What MP do you reach for when articulation is king?

[Mark Horne]

Over the past two years I've been gradually adding tuba to my brass playing (with horn and trumpet being my primaries). My main focus has been on tone, range, and basic intonation in roughly that order. I am now finding myself most limited by articulation difficulties in a certain range centered at the Bb below the staff. Fast and clean staccatos are difficult for me on that note, but improve as I move up or down from there.

I'm looking to try some mouthpieces that could help me clean up those attacks even if I have to trade off some sound quality. I currently use a PT-44 (with a Cerveny 681 CC). Any suggestions?

[djwesp]

I don't reach for a mouthpiece. I reach for a small, dry reverb practice room.

I can spend a little time in there and clean articulations faster than any piece of equipment ANYONE can give me.

[WoodSheddin]

whichever one I practiced the most with

[Chriss2760]

Most technique difficulties, challenges really, will be most satisfactorily addressed by honest work, as djwesp has observed. Having said that, I've found Paul Sidey's original SSH (stainless steel Helleberg) has become my 'go to' mp for everything, including quickly tongued passages. I don't think it's large size or cup volume is for casual players, and the flat rim with sharp inner edge makes it uncomfortable for players that don't spend a lot of time playing tuba. But if your embrochure is strong enough to master it, it's predictability, range, response and power will likely satisfy any requirements you have.
Regards.
Chris.

[Rick Denney]

Pick a mouthpiece for articulation when trying to alter the character of the attack at the nuance level. If you are using a normal mouthpiece (the PT-44 counts), then the problem you describe isn't at that level, and it isn't the mouthpiece. I would suggest a lesson with a pro, who can probably set you up with exercises targeted to the underlying issue. One lesson might be enough, and it's cheaper than most current mouthpieces.

Rick "whose articulation problems are inversely proportional to practice time" Denney

[Shockwave]

Chances are your problem is one of three things:

1. Problem with the horn or excessive acoustic interference in a small room. Test for this by playing outdoors and trying a different horn. I get lousy attacks when I try to record myself while sitting at my computer desk. Reflections from the wall spoil attacks, and the problem disappears if I record elsewhere.

2. Embouchure shift with a transition at Bb where the lips can go either way. If you find you have a shift, try to get rid of it. You should be able to get almost down to pedal Bb without a shift.

3. Embouchure not able to naturally vibrate at the pitch. Take the mouthpiece out of the horn and buzz the problem pitch. If you can't buzz a solid pitch or even get that low, your problem lies here and is best fixed with practice. You can play lower than you can buzz, but not with a good attack. I am a trumpet player, and when I started tuba I could not buzz low pitches on the mouthpiece and had the same problem you have..

I made a special mouthpiece to help me play low notes very fast. It has a .5" bore, which is much larger than normal. I used it for a while, and my attacks definitely improved in the lowest register. Then I used my regular mouthpiece again, and guess what? My low register attacks improved just as much on the normal mouthpiece.

-Eric

[iiipopes]

When considering a mouthpiece, instead go practice three hours with the one you already have.

That said, usually something needing a more articulate style also needs a marginally brighter tone to carry the line. So something with a little more bowl in the cup might help the clarity, which is the flip side of the same coin with articulation.

Think about it: if the tone is so dark as to approach sine wave, what is there to articulate? It's simply on-off, like those old school nurse hearing test screening records with different pitches.

[Rick Denney]

At the nuance level, the Geib-based designs provide more clarity for me than do the Helleberg-based designs, no matter how sharp the Helleberg rim. But if articulation is a significant problem at the gross level using a Helleberg, switching to a Geib-based design is putting a band-aid on a cut that needs 100 stitches.

We have no way of really knowing at what level these problems are occurring, other than the OP's verbal description, which seemed to me to describe gross rather than fine effects. That's why a lesson would do far more good than anything we might say.

Rick "always working on articulation and clarity issues" Denney

[Tubaguyry]

Giddings and Webster stainless steel Bayamo for low register, Giddings and Webster stainless steel Bora for the high register -- BOTH PLAYED WHILE CONCENTRATING ON USING LESS PRESSURE AND MORE AIR. These have worked wonders for me, but they may not do anything for you. It's just hard to tell. But FWIW, the other tuba players in my ensembles have also said that they noticed immediately easier articulation in all registers when trying my mouthpieces.

This recommendation is based upon the old design of these mouthpieces, as I have not tried any of the new ones. Also, there is a tradeoff (at least for me): You will lose a lot of the "color" that you are used to with some of your other mouthpieces (Hellebergs, PTs, etc.) in exchange for ease of articulation and more fundamental, especially when first making the switch.

As with ALL advice regarding something as subjective as music, Your Mileage May Vary. Good luck!