Re: Mouthpieces on BAT BBb


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Posted by Rick Denney on September 14, 2003 at 22:30:06:

In Reply to: Mouthpieces on BAT BBb posted by Besson 993 on September 14, 2003 at 21:28:34:

I'm using a PT-48 on my Holton. It's a bit shallower and more bowl-shaped than a pure Helleberg-style mouthpiece, even though it's in the same family. My big Doug Elliott (a T-6) has more volume and a larger throat than the PT-48, and it makes a deeper sound on the Holton but with less character and, initially at least, less control. On the smaller York Master (which is possibly about the size of a 993), the bigger Elliott is perfect.

All of them have about the same rim. I do think that with all else equal--and it never is--a slightly smaller mouthpiece on a truly large tuba helps gain some control. But more importantly, it helps add a little character to the sound. It's not easy for a tuba like a Holton to sound bright, and so you can lean a bit in that direction with your mouthpiece choice. The extra harmonics give the instrument more core in the sound. But I don't know if it's shape or size that is causing the effect. I am more likely to believe that it is the shape.

In the end, though, none of these seem to have any better control than I do, and I can usually get what control I feel like I've lost with a week or two of practice.

I realize that you are considering the PT-48 to be a large mouthpiece, and I've been chastised for talking about it as though it isn't so large. My flabby chops seem to do better with bigger mouthpieces, and those who know how to focus that airstream better than me can probably take advantage of smaller mouthpieces. You might try a PT-36 (similar to the PT-1 that I once played on a Besson Bb) or even a Wick 1, which was designed for the big Bessons. Both of these are a bit smaller than the PT-48.

Rick "who experimented for two weeks and then committed himself to making the winner work" Denney


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