehman 1 •West Point Band Arden Norton: Besson/Wick 4AM Buddy Baker: Yamaha, Conn/Remington (Conn) Larry Campbell: Hirsbrunner/Perantucci 3 Paul Droste: Yamaha/Schilke 51D Karl Humble: Boosey & Hawkes/Custom design Arthur Lehman: Boosey & Hawkes/Lehman 3 Earle Louder: Hirsbrunner, Besson/Bach 9, Bach 5G Michael Mamminga: Boosey & Hawkes/Wick 6BM Rich Matteson: Yamaha/Giardinelli Matteson Dick Nash: Yamaha/Bach 11 Denis Winter: Willson/Perantucci 3 t South I I Oak, 25,0 26.0 > Older J JM31 si-Kup (B8H) lesson G70 nington ou'll probably find that the best mouthpiece Host players falls somewhere in the mid-range he available sizes. Very few players will be hapvith the very largest or smallest sizes. Often it only a small change in a particular design fient to produce noticeable results. For qxamif the student is basically happy with his uthpiece but finds his high register is flat, have try a model with similar dimensions but a : open throat. mouthpiece's inner dimensions are critical, I a very small build-up of dirt could affect its jformance. Instruct your student to clean his uthpiece each week with soap and water. Also : him buy a mouthpiece brush, which he can i to clean the throat and backbore. Your stu|t may polish a silver-plated mouthpiece oc'cajially if necessary, using a mild silver polish. jgold plating is relatively soft, it should never olished. f you wish to read a more detailed discussion of iithpieces, get the booklet entitled Emchure and Mouthpiece Manual (Vincent Bach, |ision of Selmer, Box 310, Elkhart, Indiana). ccording to questionnaires filled out by j)honium players in North America and the itish Isles, the three most popular mouthpiece nds in use are Bach, Denis Wick, and Schilke. I'll refer to those brands to recommend a few models as good basic mouthpieces. Use these if your student doesn't know where to begin in choosing a proper mouthpiece. Your beginning students could try a Bach 6'/2AL, a Wick 6BY (or 6BM for medium shanks, and 6BL for large shanks), and a Schilke 51. After the student's embouchure is well-developed, encourage him to change to a larger mouthpiece. Your more advanced students could try a Bach 4G or 3G, a Wick 4AY or 4BS (or 4AM for medium shanks, and 4AL or 4BL f or large shanks), or a Schilke 51D. As a teacher, you should know which brands are available at your local music stores, and may want to ask dealers to carry some of the more common models so your students will have the opportunity to test-play them. Specifications are included here for most of the commonly used mouthpiece brands. Most figures were obtained from the manufacturers although some are the result of direct measurement. Following the tables is a list of instrument/mouthpiece combinations used by some of the prominent players in the United States, based partly on information obtained from questionnaires. The list is admittedly incomplete, but is included as a matter of interest, not for the purpose of making specific recommendations. Mouthpiece Specification Tables |11 dimensions are; given in millimeters. Cup |ih designations: S""= shallow ; • ; = medium shallow —medium —medium deep '.D=deep • . ;••• '. . ; ik size designations: T = small, tenor trombone size £= middle, "old Besson" euphonium size B = large, bass trombone size CCi Mouthpiece* t Music Company 4 South Main Street I Oak, Michigan 521-6380} : Model 12 nc 11 Cup Diameter throat Dlam»t*r Cup Depth : Shank 25.0 26.0 7,2 7,4 MD MD T-I-B T-i-B t Older Models for Comparison • Cup Throat Cup Diameter Diameter Depth 24.1 24,5 25.0 : 25.15 25.75 $16-20 Middle-size shank or screw-rim by special order 12C : I plating not available MllM ig M31 si-Kwp (B8H) sson G70 mington Vincent Bach Division of the Selmer Company Box 310 Elkhart, Indiana (800-348-7426) 6.0 7.2 6.7 7.5 6.1 MS MD M MD MD Net* Shank T T E B T-B 9 8 ViBW 8 7C 7 6%C 6V4A 6'/»AM o'/iAL 6 5 5GS 5O 5GB 4C 4 4G 3 3G Cup Throat