Re: Mouthpieces affecting pitch?


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Posted by David Carter on November 21, 2003 at 09:41:17:

In Reply to: Mouthpieces affecting pitch? posted by Rocky Bivens on November 21, 2003 at 07:50:15:

Mouthpieces can affect the pitch both in terms of the overall pitch of the instrument as well as the relative pitch of different notes. The greater the area inside the mouthpiece, either larger or deeper or both will tend to drop the pitch. Large or small throats can change the realtive tuning of the harmonics. A longer straight section through the throat can make the sharp harmonics sharper relative to the others. Backbores can have varying effects. The larger the shank the more mpc projects out of the leadpipe will tend to affect both pitch and response. As the shank is made smaller so that the mouthpiece fits further in the horn may feel a little more free blowing, and this may also help raise the pitch of flat harmonic series. As the shank is made larger so that the mpc sits further out of the leadpipe, the tone feel more stable, and if overdone may feel stuffy. A larger shank may help to bring the sharp harmonic series down in pitch relative to the others.
becuase of some of these effects work in different directions, the best mouthpieces are something of a compromise.
It should also be noted that the size of the mouthpiece to the overall instrument is important. For example many trumpets and piccolo trumpets use mouthpieces that are the same overall length, but the piccolo trumpet is only half as long as the regular trumpet. Becuase of this the same mouthpiece will make up twice as much length on the piccolo than on the regular trumpet. So it should be no suprise that the piccolo trumpet is very sensitve to tuning, both relative and absolute, from effects of the mouthpiece. The oppostite case is the French horn where the mouthpiece is the shortest of all the brass and the tubing is long. So it's no suprise that French horn players change leadpipes and bells, but few of them blame common mouthpieces for intonation problems.
So as far as the tuba goes most long tubas, such as B flats should play (as far as intonation goes) with pretty much standard mouthpieces, but shorter tubas such as the f tuba, finding the right mouthpiece (for best intonation and response) may be a bit more critical.


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