Brochure

3
Selecting a Mouthpiece
When selecting a mouthpiece, a brass
instrumentalist should choose one with a
solid, compact tone of large volume. A
carefully selected Bach mouthpiece can
help improve a player’s embouchure,
attack, tonguing and endurance.
Professional musicians and advanced
students prefer the musical results of
large mouthpieces, such as the Bach 1B,
1C, 1
1
⁄
4
C, 1
1
⁄
2
B, 1
1
⁄
2
C, 2
1
⁄
2
C, 3C, which
provide a maximum volume of tone with
the least amount of effort. By opening
up the lips so that they do not touch, the
larger mouthpiece produces a clearer,
purer tone. The large cup diameter also
allows a greater portion of the lip to
vibrate, producing a larger volume of
tone, and keeps a player from forcing
high tones by encouraging the correct
functioning of the lip muscles. However,
a student may find a medium-sized
mouthpiece suitable.
Do not select a certain mouthpiece
because another player uses it. Because
no two players have the same lip or
tooth formation, what is perfect for one
may be entirely unsuitable for the other.
Bach produces many different models so
that each player can find the best mouth-
piece for their individual embouchure.
Visit your local dealer and try several
genuine Bach mouthpiece models, all
stamped with the Vincent Bach trademark.
RIM WIDTH
CUP
DIAMETER
CUP
DEPTH
RIM
THROAT BACKBORE
SHANK
A mouthpiece consists of the rim, cup, throat, and backbore. Bringing
these various components into proper relationship constitutes the art
of superior mouthpiece production.
In choosing a special combination of rim, cup, throat and backbore
designs, consider the effects of each.
RIM
Wide: Increases endurance.
Narrow: Improves flexibility, range.
Round: Improves comfort.
Sharp: Increases brilliance, precision of attack.
CUP
Large: Increases volume, control.
Small: Relieves fatigue, weakness.
Deep: Darkens tone, especially in low register.
Shallow: Brightens tone, improves
response, especially in high register.
THROAT
Large: Increases blowing freedom,
volume, tone; sharpens high
register (largest sizes also sharpen
low register).
Small: Increases resistance, endurance,
brilliance; flattens high register.
BACKBORE
BACKBORE
Except in general terms, it isn’t possible to identify
backbores by size because they also vary in shape.
Various combinations of size and shape make the
tone darker or more brilliant, raise or lower the
pitch in one or more registers, increase or
decrease volume. In each instance, the effect
depends in part on the throat and cup used in
combination with the backbore.
The playing qualities mentioned on this page
are discussed in greater detail in the following
sections. Keep in mind that playing qualities
of mouthpieces vary from person to person;
therefore, descriptions of playing qualities are
necessarily subjective. It is important to view
all information in this manual as a general
guide. For best results, use it as a starting point
for testing a number of models, not as a
substitution for testing.
What Every Brass Instrumentalist
Should Know About Mouthpieces