Want to try a new MP

[vintage7512]

Do any of you professorial types out there have a decent method for figuring out what size/brand mp might help a person's playing? I have been told I should get a different mp by someone known to this forum who I should listen to, but I can't just go out and spend a thousand dollars looking for the right piece! I recently took an old mira 29 out to replace a Mike Finn 3h i had been using in the hopes I could improve my range for a gig. It had worked very well for that purpose a couple of days before during rehearsal, but at the show it was not nearly as effective. I probably shouldn't have changed it up like that, but I think another piece may help my overall playing. Should I get a lesson with a pro for the purpose, or is there a resource out there to narrow it down? Too many choices out there. I sound like a trumpet player, I know....

[Donn]

I'm not going to strike a particularly professorial pose here, but ... of late I've been devoting more attention to the tuba than I have for quite a while, and with a tuba that's relatively new to me, and an interesting thing happened - mouthpieces I used to think were duds, now are my favorites. There are several morals that could be drawn from this, but as usual accenting the positive, I choose to conclude that every mouthpiece has something to offer, to some mouth.

I probably shouldn't have changed it up like that, but I think another piece may help my overall playing. Should I get a lesson with a pro for the purpose, or is there a resource out there to narrow it down?

No guarantees, but in theory, some personal attention from a teacher is likely to shed more light on it than consultation with us. We don't know a thing about what's up with you. Maybe you can recall something from that conversation with someone you should listen to, that would give you a clue what direction to go with your new (to you) mouthpiece.

[bort]

Hi Steve... what tuba are you playing these days?

[vintage7512]

I play a VMI 3301 BBb. Maybe I should also try a blokepiece?

[happyroman]

In your OP, you stated that you wanted a new MP to improve your range. I assume you mean your high range. If that is the case, then you want a MP that has a smaller diameter and a shallower cup than the one you are currently using. I like the Schilke 62 for these reasons.

But, changing equipment will accomplish only so much. The lips still have to vibrate the higher pitch, regardless of the MP being used. Arnold Jacobs recommended that we use long tones and legato playing for the development of the upper register. It is sustained playing that develops our tone in any register. Start on Arban Page 1, No. 1 and play it up an octave or P5 to start, holding each note for eight beats. He specifically said that articulated passages should be avoided during the developmental stages in upper register development because the act of tonguing can cause the tongue to elevate in the oral cavity and cut off the air supply to the lips. When you work on your tone, in any register, think about what a great singer with a voice like a tuba would sound like, if they were singing using the low vowel sounds, OH, OOH, or AHH, and imitate that while playing.

Also, if you go to Mike Grose's TubaPeopleTV interview with Dale Clevenger, Mr. Clevenger discusses what Jake told him about development of his high register.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKqiltASHdM" target="_blank

[Donn]

Yeah, well, it has been an issue for me - I mean, honestly, my upper range has been a struggle, and the reason has really been more technique than mouthpiece, but as I mentioned above, there have been some mouthpieces revisited, and for some reason one mouthpiece, a Denis Wick 2, seemed to facilitate notes coming out -- though for all I can see, it's very similar to several other mouthpieces I have. I'm not saying "get a Denis Wick 2, it worked for me!" because thank your lucky stars you aren't like me. The effect was quite distinctive, though, no mistaking it - but within a week or so as my technique is getting sorted out, the DW 2 has pretty much gone back into the box, and I'm on a scabby old King 26 that might not be all that different from that Mike Finn mouthpiece. If you can actually play high the range with reasonably appropriate technique, you don't need any particular mouthpiece, but ... when you climb a ladder, you use both your hands and your feet on the same rung at different times.

So it seems like there should be a point to that impenetrable anecdote, but no ... if you have the means and inclination to pick up some mouthpieces, it's good to have a variety of them, but just as some people love their blockpieces, others love their MF3H's, and there's no way to jump straight to one that's going to work better for you.

[Roger Lewis]

Before you start the longest search of your life, ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish with a different mouthpiece. What do you not like about your current setup? The 3301 tends to be a fairly bright instrument and many people look to darken down the sound a bit.

My personal recommendation is to get with a very good teacher and see if you really need to change mouthpieces. High range isn't hard - it's a trick or gimmick. Once you see how it works it's just a matter of practice to get it to settle in. But to avoid developing bad habits, get someone to mentor you and show you what you need to do.

Remember, the horn doesn't make a noise unless you throw it against a wall. The body is the instrument and the horn is the amplifier and supplies some of the color of the sound.

Fix the body first.

Just my $0.02.
Roger

[barry grrr-ero]

Yes, the main thing is to avoid the trap of running to another mouthpiece to fix an alleged problem. The great thing about the Blokepiece 'thang' is that you can get several different cups and shanks. Try not to change rims often - pick one you like and try to stay with it. Make music first and worry about mouthpieces second. Hope this helps.

I know this sounds like an info-mercial or a message from the Ad Council, but Joe put together a Blokepiece combo from me that really works well with the Neptune.

Barry Guerrero