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Euphonium Mouthpieces A Teacher's Guide David R. Werden

It is generally accepted that the mouthpiece is

most important piece of equipment a brass
^player owns, yet most teachers invest very little
ni time helping the student select this relatively inex'^ pensive item. Choosing a proper mouthpiece
''I doesn't have to be a burden. However, it is
Hnecessary to have good comparative specifications
|as well as an understanding of mouthpiece charfcacteristics. This article is designed to help the
fteacher guide the student toward selecting a prop,lj er mouthpiece.
Certain variations in a mouthpiece's design will
nj.have predictable relative effects for any player.
''We'll start by lo'oking at some of these general
lt hhe

Cup Diameter

The student should use the widest diameter he

lean manage; it permits more of the lip to vibrate,
;producing a larger sound. A wide cup needn't limit
endurance. It will discourage the player from using excessive pressure for high register playing,
thereby encouraging proper use of the lip
muscles.
There is no need to select a very small cup for
the beginning player. It will only lead him into bad
habits. Consider 24.5-26 millimeters as a good
range for the young student. Most advanced
Players w i l l use d i a m e t e r s of 25.4-26.4
millimeters.
Cup Depth

Cup depth is critical and may have a greater impact on a mouthpiece's characteristics than cup
ameter. A deeper cup will give a darker tone and
will improve low register response. However, ( it
ma y flatten the high register and could lower the
Derail pitch of the instrument. It may also
sse n endurance. A shallower cup will have the
Pposite effects. A cup with a more V-shaped bottom will produce the same results as a deeper cup.
The beginner will probably be most comfortable
Wlt h a medium or medium-shallow cup. The more
advanced player will want to select the deepest

cup appropriate for his needs. The shallower cups

would only be chosen for players needing a
brilliant high register.
Throat Diameter
The throat is the narrowest part of the mouthpiece's interior, and may be specified in millimeters, inches, or drill bit sizes (the letter designation of the bit which fits most snugly through the
throat). A large throat offers the player a bigger
sound and makes the low range play easier; it may
also make the extreme high register easier to attain. However, it could diminish endurance and
make the high range too sharp. A small throat
could restrict the high range and make it flat, as
well as make the low register difficult to play.
For the beginner select a medium throat
(6.5-7mm). Encourage the more advanced student
to try a larger throat (7-7.5mm).
Backbore
The backbore lies between the throat and the
end of the shank. It is difficult to describe
numerically, as design variations occur only in its
shape. A tight or closed backbore is one in
which the inner walls of the shank are more convex; an open backbore is one in which the inner
walls are more concave. To think of it another
way, an open backbore is one which increases in
size rapidly beyond the throat. A tight backbore
increases in size very little beyond the throat until
about halfway down the shank where it opens
more rapidly to meet the end of the mouthpiece.
An open backbore offers a darker sound and
greater volume potential, but lessens endurance
and ease of response. A tight backbore may flatten
the high register and make the low register stuffy.
It will also brighten the sound.
With the major mouthpiece brands, you can probably ignore the backbore in your process of selection. A mouthpiece chosen carefully for its other
characteristics will generally have an appropriate
backbore.
Rim Width and Shape
Rim width and shape can affect endurance, flexibility, and sharpness of attacks. Most players
should use a medium-wide rim, which will allow
optimum comfort and endurance by distributing
mouthpiece pressure over a larger area. A wide
rim (known as a cushion rim) might be necessary
for players with very thick lips if they find the
David R. Werden is principal and solo euphoniumist with the U.S. Coast Guard Band and was
named 1980 "Euphonium Player of the Year" by
Sounding Brass magazine. He is a clinician for
Boosey and Hawkes, and euphoniumist with the
Atlantic Tuba Quartet and the U.S. Coast Guard
Tuba Quartet.

