Playing the Mouthpiece

[Shaun SS]

You often hear of people talking about their embouchure and how much mouthpiece they put in their mouth. What type of baffle they like, tip opening and reed combo. One thing you don't hear too much about is how they effectively use that set up.

What I'm getting at is there is no perfect combo. Everything has it's give and takes. You can take a high baffle mouthpiece, change you embouchure and get great fat subtones, change it again and get piercing highs.

Does this work for the rest of you?

TT = Top teeth (or lip)
BT = Bottom teeth (lip)

TT farther in on the mp + BT farther in = loud with a medium bright tone (comparatively speaking to other mp’s)
TT farther out + BT farther in = little less volume, but the altisimo is easier
TT Farther in + BT farther out = lows loud but easier to play, with a darker tone
TT out + BT out = subtones and very easy and full, very dark

[Perfect Pitch]

Wow :!: Is your farther a dentist? :idea:

[kerry]

and if you put your bottom teeth on the reed itself and blow hard as you can you can acomplish the worst god awful sound ever created.

and I always thought putting the mouthpiece on the horn upside down with the reed against the upper teeth gave it more of a dark most god awful sound ever created.

Very interesting....any thoughts on this?........(hehe-just messin)

[Frank D]

Shaun, this absolutely works, it's also known as "working the mouthpiece". Its what lets you go to a gig and play Girl From Ipanema followed by Shotgun without changing mouthpieces. It comes with time and experience playing the horn. The idea of "one mouthpiece, one sound" is a misconception. Sounds like you'e on the right track.

[kerry]

im not tryin to offend anyone but isnt that like saying the following

stand comfortable and yet with good position so the air can not be resriticted, and if you want to change the sound honker over in a bad position and you can acomplish playing quieter while trying to push the same amount of air? maybe im wrong but changing natural positions cant be good for technique. I could see for a quick affect, but not to change a mouthpiece tone. send it to mojo bari and let him fix it how you want(high/low baffel/etc.) then play comfortable and natural.

if this is not true then to get a darker sound on my jumbo java Ill just roll my bottom lip as far back over my bottom teeth as I can. and not use any lip muscle at all when I want to play bright by not using any lip at all.

dont take this as poking fun, as just dont see how thats a good idea to change tonal qualities. surely a natural, easy to play mouth position is the best way to go.if you want a mouthpiece that can play bright and dark in one try a jody jazz, or something with a custom removable baffle. Then you can play comfortably and still sound good as well. I think the method above will lead to saying, if its easier to play low with more bottom lip then just change your embouchure position in the middle of a passage to reach it. that would have to be near impossible to sound smooth. I would recommend practicing harder for the lows to come easier and maybe try a new read. anyway, just a though. again please dont take offense