Baritone Horn Mouthpieces from Denis Wick & Vincent Bach

WOODWIND & BRASS Ltd | 50 LONDON ROAD COWPLAIN PO8 8EN UK | 00 44 (0) 23 9235 2227


A. S. TRUMPET MOUTHPIECES ONLY £13.50 From Arnold Stolzel Precision Engineered Made in Germany	Achieve The "NON-PRESSURE" Embouchure PRACTICE ADAPTORS For CORNET & TRUMPET Made in Germany	A.S. TROMBONE MOUTHPIECES ONLY £19.50 From Arnold Stolzel 15 microns Silver Plate Consistent High Quality

HOME

CONTACT

SECURITY

DELIVERY

LINKS

VAT FREE

Bauhaus M2

Vandoren

Weril

Rovner

Jo-Ral

Otto Link

Jupiter

Cart Items: Value: CHECKOUT/VIEW CART

Baritone Horn Mouthpieces

[ Previous Section ]

MOUTHPIECES | Baritone Horn Mouthpieces

Denis Wick and Vincent Bach Brass Mouthpieces - A Brief Guide to Brass Mouthpieces

Mouthpieces come in many different shapes and sizes and can present a minefield to any player wanting to change mouthpiece or buy for the first time.

The physical shape of the brass mouthpiece has always been of great interest; manufacturers and players claim that the various parts - rim, cup, throat, backbore and shank - affect tone and playability. However, factors such as the shape and size of players’ mouths, their embouchure, and perception of sound should also be taken into account.

According to Vincent Bach, the "selection of a satisfactory mouthpiece presents to the average player an immeasurably greater problem than the choice of an instrument".

The mouthpieces of brass instruments have a "rounded" section that fits against the lips (the rim), an "enclosed volume of air" (cup diameter and depth), a narrow constriction (throat and shank), and a taper that widens out to meet the bore of the body of the instrument (the back bore). The enclosed volume may be approximately conical, as in many horn mouthpieces, or cup shaped, as in most other brass instruments (see left and below).

It is useful to know, especially when ordering, what the letters and numbers ascribed to each mouthpiece mean, how they affect play and to whom they are suited. This again is a minefield, as neither manufacturer nor player seem to agree on what is best generally for any player. They do seem to agree on what the separate parts of the mouthpiece achieve.

Generally, a wide rim increases endurance, a narrow one improves flexibility and range, and a round one improves comfort. While a sharp rim (the sharpness of the inner rim), advocated by most sellers and players, increases "brilliance and precision of attack", a thick rim creates more lip contact and may make high notes easier to reach, and increase endurance. A sharp "bite" may make playing pitch more accurate, but lip control may be limited as may comfort and endurance. A soft bite will make up for this, but may lessen the "clarity of attack".

In both Denis Wick and Vincent Bach mouthpieces a "W" in the name implies a wider cushion rim on the cup. "X" usually signifies a large "cushion" rim. For Denis Wick, "N" (trombone and French horn) means a narrower rim.

A large throat is thought to increase blowing "freedom", volume and tone. It may also sharpen the higher register, and lower register. A smaller size may increase resistance, endurance and brilliance, but flatten the higher register. All standard Bach mouthpieces are made with medium-sized throats No 27 (3.66 mm). Special throat sizes are available. The lower the number assigned, the larger the throat.

A larger cup diameter may increase volume and control, while a smaller one may help to relieve fatigue and weakness. A deep cup may darken tone, while a shallow one may help to brighten it. A large cup will also lower the pitch - thus the importance of matching the cup of the mouthpiece with the pitch of the instrument.

VBI trumpet, cornet and flugel horn mouthpieces are numbered from the largest to the smallest diameters, and from the deepest to the most shallow cup. Numbers progress from 1 (largest cup diameter) to 20 (smallest). Cup depths are notated with letters: "A" is the deepest, standard cups have no letter, and "F" is the shallowest. "V" models, as the letter suggests, have "V" style cups - for these, cup depth is notated with "S" shallow or "M" medium. So 5MV is medium deep V style cup.

Denis Wick mouthpieces work in a similar way: the lower the number, the larger the cup diameter and vice-versa. The lettering system is more idiosyncratic. Generally speaking, "B" is medium depth, "C" is shallow, "E" is very shallow. For flugel horn, "F" is very deep. For trombone, Euphonium and baritone, "A" is deep. For tuba, "S" is shallow cup. So 5BFL flugel horn, is medium-deep cup, large fitting.

Mouthpiece Testing by Mail