medium-wide rim uncomfortable. However, for

most players the wide rim will limit flexibility and
may encourage the use of too much mouthpiece
pressure. A narrow rim increases flexibility, but
its tendency to cut off the circulation of blood in
the lips will decrease endurance.
The rim should be relatively flat for good
pressure distribution. One that is too rounded will
offer more flexibility at the expense of endurance,
and will make the mouthpiece feel as though it has
a larger cup.
The rim should have a relatively sharp inner
edge to promote cleaner attacks. There should be
just enough curvature of the rim to keep the inner
edge from digging into the lips.
Plating
Mouthpieces are made of brass and plated with
silver or gold. The gold is more expensive, but may
allow a little more flexibility because it has a
smoother surface.
Once the plating wears off the rim, the mouthpiece must be replated or discarded. Bare brass
against the lips could cause a serious infection.
This is a problem the teacher must help keep an
eye on, as most young players are not aware of the
danger.
Shank Size
Insist that your student buy a mouthpiece with
the proper shank size for his instrument. Using an
adaptor is never satisfactory. It will degrade tone,
intonation, and response.
Baritones and euphoniums require one of three
shank sizes: 1) small, tenor trombone size (all
Yamahas, all true English-style baritone horns,
and most American bell-front instruments), 2)
middle, or euphonium size (pre-1974 Besson and
Boosey & Hawkes euphoniums, Willson euphoniums, and Conn model 24 and 25 euphoniums),
and 3) large, or bass trombone size (newer Besson
and Boosey & Hawkes euphoniums, Hirsbrunner
euphoniums, and new King euphoniums). While it
is fairly easy to find models with large or small
shanks, it can sometimes be difficult to find one
with the middle size shank. If your student can't
find this middle size on the mouthpiece he wants,
have him buy the large size. It is then a simple
matter for any good repair shop to shave it down
to fit correctly. The proper technique is to shave
the shank just enough so that it extends about one
inch into the receiver.
Detachable Rims
Some manufacturers will prepare their mouthpieces with a removable rim (called a screw rim)
for special needs. If your student is sometimes required to play outdoors in cold weather, you
might have him consider a screw-rim mouthpiece.
He can then obtain a lucite rim for his coldweather playing. This type of rim will never feel
cold and won't freeze onto the lips.
Another option is for the player to use his
regular rim on two or more different mouthpiece
bodies. This practice is useful when the player
doubles on another instrument that requires a different size cup, such as trombone or baritone
24

THE I N S T R U M E N T A L I S T . M , \ 1'IHT

horn. It is also useful when the player needs to u s j Y ,11

different shank sizes for different instrument^ f U
With either of these examples, your student neej f i
change only what is required, always keeping tli|
-t|-,
same rim he is accustomed to playing.
,
i element
General Advice
, -j t
Remember that each student is an individual O uthp
with a unique physical makeup and his own coif u- m try
cept of tone. The mouthpiece that works well fo< more O p
one student may be the wrong choice for another! \
Always have each student try the mouthpieci anc} a
under consideration on his own instrument.
j per f O rm
It is very important to match the mouthpiece t| m O uthp
the instrument. For example a deep cup or a largj have hir
throat and backbore will probably prove unsati use to c
factory when used with a small-bore instrument dent ma
Conversely, a shallow cup or tight backbore mai sionally
keep your student from getting the most out of.', since gc
large-bore instrument.
|-,e polis
Offer to go with your student when he tries ou; If you
mouthpieces. Even an advanced player finds a seq m outhp
ond opinion valuable. It may also be helpful i bouchu.
take along an electronic tuner to assess the intona Divisior
tion of the mouthpiece in the high and loi Accor
registers. Encourage your student to cover all euphon
aspects of his playing high and low, loud an! British
soft, tongued and slurred.
brands
Some Instrument/Mouthpiece Combinations No\
In Use In the United States
Player: Instrument/mouthpiece
U.S. Army Band
David Cobbs: Besson/Lehman bowl, Wick rim
Lee Dummer: Besson/Lehman 2
Gary Schumaker: Besson/Schilke 51D
U.S. Marine Band
Lucas Spiros: Yamaha/Giardinelli Spiros
Glenn Call: Boosey & Hawkes/Lehman 1, 2, & 4
U.S. Navy Band
John Hadderly: Willson/Schilke 5ID
John Bowman: Willson/Schilke 51D
U.S.A./F. Band
Brian Bowman: Willson/Schilke 5 I D
U.S.C.G. Band
David Werden: Boosey & Hawkes/Wick 4BL
Roger Behrend: Willson/Schilke 51D
U.S.A. Field Band
Carlyle Weber: Yamaha/Perantucci 3
Don Burleson: Besson/Lehman 1
West Point Band
Arden Norton: Besson/Wick 4AM
Buddy Baker: Yamaha, Conn/Remington (Conn)
Larry Campbell: Hirsbrunner/Perantucci 3
Paul Droste: Yamaha/Schilke 5 I D
Karl Humble: Boosey & Hawkes/Custom design
Arthur Lehman: Boosey & Hawkes/Lehman 3
Earle Louder: Hirsbrunner, Besson/Bach 9,
Bach 5G
Michael Mamminga: Boosey & Hawkes/Wick 6BM
Rich Matteson: Yamaha/Giardinelli Matteson
Dick Nash: Yamaha/Bach 11
Denis Winter: Willson/Perantucci 3

