Brass of the Day

In a previous post I talked about reeds and how they were used to help most woodwind players create sound with their instruments. Today I will be looking at the other end of the spectrum: the brass mouthpiece. Unlike the woodwind mouthpiece which has three separate parts (the mouthpiece, reed, and ligature) the brass mouthpiece is one solid aparatus which is inserted into the back of the instrument.

Parts of the Mouthpiece:
Even though the brass mouthpiece is one solid object there are different parts of it that take on somewhat different shapes depending on the instrument and the type of playing they are intended for.

The parts are as follows:

1. This is the 'Inner Rim' of the mouthpiece. The smaller the diameter the higher the pitch, the large the diameter the lower the pitch. For example, a tuba mouthpiece will have a larger inner rim diameter than a trombone, a trombone will have a larger inner rim than a trumpet, and so on.
2. This is the 'Rim'. The rim of a mouthpiece dictates the amount of pressure put on the lips while playing. The wider the rim the less pressure and thus the ability to play more longer. The larger rim will, however, decrease the player's control or for example the ability to achieve crisp articulation on quick passages.
3. This is the 'Rim Contour' and can be either flat or rounded.
4. This is the 'Bite' and also plays a part in durability and control. The sharper the slope of the bite the more control the player will have but at the cost of being worn out faster. The more rounded the curvature of the bite the longer the player can last but acute control is sacrificed.
5. This is the 'Cup'. The cup has two important parts, the depth and the shape. Deep cups are used for low ranged instruments like the trombone, bass trombone, baritone, and tuba. The deeper cup gives them a lower range and a fuller sound. Shallower cups are used for instruments like french horns, trumpets, and cornets. The shallow cup allows them a much higher sound and a brighter tone. Shape-wise, the semi-spherical cups will give the instrument a sharper and higher sound than the conical cups.
6. This is the 'Throat' and is used for 'tone definition'. The sharper the incline of the throat of a mouthpiece the more it will modify the instrument's already established tone quality. For example: Brighter and louder for trumpets while fuller and rounder for tubas.
7. This is the 'Backbore' and is also in charge of dictating the type of tone quality produced. The more cone-shaped it is the fuller and richer the sound will be, the more cylinder-shaped the brighter and sharper.
8. This is the 'Shank' and is the covering for the backbore. It is also the part of the mouthpiece that is inserted into the instrument.

There is also a special kind of mouthpiece called an asymmetrical mouthpiece for the very reason that the cup is purposefully asymmetrical and looks like this:



This type of mouthpiece is often used for playing in Jazz emsembles or bigbands because it allows the musician to play higher and louder than he would on a normal mouthpiece. Tone quality, however, is often sacrificed.

Materials:
Brass mouthpieces are, needless to say, brass (for the most part). The coating on a standard brass mouth piece is silver because it is cheaper than it's gold alternative. Plating one's mouthpiece in gold will cause it to have a warmer and less bright sound than a silver plated mouthpiece and it will also erase the possibility of tarnish that the silver one's have.

Plastic mouthpieces are also available and are cheaper than their brothers. These mouthpieces are very durable and are often used in places like Drum Corps or Marching Bands where the diminished tone quality will not be a problem. Another advantage is that temperature changes that will drastically alter the pitch of the metal mouthpieces will have a much smaller effect on this one.

Very Punny
A music store was robbed. The thief made away with the lute.