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I am a quickly progressing tuba student in the need of a new moutpiece. I currently play on a old dented up Helleberg that I have been playing on for years. Now that I actually feel like I know what I'm doing I feel that this is not the mouthpiece for me. I tried a King 2, it was a little better and then I tried one of the Loud mouthpieces and that was a little better. I have a very strong high range but my lower suffers some, still having problems getting a solid start on anything below a Ab. With the King and the Loud I realized that I feel more comfortable with a deeper cup and a broader rim but also realized that I had to work a little harder to get the upper registers just right, not a problem. I know that to master anything you have to actually do it over and over... and over until it is second nature but and I know that it may not be possible for my perfect mouthpiece to exist... But if anyone has any suggestions for a mouthpiece or anything else I would greatly appreciate it.

Get a Kelly 18 and give it a year.
Incidentally, it is not hard to modify a Kelly rim or cup.
It responds well to sandpaper or dremel, and you can smooth it off with fine sandpaper followed by steel wool, then fine steel wool, and then a brisk rub with denim.

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With due respect, I'm going to go against the grain. Being a converted trumpet player from decades ago, I remember when I first started on tuba having trouble with low range, which occasionally I have even now, and what I was taught to settle into a good foundational tone and intonation.

On low notes, think the deep, broad "Oh" sound inside your mouth, drop the jaw, put a little more lower lip into the mouthpiece, and think volume of air, not velocity. Too much velocity, which can be from trying to hard, from arching the back of the tongue, or too narrow an aperture in the embouchure, can all impede low register response.

I would go back to the Helleberg with its deep cup and work on relaxing into the lower register before going on a mouthpiece safari.

The Conn Helleberg and the Bach 18 are the two archetypes of tuba mouthpieces. Most other mouthpieces are compared against one of these two. Many pros use one of these their whole careers. My point is that these mouthpieces may not be optimal for a given player and instrument, but they are completely competent and should not prevent you from executing basic technique.

I'll be uncharacteristically blunt: If you dan't play lower than a low Ab on a Conn Helleberg, the mouthpiece isn't the problem. Get thee to a teacher. Any money spend on mouthpieces before addressing that fundamental issue will be wasted, and with all due respect, it will be hard for you to know which mouthpiece is doing you any good.

Rick "thinking the mouthpiece usually isn't the problem" Denney

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Rick Denney wrote:The Conn Helleberg and the Bach 18 are the two archetypes of tuba mouthpieces.

bingo.

You *may* need a new mouthpiece (the current one is dinged and dented).

You have no real clue what will work for you.

So...get thee to your local shop and purchase: 1 Conn Helleberg and 1 Bach 18. If they are not in stock, find a new local shop. They are standard, and they are cheap. Buy one of each. Keep them both clean and shiny.

DO NOT PLAY ON ANY OTHER MOUTHPIECE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.

But, do feel free to swap back and forth between your "2 and only 2". Learn how they are different - but you'll be able to play the same notes on either one.

After a year, write 3 paragraphs on which of these two you prefer, and why. Put the other one on the shelf.

After another year, write 3 paragraphs on what you don't like about the "1 and only 1". The rim? The throat? what?

NOW you are ready to investigate the many variations. Right now, you have more important fish to fry.

And, believe that Mr. Denney was being kind when he said "if you can't play below Ab, it's not the mouthpiece". As long as you are reasonably close to the mainstream, mouthpiece preferences are not about what you *can* or *cannot* do - they are about what you can do *with less effort*. [and, in my humble opinion, as you move away from the mainstream, it's more likely that the weird mouthpiece will DETRACT from your playing, not enhance it]

gilmored wrote:I currently play on a old dented up Helleberg that I have been playing on for years.

First, do not let some rascal here talk you into a mouthpiece swap - those old Hellebergs can be worth big bucks! (I'm joking - maybe.)

Second, don't let the dour Puritanism of our panel of experts put you off. Mouthpieces are a cheap and fun way to experiment with an important part of your setup, and you don't have to meet anyone's expectations to earn the right to try one out.

Third, they're right - the Conn Helleberg is a great mouthpiece, period, not a beginner setup that you need to replace with something better as your abilities advance. That doesn't mean it's going to be your favorite, but if you need a different mouthpiece just to play OK in the low range, then something that has worked for millions of tuba players doesn't work for you, and you need to know why - physical anomaly? technique problem?