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Hey Guys,

I am playing both a 5/4 BBb Schiller Hurscherbrunner 192 clone and a 3/4 Eb Besson 983 and am finding I'm loosing my accuracy with intervals from the switch between mouthpieces and from adjusting my mind set from the forth between horn pitches.

Do you think it be better to use different rims to create two different muscle memory sets so the mind can decern the difference through the mouthpiece feel?

OR

Do you think it be better to use the same sized rim so that the embouchure is always the same and the mind learns to set pitch from what it hears?

I'm currently using a Sellsmenburger Symphony with the 32.6 Fair Dinkum #2 medium round rim for the BBb and the Sellsmenburger Imperial with the 32.3 Fair Dinkum medium round rim for the Eb. Both are great mouthpieces giving rich sound quality and quick response.

I think it's best to use the same rim, and that's the way I deal with it myself between various tenor and alto trombones. I don't see why it would be any different for tuba. You're playing the same notes and close to the same range on both horns. If they were vastly different, like tenor and bass trombone, then you pretty much have to use different rims to get adequate response on both, but in the case of tenor & alto trombone, or BBb & EEb tuba, the range is virtually the same and I would use the same rim because it promotes consistency.

I tend to agree with Doug. I frequently switch between a Miraphone CC186 and a Yamaha Eb (YEB-321). I tried all sorts of mouthpieces in each but always had issues of accuracy when switching (especially on the same gig) finally settled on the Blokepiece Imperial with with #1 Semi-Flat rim on the Eb and the Symphony on the 186 (same rim). Keeping the same rim eliminated almost all of the issues(any of the rest are me not the equipment) Lately I've started the Imperial with the #1 rim on both horns. The sound on the 186 with the Imperial just seems more colorful to me. Anyway that's my 2 cents.
Good Luck
Pete
(<----see same mouthpiece)

I usually try to use mouthpieces with same rim size (32mm for me) for all sizes of tuba from Travel tuba in F to 6/4 Neptune.

The only exception is playing BBb Bass in brass band where the part is written in treble clef and up a fifth to sounding. There I tend to use a larger DW 1XL. That helps with promoting the different pitch and help with low register common in brass band BBb bass parts.

I change between several instruments all the time and uses different mouthpieces on every instrument. For me it`s actually worse to use the same mouthpiece on two different tubas
Spending equally much time on every instrument is importent, at least for me.

Roger

We're talking about the same rim, not the same mouthpiece...