I am extremely curious about this subject as I am planning on buying a new mouthpiece before I head off to college this fall. How do the different aspects of the mouthpiece affect your playing and how do these effects change as you change the mouthpiece?

Hi Fredrick,

from my own experience, I can tell you changing mouthpieces is a very complex and difficult matter. First of all, consult an experienced teacher/pro player and let him see your mouthpiece. In my opinion, there's nothing like the perfect mouthpiece. As long as yours is "normal" in size and shape, you should avoid getting a different one. Don't buy one just to have done a change or for having a new one. In 99% of cases, if the mouthpiece and horn are normal, problems in playing are caused by the "software", i.e. the person in front of the horn.
I have done numerous mouthpiece changes, and in retrospect, almost all were unnecessary. The first week with a new mouthpiece is great, everything seems to work better than before. But in week two the problems start because the muscles begin to adjust. It took me several months to fully regain my playing capabilities after those changes. So don't do it if you've got something important coming up.
I'm guessing you'll get a new teacher at college. I suggest you wait and discuss the matter with him/her. If you both agree that you could be playing significantly better on a different mouthpiece, then a change may be OK.

What Make and model Horn are you playing?
What mouthpiece are you playing?

Is there anything about your playing you want to improve or change?
What do you see are your strenghths and what do you see are your weaknesses?




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To actually answer the question -
The rim width and contour affect your flexibility, stamina, and endurance.
The cup affects tone.
The throat and bore affect your pitch stability.
The backbore affects fullness of tone and accuracy.

I was planning on waiting until I talked with my french horn teacher about getting a new mouthpiece, but now that you suggest a wait until college, I think I'll do that as well.

As for horn and mouthpiece, I currently own a Conn 8DS and play with a Giardinelli C8 (which I've had since I started playing in 5th grade). The horn came with a Conn 7BW, which I have not even opened yet in hopes of my local music store allowing me to trade it in for the purchase of a different one.

I have decent accuracy, and I'm told I have good tone, but that's something I would always love to improve upon. My upper range, I feel, is lacking in endurance and a little bit of height. Also, my range below the staff from the C down to G leaves something to be desired along the lines of tone quality and volume.

If you want a new mouthpiece go to Tom Greer of Moosewood mouthpieces.

http://www.hornmouthpiece.com/

Get an F underpart for your 8DS and tell him you have a Giard 8C and he can recommend a rim for you. You're looking at about $105. But it will so be worth it. It will make a big difference. Your note slotting will improve tremendously.

Thank you, John.

Now my curiosity is whetted and I am wanting to know exactly how each aspect of the mouthpiece affects playing. Perhaps you could suggest a book or two on the physics of the horn?

Oh Frederick you're so funny. - - - There aren't any. At least I haven't seen any. Mouthpiece makers like to keep their expertise private and proprietary. And rightfully so. There is a lot of information out there though.

If you are really really interested go to the webpage for GR technologies. They make trumpet mouthpieces but they have a very detailed 'tutorial' that will give you a whole lot of information. The website is, http://www.grmouthpieces.com/index.htm Go down to the third blue line and on the left will be a heading called 'mouthpiece tutorial'.That should get you started.

If you want some reading material I would suggest books such as;
The Acoustics of Orchestral Instruments and the Organ by E.G.Richardson
Principles of Vibration and Sound by Rossing & Fletcher

There are others out there, some easier to find than others. From experience I would suggest starting with the mouthpiece tutorial at GR technologies. Ronnie Rom from Canadian Brass worked with them for a number of years and I have communicated with both Ronnie and Gary in the past. I don't know of any other manufacturer that gives up this much information. That said, when you get close to their secrets they start changing terminology and begin changing their semantics, and either correcting your words and english or just shuting their mouths. But after going through the tutorial you will have a good vocabulary and understanding that you will be able to search for more specifics online. There will be more and more info as more and more doctoral thesis become available.

See what you can find in the library on acoustics and fluid dynamics, as these books get very expensive very quickly. Learn your basic math really well, you really want to understand advanced concepts and have good control over your basics.

If you want to become a great mouthpiece maker than you need to move out to California while you are still young and grow up north of Los Angeles, East of Burbank, West of Pasadena, and south of the Angeles National Forrest. For some reason their are a lot of great mouthpiece and horn makers from that area. I'm sure it has something to do with the water.

You are about to open pandora's box and neter the twilight zone. Have fun.

Many thanks!