Re: What inner diameter for high range?


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Kenneth Sloan on February 11, 2004 at 12:20:20:

In Reply to: What inner diameter for high range? posted by bill on February 11, 2004 at 02:31:16:

Warning: this is theory. I have no "high range" to speak of.

In my opinion, there are only two measurements which have any relevance to "making the high range easier". These are cup VOLUME and throat DIAMETER. The diameter of the rim is (at most) of secondary importance - it, of course, is a factor in determining the cup VOLUME, but it is probably most important in fitting the mouthpiece to the player's face.

Briefly, as the VOLUME of the cup goes up, the "easy range" goes down. This is intuitive (obvious?) - trumpet mouthpieces are smaller than tuba mouthpieces.

As the DIAMETER of the throat (not the rim!) goes up, the "easy range" also goes up. So, if you increase BOTH the VOLUME of the cup and the DIAMETER of the throat, the location of the "easy range" stays the same.

BUT...(there's always a "BUT")...as the DIAMETER of the throat goes up, the "easy range" expands in both directions. Slots become wider, bending pitches becomes easier (and the pitch is therefore more the responsibility of the player than the instrument). The player gets less "help" in the middle range (compared to a small-bore mouthpiece) but gets SOME help at higher (and lower!) pitches (again, compared to a small-bore mouthpiece.

So, if you are a weak player and need to play in the trombone range on your tuba, get a trombone-like cup and backbore (and forget about playing below the staff). If you are a strong player and want to expand your range (and you can control pitch by a method other than "push the right button and pick a partial"), get a toiletbowl mouthpiece with a sewer pipe for a backbore (and your low range will fall off the bottom of the piano at the same time that your high range starts to challenge the trumpets).

Only, be careful so that you know which kind of player you are, and where you really need the help. An "expert-friendly" mouthpiece can be a disaster in the hands of a mediocre player (no fair asking how I know this!)

This is (one) reason why beginners should not borrow a mouthpiece from Klaus.



Follow Ups: