Instrument mouthpiece
An instrument mouthpiece is the part of a wind instrument that the musician puts to his mouth and blows air through it into the instrument. Depending on the underlying functional principle ( the upholstered pipe for brass instruments or the three different types of reeds for woodwind instruments ), it has different physical influences on the sound production . (For the functionality, see also: brass instrument or woodwind instrument)
Mouthpiece for brass instruments
Brass instruments are usually equipped with a detachable cup mouthpiece or with a deep cup called a cup mouthpiece ( trumpets , trombones , tubes ) or funnel mouthpieces ( French horn ). The mouthpiece is not the sound generator, but transmits the vibration from the lips of the wind player into the instrument. The exact size of the individual mouthpiece depends on the brass instrument used, the anatomical conditions and the sound preferences of the musician (the dimensions given below are only examples). Vincent Bach was one of the first to systematically research the relationships between the individual components of the mouthpiece.
Edge diameter
The edge diameter is selected according to the predominantly required frequency range (tone range). The inner edge diameter determines and supports the vibrating parts of the lips.
Although a French horn is two to three times longer than a trumpet, the inside diameter of the mouthpiece is about the same at 16 to 18 mm, because the range of notes played is also about the same.
For the trombone, the same length as the B flat French horn, this dimension is approx. 25 to 30 mm.
The tuba (F-tuba corresponds to the F-horn length, B-tuba is double the B-horn length) uses sizes of approx. 30 to 35 mm.
Edge shape
The edge shape and width are individually chosen by the wind player, sometimes according to criteria that cannot be clearly identified. In general it is said:
- A wide border feels comfortable (especially with low notes) and is recommended for inexperienced wind players.
- A narrow edge increases the accuracy with closely spaced (high) notes (also normal position of the French horn), but requires more practice and lip strength.
Since a stronger pressure of the mouthpiece on the lip increases its muscle tension and thus the frequency of its oscillation, a higher tone can be produced by this physical "pressing". However, this prevents the necessary blood flow to the lip muscles, which leads to faster fatigue. The danger of the muscles being crushed is given in particular with insufficient fitness training (“wrong approach”) and incorrect stomatological treatment (severed nerve tracts during tooth root surgery) due to a lack of pain feedback.
Inner shape as a bowl or funnel
The geometrical inner shape of the mouthpiece is fundamentally influencing the sound . The "U" cup shape produces more overtones and the sound is "sharp" and "bright" like the trumpet , a "V" funnel shape produces fewer overtones and the sound is soft and dark like the flugelhorn or French horn.
Furthermore, a mouthpiece favors with
- larger rim diameter and deep cup (= large volume) a full and warm tone.
- small rim diameter and shallow cup (= smaller volume) a garish and sharper tone.
In jazz , an extremely flat bowl or a double bowl (another small bowl in the transition to the soul) is sometimes used to produce very “sharp” and “pointed” (very overtone-containing) sounds.
With historical instruments ( baroque trumpet , baroque trombone ) there are sometimes very large bowls in connection with each extremely sharp inner edge and transition into the soul.
The special feature of the alphorn is that its players use both funnel and cup mouthpieces or combinations of these in almost all edge diameters (see above) and holes (see below). This is due to the fact that most alphorn players originally come from a different brass instrument and prefer a mouthpiece that comes as close as possible to their usual one. Special adapters also enable the use of metal mouthpieces such as trombone, baritone or French horn.
Soul and backbore
The core (also known as the bore ) is a short cylindrical piece or the narrowest diameter between the boiler or funnel and the back bore. Typical dimensions are for:
- Trumpet, cornet , flugelhorn: 3.6 - 4.4 mm
- French horn, Wagner tuba : 3.8 - 4.8 mm
- Trombone: 5.8 - 8 mm
- Tenor horn , baritone horn : 5.6 - 6.5 mm
- Euphonium : 6.6 - 7.2 mm
- Tuba: 7.6 - 8.6 mm
The backbore is the beginning of the conical tube of the instrument. Their specific length is determined by experimentation for each model and is generally divided into five different categories for trumpets, for example: narrow, half-narrow, medium, half-wide and wide. As a rule, standard trumpet mouthpieces are supplied as “half-size” (for example Bach “7C”). The back bore is created by turning the inner cone with a lathe chisel or by machining with a correspondingly shaped reamer . The longitudinal section can be shaped from concave (curved inwards) through linearly conical ( truncated cone ) to convex (curved outwards).
