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I play a 186 5v BBb and am about to start rehearsing with a new tuba quartet. I will probably play Tuba 1 parts and currently I use an SSH Helleberg copy that I like a lot but it is huge.

Will a smaller mouthpiece help me with the higher range stuff or is it just a matter of working out my chops, AND if a smaller mouthpiece might help, what are some suggestions?

If it's just a matter of more practicing and getting used to playing the higher range with the equipment I have then so be it.

BTW, before anyone suggests I buy an F tuba, I hear mouthpieces are a little cheaper. Certainly I would entertain gift offers, of course.

Thanks, Beau

In my opinion, a smaller mouthpiece might help. Depending on the music you play, you may need to some pretty serious high chops. In my quartet, I play the Tuba 1 part on my Miraphone CC. Parts go as high as an Eb above the staff. More importantly, they stay in or above the staff 99% of the time. I presently use a regular Conn Helleberg. You might try the small Helleberg.

If your gonna play tuba 1 parts I would suggest getting a different horn than a BBb that is if this is a pro-level group that's gonna record and all that jazz. Maybe an EEb or a CC would be okay...I just think that the BBb is a little TOO dark for the tuba 1 parts. But, Perantucci makes some great mouthpieces and I highly recommend them. I can't make a recomendation as to which model b/c I don't know your playing style and embouchure and all that, but I use a PT-83 and I get great results (and most importantly...compliments).

I have a Conn Helleberg 7B that I never use. PM me if interested.

Eric "who will get around to putting up that ad and clearing out several mouthpieces one of these days..." L.

Having been stuck playing tuba 1 parts in a TE 4tet for years, I can commiserate with you.

After my first 2 hour rehearsal, I remember that my face hurt. It's not just the occasional high note, it's lots and lots of them; endlessly. If you have some sadistic arranger who thinks that the logical place for tuba 1 play is above euphonium 2, it's just that much more pain.

My advice is to forget about changing mouthpieces. A smaller mouthpiece might help a bit initially, but it's not necessary.

Play enough (and remember to use enough air so you're not "pinching" out the notes and don't use too much mouthpiece pressure) and your chops will develop the strength. In the meantime, it would be good to work on getting those high notes in tune, which is a problem that no mouthpiece will help you to solve.

An Eb or F tuba will give you a bit more security because of the partials being a bit wider-spaced at the top of the staff, but they'll be no easier on your chops.

Just stick with it and things will get easier.

Does this make sense?

Chuck is right, but I personally prefer a little smaller mpc if I'm going to be playing nothin' but high register stuff.

You could consider (cup inner diameter):

Standard Conn Helleberg (~32.8mm)
Bach 12 (~32.8mm)
Wick 1L (or XL) (32.5mm)
Bach 18 (~32.2mm)
Conn Helleberg 7b (~32mm)
Wick 2L (or XL) (~32m)
Schilke Helleberg (~31.8mm)

There's a shopping list -- I don't know what the cup diameter is for your mpc. And I left out the PT mouthpiece, which you can view at the Custom Music web site. The "American" mouthpieces are more funnel shaped and the "German" (Euro?) mouthpiece are more bowl shaped.

Cheers,

Greg wrote:The Loud LM15 is a superb mouthpiece for high range parts. In fact, it was designed with tuba 1 parts in mind if I'm not mistaken.

The problem I have with "special" mouthpieces is that the high range comes at a price--your low range. It's not uncommon in TE 4tet literature for the first tubas to double the seconds below the staff in places, then go back to playing up at the top. Steve's suggestion of a plain old Helleberg is a good compromise.

Steve Inman wrote:
Wick 2L (or XL) (~32m)
Schilke Helleberg (~31.8mm)

In those two lines, I like my Denis Wick 5 a lot better than my 2L, and for more or less the same reason I like the Schilke 62 and 66 better than the Helleberg (not "II".) Not that my recommendation should count for much, but the 62 is noticeably shallower, so it supports the tone more in the high range. The DW 5 is noticeably narrower (30mm?), but is reasonably deep and has a sweet tone on the tuba that it fits (ordinarily one should get a 5L.) So they might worth a try.