Cup Diameter Diameter Depth 24.5 24.5 24.7 24.7 24.72 24.75 24.75 24.75 24.75 25.4 25,4 25.4 25.4 25.5 25.5 25.5 25.5 25.5 26.0 26.0 26.0 26.26 26.26 5.85 5.85 5.85 5.85 5.85 5,85 5.85 S.85 5.85 5.85 5.85 6.53 6.63 5.85 5.85 6.63 7.0 7.0 5.8S 5,85 7.0 6.63 7.0 M M MS MO MD MS M MS M MS MD MD MD M M MD D D MS M D MD D Shank Note T; T T T T T T T T T T-B T-B T-B T T B B B T T B T B #1 #3 #2 12 *. cushion rim #2-Robnded rim #3-Very rounded rim MAY ]>mi/IMl INSIKUMtNlALISl 25 Glordlnelli Band Instrument Company IS1 West 46th Street New York, New York (212-575-5959) Lehman Mouthpiece Robert J. Pallatised 2808 Wood lawn Avenue Fatls Church, Virginia (703-532-0137) $23-One-plece (gold-$35) $27-Screw-rim (gold-$47) Also stocked: Bach and Denis Wick Model 6M 6D 5M 5D 4M 40 Sym, t 3GM 3G 3M 3D 2GM 2G Spiros Sym, B $40-One-p!ece $55-Screw-rim Custom model. Usually made with customer's own Cup Diameter Throat Diameter Cup Depth 24.5 24,5 25,0 25.0 25,4 25,4 25.S 26,0 26.0 26,3 26.3 26.5 26,5 26.5 5.7S 6.0 6.0 6,0 M MD M MO M MD MO MD D M MD MO D D D 26,7 6.4 6.4 6,4 6.75 7.0 4,4 6.4 6,75 7.15 7,4 7,15 < rim copied on Lehman bowl. No gold plating ottered. Shank Note T-E T-E T-E T-E Model T.E T-E / T-E B B T-E T-E B ft T-E B #1 Cup Diameter Throat Diameter Cup Depth 25.4 25.4 25.4 25,4 7,6 7,6 7.6 7.6 very deep T-E-B deeper T-E-B deeper T-E-B extremely T-E-B cup; deep Shank Denis Wick Boosey & Hawkes P.O. Box 130 Oceanside, New York (S1M78-2SW) The following nany excellent (elected to demc All mouthpieces gold plated $27-32 #l-Very deep, V-shoped cup The I t< >LI uuiciii 111 vail. >aroque to jazz, " Schtlke Music Products, Inc. 529 S.Wobosh Avenue Chicago, Illinois (312-922-0570) Model $25-32, $37.44 In gold. Middle size shank $5 extra (thank will be bare brass) Model 40B 40 42B 42 43A 44E4 45B 45 46 460 478 47 47C4 50 51 B 51 510 52 52D 52E2 53 57 58 Cup Diameter 22.51 22.53 22,99 23.22 23,57 24,28 24.3 24.38 24.54 24.76 24.87 24,99 25.1 25.4 25.43 25.43 25,63 25.44 25,44 25,5 2l».24 26,52 27.68 Throat Diameter 6.35 6.35 5.94 5.94 6.15 6.35 6,15 6.15 6,35 ,6.35 6.15 6.15 6,15 6,75 7.04 7,04 7.04 6.75 6.35 7.04 6.35 6,75 7.54 Cup Depth S MS S MS S 0 MS M M D MS M M M MS M D M 0 D MD MD 0 #1-T, Ddfsey model #2-Very deep cup 13-Rourtdad rim #4-far beginner 15-Recommended for baritone/euphonium if6-Cushion rim f7-Recommended for euphonium 26 I N S I K U M I N I A I I S I / M A Y I'ffil • Shank T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-i T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B T-B B B Note 11 12 t3 12CS IOCS 9BS 6BS 6BY 6BM Cup Diameter 24.4 25.0 25.0 25.4 25.4 25.4 6BL 5BS 25.4 25.75 561 SAL 25.75 25,75 4BS 4BL 4AY 4AM 4AL 26.0 26.0 26.0 26.0 26.0 3AL 2AL 36.4 27.0 Throat Diameter Cup Depth medium medium medium 7.0 7,0 7,0 1.0 7,25 7.25 7.25 7.5 7.5 MS MS MS M 7,5 M M M MO MD D MD MD D 7,5 D 7.5 0 0 D N/A N/A 14 #5 #1 -Good for baritone horn 12 -Recommended for Euphonium f6 Yamaha International Corporation Box 7271 trass instrumen Shank Not< vhich are a vit£ T T #1 ' T T E #2 #2 ire a part of a pu #2:; B T B T it 4 #2"; «.j E B B B #2 I n '•! #2; " ';' j '';;! #7 #2 $18. Gold not available Meaet 42B 47 48 51 B 52D 57 51 Cup Diameter 23.0 25,0 25,4 25.4 -JHU 26,5 27.7 1 Throat Diameter Cup Depth Shank 5.94 415 6.50 7.04 6,35 6.75 7,54 MS T M M MS T T D 0 D T T T T ecordings can hi Three fine albi ire available to t! B T B Grand Rapids, Michigan (616-942-9223) •adios, the euphc o students of t. T ; service bands. Soloists and Cl iuard Band, M> Ihepard, David V lamsoe, Buttei Juartet. This Was the JuardBand, The Verden, soloist. "Spotlight" - The U.S. Air ioccalari, Brian ', Other albums ». Young, Barita Jrest Records), i: lamentals of b Icjuipment, and luphonium. Mas laritone: Larrj ..eonard), is avail vith printed mus :adelt, Vittoria! ind Minuet: Har illegro: Handel. Classical Them Wilson. The tape L soloist, allowir >art. There are man