From the Mailbag: Big Horn, Big Mouthpiece? [Updated]

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A question came in about mouthpieces, as in should you use a big mouthpiece on a big horn and a small mouthpiece on a small horn?

In the 1950s? Yes.

If you go way back to Farkas and Chambers in the 50s this was a pretty true statement for players in the United States. Their individual setups were quite different, Farkas on a Geyer with a FARKAS MODEL mouthpiece and Chambers on a Conn 8D with a big Giardinelli mouthpiece such as the C-1. Students and pros in their individual spheres of influence followed these same general setups — back then.

And today? No.

Older players may still repeat that generalization, but it is not holding up today. And even back then it probably did not hold up perfectly. For example, is a C-10 a big mouthpiece? In terms of internal dimensions it is closer to the Farkas mouthpiece than a C-1 really.

What is big, what is small?

The market as I perceive it of late has redefined what large and small mouthpieces are.

Confusing the issue further is the fact that a mouthpiece that might traditionally be considered “small” in terms of cup depth and bore, but made with a wide inner diameter, feels large to the player. And this is the direction that many players seem to be going, along with using in general a cup shape and depth that promotes easy, efficient playing.

Shallower cups — small cups — tend to feel more efficient and have more “ring” to the sound. And this is good for everyone.

A brighter, ringing sound is a good thing

A final point to note in relation to that is that for listeners such as conductors especially I am sure that all things equal they will tend to have their ear drawn to players who have a slightly brighter, more ringing sound. A traditional, very deep large bore mouthpiece on a very large horn in the hands of the wrong player can sound tubby and unfocused instead of big and dark. It is a big topic to consider carefully for sure.

In the end if you are in doubt choose the mouthpiece that plays better and has a bit more color in the tone, it will be the best overall choice.

UPDATED 2021

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