Sound or Simplicity?

[circusboy]

Here's a question I'm currently facing:

I have two mouthpieces.

One of them sounds like no other I've tried. It helps me to create what I consider to be my tuba sound: big, dark, LOTS of core--just what I want. It is also stainless steel, which I love. The downside is that it takes a lot of air to operate, requires a lot more concentration to play on pitch, and can be difficult to articulate through.

The other one makes my horn easier to play: better intonation and articulation throughout the range--MUCH easier high end--and comfortable on the lips. The downside is that the tone I produce with it is rounder, a little stuffy/muffly, NOT the sound in my head, and it's not stainless.

I'd like to hear others' experiences in the Great Mouthpiece Quest. Do I need to suck it up and just get better with the one that give me The Sound, or do I suck it up and keep working with the one that gives me the notes until, maybe, I can squeeze The Sound out of it?

Or do I need to keep looking? (I've tried many, but not all brands.)

[bort]

What kind of tuba do you play? I know that mouthpiece choices vary person to person, even for the same tuba model, but maybe you'll get new suggestions here?

[Rick Denney]

Two possible directions for you to consider:

1. Make the sound in your head on the mouthpiece that is more secure.

2. Learn how to play with more security on the mouthpiece that sounds the way you like.

Either of those options are possible. In fact, many great players have done both, starting with a mouthpiece that was neither until they made it so.

I choose a mouthpiece that avoids woofiness and that helps me avoid missed notes. I figure nobody will care about my sound if I'm out of tune or cracking notes. They won't care about my sound if I have no dynamic control or sloppy articulation. If all those other things are right, then maybe they'll care about my sound. The one aspect of my sound that can be noticeable, especially with a big tuba, is woofiness. So, I avoid that with a mouthpiece that has enough of a bowl and enough resistance so that I can produce a colorful sound. But as soon as I'm out of the woof domain, I shift my concern to security and ease of play.

Finally, make sure the sound in your head is properly calibrated. If you only listen to loudly amplified tuba recordings, the sound in your head may be built on an assumption of amplified room acoustics that you don't hear in a practice room or in your playing situation. Don't try to create room acoustics by your playing--you have to excite vibrations in the room, not create them. And remember that what you hear through your skull is only a model of what comes out of the bell, and you have to learn to calibrate that model to be realistic. That takes teacher feedback and self-recording, etc. I have a suspicion that players have hurt themselves trying to match an unrealistic sound. Listening to all the overblown Rides in the Elephant Room at conferences is enough evidence that the sound in their head is beyond reality.

Rick "always surprised by self-recordings" Denney

[windshieldbug]

From a member of the freak jury, so take it for what it's worth...

I went with Rick's 1 & 2, using 1 when I needed to, but always working with 2. I eventually worked up to where I was using the one with the sound I wanted with the security I needed.

It took some time, but it was worth it.

[circusboy]

Thanks for the replies and the votes, folks.

I had purposely wanted to avoid, at first anyway, mentions of specifics so that the dialogue would remain generic.

Now I'll get specific and see if there might be some likewise specific advice:

The horn in question is a Mira 184 5-valve CC. The mouthpieces in question are the GW Taku and Schilke HII. As to the Taku (I know, I know, 'small horn, big mouthpiece' (help me out here, Elephant)), it takes all of the 'colorful' characteristics of the horn and amplifies them, which, for me, is a beautiful thing. The HII cloaks much of the character of the horn, but makes it solid.

My ideal mouthpiece:

• Definitely funnel-shaped
  Preferably stainless steel
  Could have a bit smaller diameter rim than the Taku
  Could have a bit wider rim than the Taku
  Should be as big and deep as the Taku

I've tried quite a few in the Miraphone, Yamaha, Schilke, Laskey, Curry, Bach & GW lines. Any in Loud, Mike Finn, SSH, PT or other lines that any of you think might be just the answer?

Thanks again.

[Kory101]

I may be old fashioned but I use a Conn Helleberg on both my tubas. The intonation, articulations and sound I get on them is fabulous. I couldn't be happier with that mouthpiece. I've tried others, but always come back to this one. And if i keep winning auditions on it, I ain't gunna stop using it.

[Tom Holtz]

I figure nobody will care about my sound if I'm out of tune or cracking notes. They won't care about my sound if I have no dynamic control or sloppy articulation. If all those other things are right, then maybe they'll care about my sound.

Cue the singing angels. Turn on the red light over the hockey goal. Winner winner chicken dinner.

[FreeBandMusic]

Someone already said it; if I'm out of tune and cracking notes my playing stinks, no matter what the tone is like.

John Thompson
Visit FreeBandMusic.biz & download free music for concert band.

[JCalkin]

Thanks for the replies and the votes, folks.

I had purposely wanted to avoid, at first anyway, mentions of specifics so that the dialogue would remain generic.

Now I'll get specific and see if there might be some likewise specific advice:

The horn in question is a Mira 184 5-valve CC. The mouthpieces in question are the GW Taku and Schilke HII. As to the Taku (I know, I know, 'small horn, big mouthpiece' (help me out here, Elephant)), it takes all of the 'colorful' characteristics of the horn and amplifies them, which, for me, is a beautiful thing. The HII cloaks much of the character of the horn, but makes it solid.

My ideal mouthpiece:

• Definitely funnel-shaped
  Preferably stainless steel
  Could have a bit smaller diameter rim than the Taku
  Could have a bit wider rim than the Taku
  Should be as big and deep as the Taku

I've tried quite a few in the Miraphone, Yamaha, Schilke, Laskey, Curry, Bach & GW lines. Any in Loud, Mike Finn, SSH, PT or other lines that any of you think might be just the answer?

Thanks again.

I went through the same exact thing on my CC. I was torn between a GW Williwaw and a SHII. The SHII was the easiest mouthpiece I have ever played in terms of articulation, but it tried its best to turn my horn into a cimbasso at ff. I hated having to keep fighting the edge out of the sound. It just didn't agree with my horn, I think.

The GW, on the other hand, sounded GREAT but had fluffy articulations when coupled with my chops. I'd keep coming back to it for the sound until the notes started chipping, then I'd head back to the SHII until the edge got to be too much for me, then to the GW, etc, etc.

I picked up a stainless Kellyburg on this board and haven't looked back. It's the best of both worlds and it works great on both my CC and (large, admittedly) F tubas.

As always, YMMV.

[MaryAnn]

I play a 184 5U CC and have always used a PT64 with it. Pretty far from what you use, probably, and I certainly am no mouthpiece aficionado. Tuba mouthpieces are just too expensive, and I went through the cigar-box-full-o'-mouthpieces stage as a hornist.

I never expected this tuba to have the American spreading type of sound, and instead decided to allow it to bark to get through the muddle when necessary. I'm not posting this as a pretense of any kind of expertise, but just to show that different strokes work for different folks.

Sam Pilafian let me play his Besson CC at one point, and I used this same beat-up PT 64 on it. His comment was that I was using a good mouthpiece for that tuba. I doubt anyone else, anywhere, uses a PT64 for a Besson 995.

MA

[ZNC Dandy]

I personally like a bit of edge in the low register. Also at high volume levels in any register for that matter. I would personally concentrate on sound, the sound that is pleasing to you, as much as possible. I personally love the SHII. I just bought a Parke Ofenloch though. Should work well with what i'm playing. I'm just ecstatic I actually found one!

[LoyalTubist]

I learned something from my trumpet playing heroes long ago:

Choose the biggest mouthpiece you can stand and use it. Anything else sounds pinched.

[windshieldbug]

What he said.