ztubaz wrote:im a sophomore in high school, and i have recently found a new interest in the mouthpiece i play on, i am getting better and i want a mp to aid that, any suggestions?
It helps if you let us know what you're playing on now (horn and mouthpiece).
Marzan BBb
John Packer JP-274 euphonium
King 607F Posting and You
You probably have a very fine mouthpiece that should last you for the forseeable future. You don't need another mouthpiece right now. Instead, use the money to get some good private lessons instead and practice, practice, practice.
I poured over mouthpiece specifications charts a couple of years ago when I was looking for a new piece after I had lost my old one. I hounded every online store out there, found and got a mouthpiece that I liked pretty well. When I was on that search again (when I got my new horn), I realized that a private teacher is the best way to go about choosing a new mouthpiece (after first finding out of a new one is really needed, of course). Those spec. charts can only tell you so much and they are useless if you don't know how to interpret their data.
Ask around. It'd be nice if you could find a professional player who has experience in the horn you have and ask for their experience. That's always helpful.
Oh yes, younger players definitely like to get wrapped up in things like mouthpieces. I should know, I was just like that not too long ago. I just think it's important to know how UNimportant a mouthpiece really is and then, later on, thinking about its importance. Again, the private teacher is the way to go. Yield, follow and submit!
When I was starting out (and I was not a kid) there was a period of two or three years in which changing mouthpieces seemed to improve my sound, and I acquired the typical cigar-box full of them. Then, after my embouchure developed, I found that my sound was my sound, and particular mouthpieces fit better with my instrument than others, and then I settled into one.
Unless your teacher says that your piece and your tuba are a bad match, stick with what you have, which is an excellent piece, and let your embouchure develop.
