1/06/2013

Choosing The Best Trumpet Mouthpiece For Individual Needs

By Maryellen Lamb


The tone, register and responsiveness a brass musician gets from his mouthpieces are extremely important. The best trumpet mouthpiece is designed by specialists in a way that perfects the curvature, rim and size of each piece for the ideal tone. Every part of the piece has a different impact on the instrument's sound.

There is no perfect size for every player. Individual choices need to be made in relation to the musician's playing habits. The rim is one of the most challenging parts to understand. Those that are large will create a larger tone whereas smaller diameters will be less effortful to play. Musicians who are still developing often increase their rim diameter as they learn.

The player's facial features are an important consideration when selecting a rim. The bite of the musician plays a role in choices as well because some bites can make certain rims less comfortable to play. Flexible players usually choose a small rim, which can be more tiring to play. A wide diameter rim can make playing more comfortable but it can also tire the musician after hours of playing.

The instrument chosen depends on the ranges the musician needs to produce. Jazz musicians sometimes use more middle ranges, and this determines the size of cup they select. Certain players like owning numerous mouthpieces so that they can be more versatile. It's important that playing is comfortable, and mouthpieces need to be mastered so that players can achieve better results.

High ranges and large tones are dependent on the size of the cup but players have a greater influence over sound. Some musicians are able to achieve large sounds with small mouthpieces. Novices often choose large cups because they more easily produce large tones.

Classical music is often better sounding with a specific sized cup, but jazz musicians have far more individualized needs. The lead players usually need to reach high notes produced by a smaller cup whilst other players need less compression. Sizing varies according to manufacturer, so it's best to rely on advice when choosing models from brands that are unknown.

Some mouthpieces are designed for more extreme effects such as particularly large tones and high ranges. Some players see such pieces as gimmicky because their extreme abilities often come with limitations. Musicians who choose mouthpieces such as these often own too great a number, which makes them less responsive to every unique piece.

The throat of the piece comes in various sizes which influence register and resistance. Too little resistance will make the instrument exhausting to play, and funnels that are too small can cause the tone to become muted. There are symphony throats specifically developed for artists who play in large orchestras. These produce more volume, and are often enlarged by manufacturers in a customized way.

There are also many different sized backbores, with each design achieving a different goal. The best trumpet mouthpiece has the correct combination of throat, cup, backbore and rim for the individual player. Pieces should be selected according to their middle register tones.




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