Playing Tuba with thin Lips

[HembachTuba]

Hello, i'am playing Tuba since two years. I have changed the Instrument, before playing tuba i played Saxophon.
My lips are not very thick, and i'am looking for a mouthpiece that fits to me. Actually i'm using a Yamaha 67C4,
but i'am not very happy with it. A few days ago i could test a moutpiece with a cup diameter of 33mm (1,29 inches)
the manufacturer is Bruno Tilz. The type is - Spezial 231-C4 -. It was very convenient to play, but i'am unsure about the cup diameter !

Are here tubaplayer with thinner lips in the forum, and what cupdiameter do you playing?
Tell me your experience please, so i hope, i will get a broad direction.

I'am plying a Roland Meinl B-flat tuba

sorry for my englisch, i'am not a native speaker.

[Timswisstuba]

Thin lips is not the problem. The problem is the Yamaha mouthpiece which comes with the horn. Use the Yamaha mouthpiece as a paperweight and get something else.

[Three Valves]

Mr Thin Lips here.

I play a Conn 120s for the rim, and to fit my crowded bottom teeth.

I don't think my lips have anything to do with it.

Else, I'd play trumpet and Louis Armstrong would be a tuba player!!

[PaulMaybery]

As one with relatively thin lips, and getting thinner with age. I do not find that the diameter is necessarily and issue.
For me, it seems that the width of the mouth, and the shape of the front teeth, underneath the lips is the real concern.
I do find that 33mm is bit large for me as I have basically a somewhat narrow face (compare to some) 32mm or even 32.5 works a bit better. For me, and I stress this as my personal issue, is that a larger diameter will result in fatique happening a bit sooner.

So to summarize my issues: The diameter I believe is more of an issue when it comes to matching the width of the players mouth, rather than the thickness of the lips.

I also find, that the advertised diameter is often misleading. The roundness of the rim is part of the issue and also important is where the "tangent" (the place on the rim where the curve of the cup, meets the curve of the rim surface. This varies greatly from mp to mp and can make a small cup feel large, and vice verse.

For me, again and again, this is all very personal, I find that a larger cup can be a bit seductive in that you can get a very large sound, particularly in the low register. BUT, this can be somewhat counter-productive, when considering a mp for general use.

I find, that sometimes I like to use a specialty mouthpiece for a certain work, or perhaps a smaller mp for a recital or solo, but more and more I tend to stay with the one mp that works in most situations. At present, that is a Monette 94 Prana. It works fine on my 6/4, 5/4, the F tuba and the cimbasso. It is a good fit for the shape and width of my mouth.

[hubert]

In Germany JK (Joseph Klier) offers an excellent opportunity to find out, which mouthpiece-measures fit your needs. Their mouthpiece chart (for JK Exklusiv) provides a clear insight in the measures available. And this company is willing to send all mouthpieces on approval for 2 or 3 weeks for only the costs of shipment (on condition that you return them undamaged, of course).
Hubert

[MaryAnn]

I agree totally with PaulMayberry. Not only do I have thin lips but I am very small, and I find with many tuba mouthpieces my corners do not even show. I manage to play high anyway, but most would be happier with at least their corners showing.
Another consideration is how close your nose is to your upper lip....with some people the rim is going to bonk their nose, and they need to get a cup width that doesn't bruise their nose. Most push the mouthpiece up to play high (although many won't realize it until they look in the mirror) and so the high register must be checked with any piece you are considering.

[HembachTuba]

Tank you all, for your replies and tips. That helps me to get over my unsureness.
I continue to playing Tuba, and i enjoy it.

[bort]

Get some Botox injections and then use a normal tuba mouthpiece.

But seriously...

...a 33 mm rim is a bit large (but very common). I just switched from a Tilz 33 mm mouthpiece to a Thein 32,7 mm, and it has been a very positive change for me. Kind of crazy that 0,3 mm difference is enough to notice, but I thought it was quite noticeable. Rim diameter is only one of many differences, though, but perhaps it is one of the most immediately noticeable.

Paul is correct, that the "high point" on the rim can alter the feel as well. If the high point is closer to the outside, it will feel larger than it is, and if it is on the inside, it will feel smaller than it is.

Check out the Windhager mouthpiece Website, and download the catalog. There are some lengthy and detailed discussions about mouthpiece anatomy there:
http://www.whf-mouthpieces.at/

[bearphonium]

Another with thin lips and a not-so-large face construct checking in. As I first started playing euphonium, I used a large mouthpiece (a Shilke 52) and when I switched to tuba, found that a Shilke 69 paired with my relatively small tuba helped me get to the lower register easier. As I got better as a player and started taking some lessons, I discovered that the smaller Shilke 66 worked better for me. I had a fun go this summer sampling both a Miraphone 186 and a 191 and discovered that I get better tone on the larger horn with the larger mouthpiece; interestingly, playing the 186 on a daily basis (due to the amazing generosity of one of my ensemble friends) still gets the best tone with the smaller mouthpiece. The corners of my mouth do show with the mouthpiece, and while it covers up my lip to the nose, I don't bash my nose with the mouthpiece.

[iiipopes]

I also agree with Paul Mayberry and the other posts in this thread. I have rather thin lips as well. I agree that the Yammy mouthpiece is nothing better than a paperweight. I have also gravitated towards mouthpieces with a 32.5mm/1.28 inch cup diameter. Currently my main mouthpieces are a Bloke Imperial with a trimmed spacer and a lexan 32.6 Helleberg rim for my "Bessophone," an older Kelly 18 for fiberglass souzy playing; and a custom 18 made by Jim New when he was still at Kanstul with a 32.5/1.28 diameter cup. Again, for general use and minimal transition issues, all three of these mouthpieces are moderately deep and have @ a "P" drill throat, again, not too large, not too small, and a moderate rim contour, so that I can maintain proper breath support and just play, not having to think about fiddling with the mouthpiece or moving it around on my embouchure, and keeping consistency from register to register.

[Tom]

24AW...?

Nah, she needs one of those Deck mouthpieces that everyone seems to want now that they're no longer available.

Tom "been there, done that...had the the originals back in the day" B.