Should you use a Large or a Small mouthpiece on a large tuba

[SplatterTone]

I think it just depends on what kind of sound you want and what works best with your face. I rarely play anything bigger than the Yamaha Canadian Brass (which is a Helen Berg mouthpiece but a little smaller and shallower than the 120S). And I usually use either the Yamaha 66D4 or Conn 1792-2. But I play in smaller groups where smooth elegance (as best as I can manage it) is desired, and a big, ballsy sound would be about as welcome as a turd in the Sunday punch bowl.

[quinterbourne]

I was taught that you should chose the largest mouthpiece that you are comfortable with and that you can produce a characteristic sound with. I have always used large cup shaped mouthpieces for my large horns, but I have used funnel shaped mouthpieces to good effect on smaller horns. I recommend finding a well stocked music shop near you, buzzing on several mouthpieces, and chossing the one that is comfortable and produces a clear, full buzz. Then of course try the mp out on your horn. Both Dave Fedderly and Matt Walters were very helpful to me in finding my CC and F tuba mouthpieces.

I've heard the opposite - that you should find the smallest mouthpiece you are comfortable with. By "smallest" I mean inner rim diameter... you will want a deep cup (whether it be funnel or bowl).

[iiipopes]

For me, it is a moot issue. I can get a decent sound out of a 1.28 diameter cup with a Bach or Wick style rim. Larger or smaller diameter cup or width of rim than that I just can't get focused, and lose range, flexibility and endurance either way. My particular playing is less dependent on cup depth or profile, but I do like a tad larger throat, 8.4 or so as is on the Kelly & Bach 18 and Wick 1, as opposed to most having @ 8 to 8.2 mm throat, which I find confining.

So I am of the school of finding a diameter and profile that works for you, and varying your cup size or profile as needed per instrument or gig, and not merely the largest or smallest you can play. As always, YMMV.

[Steve Inman]

And, your mpc may help you vary both the maximum sound output and tone. You may be able to reign in the FFF level a bit with a smaller mpc (this is my observation, comparing a smaller Schilke Helleberg with my standard Helleberg -- the overall sound output seems a wee bit more reserved with the smaller mpc -- less lip vibrating?). You can brighten up your sound with a shallower one. I've been using my standard Helleberg with my Conn 56J, but for quintet, it was recently suggested that I try a C4 for a brighter sound (should I use my CC with quintet -- but that's a different thread ...)

Cheers (ymmv),

[Tubainsauga]

Personally, I'd agree with the camp (you may hear it attributed to Alain Trudel) that you should use the smallest (in terms of rim) mouthpiece that you are comfortable with. I've generally found it gives you much more control and a better sound even if at first it feels restricting. I've been downsizing a lot of my mouthpieces lately including going from a Doug Yeo to a 1.5G on my bass trombone. It meant a huge improvement without any real problems. Just my opinion. Since rim diameter really doesn't change the sound, why go any larger then you need?

[Rick Denney]

Jacobs once said that with a large mouthpiece, one should use small mouthpiece for better control, and containment within sound. Well I just want to know what are some people thoughts on the subject and whether or not you should/shouldn't use a large/small mouthpiece on a large horn?

It depends on the large tuba.

I use a PT-48 on my Holton. While that mouthpiece is shallower and more cup-shaped than the typical Helleberg-style mouthpiece, I don't think it could really be called small. It is a truly great mouthpiece for big tubas, in my opinion (and not just my opinion).

I use a larger Doug Elliot 132-2N-T6 on my York Master, which is a bigger mouthpiece on a smaller tuba. And I use a Doug Elliot 132-2N-R4 on my Miraphone, which is the smallest mouthpiece on the smallest tuba of the three. I therefore find no correlation between mouthpiece size and what works best on a given instrument size.

The mouthpiece supplied with the Holton is a Revelation Model 52, which is a toilet bowl. Not that I think Holton had it right with that choice.

Rick "who thinks big tubas need mouthpieces with a clear sound and a tone with some bite to combat woofiness" Denney

[Anterux]

I think a large tuba should use a large mouthpiece and a small tuba a small maouthpiece. Generally.

Jacobs say that doing the opposite will help to compensate. But when I use a big tuba or a small tuba sometimes I dont want to compensate, most of the times I want to put in evidence the differences between them.