All
,dept
c

I
Shar

Perai
Custc
1414
Roya

(800$33.
Gold

Mode

Somi
Mod<
King
King
.KosiBess.
Remi

U!
Iti

o
fo
le
ec
1

You'll probably find that the best mouthpiece

for most players falls somewhere in the mid-range
Of the available sizes. Very few players will be hapY vvith the very largest or smallest sizes. Often it
takes only a small change in a particular design
element to produce noticeable results. For example if the student is basically happy with his
mouthpiece but finds his high register is flat, have
him try a model with similar dimensions but a
more open throat.
A mouthpiece's inner dimensions are critical,
and a very small build-up of dirt could affect its
performance. Instruct your student to clean his
mouthpiece each week with soap and water. Also
have him buy a mouthpiece brush, which he can
use to clean the throat and backbore. Your student may polish a silver-plated mouthpiece occasionally if necessary, using a mild silver polish.
Since gold plating is relatively soft, it should never
be polished.
If you wish to read a more detailed discussion of
mouthpieces, get the booklet entitled Embouchure and Mouthpiece Manual (Vincent Bach,
Division of Selmer, Box 310, Elkhart, Indiana).
According to questionnaires filled out by
euphonium players in North America and the
British Isles, the three most popular mouthpiece
brands in use are Bach, Denis Wick, and Schilke.

I'll refer to those brands to recommend a few

models as good basic mouthpieces. Use these if
your student doesn't know where to begin in
choosing a proper mouthpiece. Your beginning
students could try a Bach 6'/2AL, a Wick 6BY (or
6BM for medium shanks, and 6BL for large
shanks), and a Schilke 51. After the student's embouchure is well-developed, encourage him to
change to a larger mouthpiece. Your more advanced students could try a Bach 4G or 3G, a Wick
4AY or 4BS (or 4AM for medium shanks, and 4AL
or 4BL for large shanks), or a Schilke 51D.
As a teacher, you should know which brands are
available at your local music stores, and may want
to ask dealers to carry some of the more common
models so your students will have the opportunity
to test-play them.
Specifications are included here for most of the
commonly used mouthpiece brands. Most figures
were obtained from the manufacturers although
some are the result of direct measurement. Following the tables is a list of instrument/mouthpiece combinations used by some of the prominent players in the United States, based partly on
information obtained from questionnaires. The
list is admittedly incomplete, but is included as a
matter of interest, not for the purpose of making
specific recommendations.

Mouthpiece Specification Tables

All dimensions are given in millimeters. Cup

depth designations:
S = shallow
MS = medium shallow
M = medium
MD = medium deep
D=deep
Shank size designations:
T small, tenor trombone size
E = middle, "old Besson" euphonium size
B = large, bass trombone size

8
7C
7

Cup
Diameter

Throat
Diameter

Cup
Depth

Shank

25.0
26.0

7.2
7.4

MD
MD

T-E-B
T-E-B

,,, Some Older Models for Comparison

Cup
Throat
Model
Diameter
Diameter
King 11M
I King M31
Kosi-Kup (B&H)
Besson G70
Remington
-I

24.1
24.5
25.0
25.15
25.75

Model

8'/ 2 BW

$33.
Gold plating not available

.4
3

$16-20
Middle-size shank or screw-rim by special order

12C
12
11C
11
9

Perantucci Mouthpieces
Custom Music Company
1414 South Main Street
Royal Oak, Michigan
(800-521-6380)

Model

Vincent Bach
Division of the Selmer Company
Box 310
Elkhart, Indiana
(800-348-7426)

6.0
7.2
6.7
7.5
6.1

Note

Cup
Depth

Shank

MS
MD
M
MD
MD

T
T
E
B
T-B

6V..C
6'/zA
6 'A AM
6'/2AL
6
5
5GS
5G
5GB
4C
4
4G
3
3G

Cup
Throot
Cup
Diameter Diameter Depth

Shank

24.5
24.5
24.7
24.7
24.72
24.75
24.75
24.75
24.75
25.4
25.4
25.4
25.4
25.5
25.5
25.5
25.5
25.5
26.0
26.0
26.0
26.26
26.26

T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T-B
T-B
T-B
T
T
B
B
B
T
T
B
T
B

5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
5.85
6.53
6.63
5.85
5.85
6.63
7.0
7.0

5.85
5.85
7.0

6.63
7.0

#l-Wide, cushion rim

#2-Rounded rim
#3-Very rounded rim

M
M
MS
MD
MD
MS
M
MS
M
MS
MD
MD
MD
M
M
MD
D
D
MS
M
D
MD
D

Note

#1

#3

#2
#2