The soul and the back bore have a decisive influence on the sound stability and its generation when making music. Depending on the user, their specific dimensions can vary, each wind player chooses an individual mouthpiece based on his or her subjective perception. Physically, both elements already belong to the actual instrument and influence its intonation considerably.
Mouthpiece shaft
Mouthpieces have a conical shaft (today mostly a cone ratio KV 1:20) with which they are inserted into the mouthpipe of the instrument. So that they can be individually selected, their absolute size in the various types of instruments has practically adjusted over the last few decades. There is generally only one size for the trombone and the flugelhorn (three sizes each).
Commonly used today for higher pitched instruments (from Bb trumpet upwards) are the following sizes (measured at the beginning of the shaft):
Cornet: approx. 8.7 mm with English short shaft or American long shaft, American flugelhorn: approx. 9.5 mm, German flugelhorn: approx. 10 mm, trumpet: approx. 10 mm.
Replicas of old baroque trumpets often have the same shaft as tenor trombones with 10.8 mm.
Mouthpiece construction
Due to the wide range of custom-made designs, some mouthpiece-making workshops have specialized in mouthpiece construction, offering a standard range but also being able to make individual designs.
material
In most cases, the basic material used is brass . Since the mouthpiece is in direct contact with the constantly slightly moist lips, a galvanic coating of silver is common. Also, gold or titanium are used.
It is now also possible to make mouthpieces from Lexan , a polycarbonate that is crystal clear and can be colored in any color. The material is suitable for both cold and warm environments, as it quickly adapts to body heat.
The mouthpiece for zinc and serpentine is usually made of grenadilla , horn or ivory , while mouthpieces for alphorn and Büchel are usually made of wood.
Mouthpieces for woodwind instruments
Most woodwind instruments are equipped with a reed mouthpiece (see also tongue ).
However, some wind instruments also have mouthpieces that work like a pipe . The best-known representatives are the recorder and the whistle , but some more exotic instruments such as the Irish tin whistle are equipped with such a mouthpiece.
Mouthpiece for simple reed
The mouthpiece with a simple reed is shaped like a duck's bill and open at the bottom. This opening is almost closed by the reed. When blown, the reed starts to vibrate, which is how the sound is created. The player influences the pitch by the application and the pressure of the lower lip, the pressure of the air column, by a corresponding widening (similar to normal yawning) or narrowing of the pharynx and the valve position of the instrument. Single reed mouthpieces are used on many single reed instruments , of which the clarinet and saxophone are the most popular.
To attach the reed to the path of the mouthpiece, either a cord is wound several times around the reed and mouthpiece and knotted, or the reed is clamped by hand with one or two clamping screws under a metal or plastic clamp . These screws can be placed on the top or bottom, depending on the player's choice.
The reed can be freely positioned in the longitudinal direction, so that it is either flush with the pointed end of the mouthpiece track (the normal case), protrudes slightly or extends a little shorter. It is a matter of a fraction of a millimeter, a maximum of around two millimeters in both directions. Basically, it is easier to blow an instrument if the reed protrudes a little.
The mouthpiece is placed in the mouth with the blade facing down (towards the lower lip), the incisors pressing directly on the top of the mouthpiece. So that the latter is not mechanically chewed through too quickly, a sturdy rubber patch (practically like a bicycle tube patch) is glued to this top.
Double reed mouthpiece
In the case of the double reed, the player takes all or part of the reed into his mouth and thus forms a changeable wind capsule in which the reeds can swing. The double reed instruments include, for example, the oboe , the bassoon and the contrabassoon .
