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I am a high school senior looking for a new mouthpiece to replace my older beginner models. I currently play with a Benge 24 AW and a Conn 18, but I am looking for something that will help increase my higher range and improve my tone. I have looked into the Conn Heleberg 120 model, but have no clue what is good. Price range doesn't really matter, as long as it's worth it.

Thanks,

James Lorenzen

What kind of Tuba are you playing? The mouthpieces you have now are probably close to the Bach 24AW and 18.

I hate to say it, but high range and tone are much more related to the instrument and you as a player than they are to the particular mouthpiece. It sounds like you are using pretty standard mouthpieces. Do you currently study privately?

JamesLORE wrote:beginner models

For some instruments, that might be a meaningful concept - the saxophone for example, a student mouthpiece is kind of dialed back, so as you try to do the right things to get an acceptable tone, your efforts are rewarded right away. That doesn't mean they aren't perfectly good mouthpieces, actually I usually play what most people would consider a student mouthpiece on bari sax, as it just happens to be a combination that works for me.

For the tuba, though, I think those ultra-common mouthpieces like the Bach 18 clones, could as well be thought of as ideal mouthpieces, in that they have worked for a whole lot of people over the years. That doesn't mean it's the ideal thing for any one person, just saying that it really could be.

From there, it's a matter of individual differences, which can be a big deal at a physical level and also in terms of what kind of sound you want. One classic advice is to get a Kelly polycarbonate mouthpiece, as a cheap way to experiment with a style, if they have copied something you're interested in, like that Conn Helleberg for example. It seems to me they used to be cheaper, but it's still a useful item - easier to carry around as a spare because it's light and durable, more fun to play in the cold, and mine glows in the dark. Faxx makes excellent inexpensive copies of several common mouthpieces, the one I have has a really fine rim profile. But not much help here on higher range or better tone. To some small extent a saxophone player can buy that, but a tuba player unfortunately has to make it.

I started similarly, on a Blessing clone of the Bach 24aw. My next mouthpiece was a Conn Helleberg, followed by a Helleberg 7B. They are both good next steps, and I had a lot of friends with the Perrantucci line, such as the PT-44. Best advice I could give, is contact a local music store, and ask if you could bring in a horn and try some mouthpieces. Spend some time on each and notice the differences between different rim profiles, cup shape, depth, throat, etc. get familiar with high and low range characteristics, articulation, flexibility, tone, etc. Probably no one can give you a "best" next mouthpiece, since so much of it is personal preference, and different people react differently to changes. A mouthpiece that feels stuffy for one may feel great for another, and vice versa.

Also, if you have a private lessons teacher, ask them for their thoughts and if they have a small collection of mouthpieces you can try. They will be more familiar with how you play and what may suit your needs.

Most music stores wouldn’t carry enough of a selection to try. Where are you located? Go to a conference where you can try almost any mouthpiece made. Both the Army Band Workshop in Arlington, VA and TMEA in San Antonio, TX are coming up in February.

^^^ this.

Practicing can improve high range and tone. Its also free.

If you can't get high range on a Conn 18, then you need to practice properly more, get private lessons to assure your embouchure is positioned properly without excessive pressure for strengthening the "corners," and to provide proper breath support. In the meantime, work on your lip slurs without mouthpiece pressure in order to start strengthening the embouchure.

I think a lot of people go through a phase where they feel like they've done the work and not gotten the results, and that is when the "box o' pieces" starts to manifest as they seek new equipment as a means to improve. But....it doesn't work that way; a mature embouchure takes longer to develop than most people would like, and some look at the "talent wonders" around them and figure since they have also put the time in, they should be at that level. Nope.
Ask a very, very good player to play on your setup. From that you will find out that it's (very likely) not the equipment that is producing the sound and range. If you like what you hear, ask that person to show you (not tell you) what s/he's doing, what his/her chops actually look like inside the cup. Best teachers I had would show me instead of trying to paint a word picture. Practice must be thoughtful, often engaging the four Ts: Try This Try That and not just honking away on how you already do it. Go for sound, beauty, expression. Scales are wonderful things.