solo/high note mp's

[MikeMason]

ok, lets get this tabu subject out in the open. what mouthpieces are helpful in the higher solo and or orchestral lit? looking for security and ability to help keep pitch from sagging in the c,d,e above the staff range.yeah, i know most of you REAL tubist use a pt88 or bigger on everything, but i'm not that real just looking for some suggestions to go with my newly acquired yam 822 f. thanks.........

[tubacdk]

well, I guess I'm not a real tubist at all cuz I don't use a PT88 for anything...

I use a Miraphone C4 for my solos/high rep. It's big enough to not sound too thin but small enough that it helps the response up there. I used to play an 822F as well, and the C4 is what I used for high/solo rep.

[ThomasP]

I haven't heard of anyone playing everything on one mouthpiece when that mouthpiece is as big as a PT88. I use to play an 88, but I never used it on F, and I never used it all the time when I played CC tuba either. It is my experience that if you are playing a mouthpiece as large as an 88 you will find it necessary to play a smaller mouthpieces on an F just to make the F in tune, and to make it sound lighter.

[Paul S]

I am not a REAL tuba player but I did recently spend some time finding the F mouthpiece that worked best for me and my Yamaha 621 F.

If you like a flat Helleberg rim I can offer that you might consider the Yamaha Canadian Brass Replica (especially for volume and ease in the upper range) and also consider the Arnold Jacobs Solo mouthpiece for giving a big full and slightly richer sound. Both of these were an easy switch from larger flat hellebergs for me and the CB replica is probably the best all around mouthpiece not to mention least expensive that I tried. I figured one of the better known expensive mouthpieces would be the one for me but I was wrong once I sat down, closed my eyes, and just listened. The digital tuner agreed with me even more so.

The Canadian Brass Replica also has the exact same rim diameter as the often recommended Bobo Solo but has a 1mm larger throat which should help sharpen those upper notes you raised concern about as well.

I know the 822 is a bit different beast but give these two a try if you can as you might be as suprised as I was.

[MartyNeilan]

The Mirafone C4 and Schilke copy, the 69C4 are great mouthpieces to first consider when trying out pieces that play well in the high range while still getting a decent sound out of all ranges of the horn. I have used both in the past but now play on a Rudolf Meinl RM-9 mouthpiece, which is available with a 7.8 or 8 mm backbore (either of which is larger backbore than a stock C4) - it is a great high range / F tuba mouthpiece.
However, you may want to strongly consider the Yamaha Jim Self mouthpiece. It was designed for your tuba (YFB822), is a comfortable medium sized C cup mouthpiece (a little deeper than a C4 but still not near a PT88) and gives great response top to bottom with a focused sound.
If you are dying to play a V cup mouthpiece that favors the high register, you may want to try a Conn2 or UMI2. Although much maligned, these pieces work for some people and can get a brighter more focused sound out of a big horn (ala 20J) and give a nice clear upper register.

[JHardisk]

I am a firm believer that it's not the mouthpiece that makes the register, it's the strength of one's chops. I do use a PT 88+ (does that make me a "REAL" tubist?), and I can play as high, or perhaps higher on my CC tuba, compared to my F. I do not use the 88 in the F tuba, because it lacks the brightness to the sound that one would desire from a bass tuba. That being said, I also don't rely on a smaller mouthpiece to play high notes. It's simply smaller for clarity, and timbre. High register is not something you can buy with gadgets and doo dads. In fact, I think it's rather overrated. Me playing a 5 octave G scale has absolutely no practical value, and I'll likely never be paid to play notes in that range. It's really more of a circus trick.. to impress people. Once in a while, you whip it out in a flashy solo, or some other impressive means, but it's hardly a standard in any repertoire. I think having a nice solid G or Ab would suffice for almost any professional tubist. And really, we rarely get paid to play those notes, unless you're playing in an all berlioz orchestra, who fancies themselves on playing bydlo every concert.

I'll step off my soap box...

[Jonathan Fowler]

I've never been more comfortable than when using a pt65. I sold my 65s when I got rid of my f...then got another one because it is the on;y thing that fits me well. That being said-I do use a "cheater" mouthpiece for things like the Bozza Concertino, and the last 2 times I did Bydlo-it's a Marcinkewicz something or other (it is quite shallow).

I do agree that it is the strength of one's chops that makes the high register, but the added resistance that a shallower mouthpiece (it really only needs to be shallower than the F MP that you are used to) gives you makes the G# much easier.