F tuba mouthpiece for a confused young player

[liamt]

Im going into my sophmore year of highschool and ive been playing tuba for a year and a half. due to of few soloing opportunities i have, i pulled the trigger on and cerveny 651 5 valve f tuba. im trying to figure out what mouthpiece to buy. for my BBb i like a big deep cup and cushy rim. im not too worried about something thatll let me access high range cause im an ex trumpet player who can handle high stuff with ease. suggestions please!!! i am so lost with way too many options and it seems like all of them have people loving and hating them. first time on the forum. hope im in the right place and all that

[michael_glenn]

Instead of buying a tuba, you should have gotten lessons for a while. Start taking lessons, and ask your teacher what to do.

You'll probably be chastised for buying an F so early. If I was a betting man, I would guess after only a year and a half on tuba? You're not ready for an F.


99% of the time? Questions like this will get a similar response to this ---- ask your teacher.

[Ulli]

I use a Mike Finn MF 4 H for my Cerveny CFB 654...

[sweaty]

You would benefit greatly by paying close attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling when you write. When you play the tuba, you would not want to play wrong notes, have bad rhythm, or make splatty, oinky sounds. When you speak, you would not want to mumble, babble, or spit on people. Your writing is equally important. If you use care and precision when talking, writing, and playing, people will want to pay attention to you. Consider your audience and what they want to hear and read.

Regarding F tuba mouthpieces, I believe the mouthpiece should match the instrument and the player should adjust. Don't get something too big or it will sound woofy and unfocused. I just got a Giddings and Webster Churada and am pleased.

If this tuba is not right for you now, it can always be resold. Until then, have fun playing it!

[bort]

Good advice above, but really, everybody jumps into things headfirst sometimes. That's life, and you're better off for it.

On the Cerveny F that I owned, I used a G&W Baer F. Remember though, you play an F tuba for tone, not for pitch.

[southtubist]

I don't think starting with an F tuba is necessarily a bad idea. There is some historical precedence to starting players on bass tubas, especially in Germany and in the U.S. (on Eb). If anything, it will be a little easier to play in the low range.

Now, you'll want a small mouthpiece for this horn. Try something with a shallow and wide cup. You most likely won't get a gigantic sound, but you'll at least sound focused.

Mouthpieces that come to mind would be:
Bach 25/30/32
Yamaha Bobo/solo
Blokepieces
PT 65(?)

Others will give you better advice. I've played the same mouthpiece for over 4 years...

[liamt]

Thank you all for the advice. Hopefully I can explain a bit more about myself i get a little more respect. I have been playing tuba for a year and a half, had my jupiter 582l BBb for 8 months. Before that i player trumpet for 7 years, and have always been a very serious student musitian. The purchase of the F comes after discussion with my teacher, who i have been studying with since January. Thanks again for all the advise. Still not sure what im gonna go with, but all the sugestions have been very helpful thus far. Thank you all!

[PaulMaybery]

You have already read some good opinions from some wise tuba players. There are differing schools of thought on this issue. I find both of them valid and actually take advantage of both myself.

One opinion is that one uses the same mp on both the larger BBb or CC tuba as on the F. Not too large though.I'm not sure I would go as far as something the size of a PT 88. A standard Helleberg type such as the Conn 120 or Schilke will suffice. That is if you plan to play pretty mid-range standard tuba charts.

On the other hand, what is generally referred to as a Solo F MP has advantages when doing the mid to upper register charts. Most tuba solos will benefit from such a piece.
They tend to be somewhat shallower and allow for a certain brightness and clarity (for lack of a better description) I myself prefer the GW Beltane and/or the GW Tephra, but also have the Monette F, the Sidey Solo MP, and the Sasha Johnson "Wedge" MP. They are all fine pieces and do a great job. The GWs tend to have the 'cushy' rims.

My feeling is that a good 'everyday' mp that works on a BBb or CC will work fine on an F tuba for all around playing. I've posted here before about the balance of MP vs Tuba when it come to large and small. Opposites work well. Don't think that just because the tuba is smaller that it needs a smaller piece. That is what our instincts lead us to believe, but usually instincts lead us away from what works best rather than towards a good solution.

Over the past 40 or so years I have tried almost every conceivable combination on my F tubas and have always come back to a pretty comfortable and medium to large sized mp.
The more face and the more wind/air the piece will take usually translates to the richness of your sound. There is a point of diminishing returns in both directions.

Take your time, listen critically, and ask yourself if this helps me get the sound I have in my inner ear. Some will get you there, others will prove futile. But we are all different.

Best wishes on your search. It 'ain't' easy.

[happyroman]

When discussing using different mouthpieces, Arnold Jacobs suggested keeping the cup diameter the same but changing the cup depth and shape, as well as the size of the opening in the throat. So for the F Tuba, try to find a mouthpiece that has the same cup diameter (and if possible, rim shape) as the one you use on the big tuba, but with a shallower cup and narrower diameter throat.