Mouthpiece and intonation

[greggu]

I'm mostly a summer player, but this last year I've started playing year round. I play a St. Pete 202N. I started playing it with a Bach 18 mouthpiece, because that's what I used before. I switched to the Rose mothpiece that came with the horn about three months ago, I thought I sounded better, and I increased my range. Now I've noticed that I have a difficult time playing C-B-Bb just below the staff, in tune. In fact my C was almost a B. I switched back to the 18 and things are better. I still play slightly flat at those notes. I'm practising more now and I''ve started lessons with my son's trombone teacher who also teaches tuba. He helped alot, but I guess I'm looking for the almost "magic" mouthpiece. Can anyone recommend another mothpiece or several to try, or a practise technique that might help with intonation in the range I referred to? I'm going to try a Hellleberg next.

[Mojo workin']

I know some will disagree, but I don't think finding the right mouthpiece is the answer. Practice with a tuner and/or tape recorder more often, and I promise you no matter what mouthpiece you plug into the horn, you'll be playing it in tune.

It's 90% mental, 10% physical.

[Rick Denney]

Some mouthpieces are easier to steer than others, and some have tendencies that affect the upper register with respect to the lower register.

A big mouthpiece will flatten the upper register, as will a mouthpiece with a smaller throat (both lower the popping frequency). A larger throat or a smaller cup will sharpen the upper register. The larger throat also has a wider impedance curve and is more broadbanded, meaning that it's easier to steer in terms of pitch.

All that said, I agree with the idea of using a vanilla mouthpiece and learning to play an instrument in tune. The tendencies above require big mouthpiece changes to have small effect. I can detect those tendencies when, for example, playing a large contrabass mouthpiece on a small F tuba, but it takes about that extreme a situation to really get it.

Some mouthpieces mate better with some instruments, in ways not so easy to explain. For example, I cannot play my Besson euphonium up to pitch with a Bach-style bass trombone mouthpiece, but give me a Steven Mead SM-3 (which is as large) and it's no problem.

But a Helleberg is vanilla and should be right in the center of appropriate for a tuba like the St. Petersburg, so any serious intonation difficulties are more likely either the instrument or how you are playing it.

Rick "for whom all tubas and mouthpieces have a sharp upper register" Denney

[iiipopes]

What these guys said. When I first got my 186, it had been way too long since the last time I played one, and my pitch center was deficient. Long tones, slur flexibility exercises, etc., well, in essence, all the standard fundamental development exercises, and I got my pitch center back. I now play the horn. The horn does not play me.

[Mojo workin']

all the standard fundamental development exercises, and I got my pitch center back. I now play the horn. The horn does not play me.

Could not have been put any better.

[iiipopes]

And the Schilke Helleberg II. And something out of the PT "German" series might work well on the St Pete also. And Mike Finn. And the stainless mouthpieces mentioned will have very crisp articulation, which may compliment the St Pete well.

I would say that for me the Wick 1L, although its smaller shank sibling the 1 works perfectly on a Besson with the inherent resistance of the comp block, can take a lot of air on a rotary due to its large throat and very open backbore. I finally had to give mine up in favor of the Curry on my 186 to keep from needing a "third lung."