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On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the player's lips. The purpose of the mouthpiece is a resonator, which passes vibration from the lips to the column of air contained within the instrument, giving rise to the standing wave pattern of vibration in the air column. Mouthpieces consist of a simple circular opening which leads, via a semi-spherical or conical cavity, to the main body of the instrument.
Mouthpieces vary instrument to instrument to suit the tone of the instrument. Lower instruments also have larger mouthpieces, to maximise resonance. Also, mouthpieces are selected to suit the embouchure of the player, to produce certain timbre, or to optimise the instrument for certain playing styles. For example, trumpet and trombone mouthpieces are semi-spherical whereas horn mouthpieces are conic.
[edit] Mouthpiece design
Image:Trumpet mouthpiece cut-away numbered.png
The mouthpiece has a large effect on the sound of the instrument. The major effects are due to the shape of the cup, shape of the throat, and the inner rim diameter. In addition players often choose a mouthpiece which compliments their favored playing styles; a mouthpiece with a narrow bore is generally preferred by brass players who concentrate on the upper range of their instrument, and a wider bore by those who emphasize the lower range of their instrument in their playing.
| The effects of different aspects of mouthpiece design
|
| Mouthpiece element
| Effect on playing
| Typical size/nature
(Trumpet)
|
| Inner rim diameter
| Larger inner rim diameters are optimised for lower ranges, giving a richer tone. Smaller diameters assist high range playing.
| ~16.0mm
|
| Rim width
| Wider rim widths reduce the pressure on the lips, allowing greater stamina. It does, however, reduce flexibility.
| ~5.5mm
|
| Rim contour
| Flatter rim contours tend to be found rims with a sharper rim edges, see below.
| Varied
|
| Rim Edge (or Bite)
| Sharper rim edges reduce stamina, but increase control. More smoothed rims are commonly found on deeper cups.
| Varied
|
| Cup Depth
| Shallower cups greatly assist playing in high ranges, but do so at the cost of fullness of tone. Deeper cups assist low range flexibility and rich tone.
| Around half the inner rim diameter.
|
| Cup Shape
| Semi-spherical cups have brighter more projected tones, while conical cups have less definition of tones, see throat contour.
| Semi-spherical
|
| Throat contour
| In semi-spherical cups a sharper throat contour gives a more harsh projected tone and a rounded contour gives a deeper, richer tone. Conical cups with a smooth throat have less definition.
| Relatively sharp
|
| Throat diameter
| Larger throat diameters give more volume, but less control. Smaller have much more control, but significant volume limitations.
| ?
|
| Backbore
| More conical backbores give a richer tone, while more cylindrical gives a brighter, more projected tone.
| Fairly cylindrical
|
|
Note: in this table:
- "flexibility" refers to the 'agility' posibility; greater flexibility assists in playing music with fast passages and large intervals.
- "control" refers to the ease of control over harmonic and tone.
- "rich tone" refers to notes possessing few high harmonics, while "bright tone" refers to notes possessing many high harmonics.
|
[edit] See also
fr:Embouchure (musique)
he:פיה (מוזיקה)
ja:マウスピース (楽器)
sr:Усник (лимени дувачки инструменти)
