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Beginners are advised to discuss the choice of a mouthpiece with experienced players, thus enabling them to order a made to measure mouthpiece with the characteristics required to give them the best results.

A horn or trumpet player should be aiming to obtain the maximum volume of sound with a minimum of effort without the high pitched notes becoming distorted. The mouthpiece, in spite of its importance, cannot however, remedy the defects of a mediocre instrument which may have been made to less exacting standards.

A mouthpiece with a wide diameter allows a larger portion of the lips to vibrate, in this way producing a louder sound. But one should always remember that the choice of a mouthpiece is highly individual, as is the case for a hunting horn. We advise you to keep this in mind while reading the explanations that follow.

It is important to avoid using a particular mouthpiece because a particular player uses that model. No two people have the same configuration of lips and teeth. What is perfect for one person is not necessarily so for another. This is why we make several models and various types, enabling each player to find the mouthpiece that suits.

The rim

With a few rare exceptions, we don’t recommend the use of a large rim as the lips don’t create enough pressure and the mouthpiece tends to slide along the lips.

Thin rim mouthpieces offer greater performance but are difficult to sustain because they stick into the flesh of the lips.

Medium or small rims are generally used by most players, but we do recommend trying out different rims because even within these two types there are many varieties.

The cup

When obtaining high notes it is important not to exert too much pressure on the mouthpiece and rather to use the lip muscles as much as possible. Using a mouthpiece with a relatively wide cup can enable a player to produce a compact and homogeneous sound in all registers, as the lips have enough room to vibrate. Furthermore, the player has greater control, greater facility and more easily avoids making mistakes.

It can sometimes be difficult to obtain the high notes with a wide mouthpiece, but with practice one can obtain a greater facility within the registers and a better quality of sound even when the lips are swollen after having played for a long time.

Throat

All models made using the same production method have the same throat with the exception of the bass models. The throat can be enlarged by request.

With the same cup and the same rim we have noticed that with a small throat one has greater control and greater ease in the high register, but less brightness and power. By contrast, with a greater throat, one will have a little less control, but a richer and stronger sound, more dazzling, particularly in the low register.

Therefore, if one acquires a supplementary quality in one domain, it is to the detriment elsewhere. Hence a mouthpiece that facilitates the production of high notes will not have the same effect in the low register.

Primary conclusion (subjective)

Rim
Large : improves endurance and comfort.
Medium : improves the possibilities in all registers.
Small : Facilitates brightness, precision in attack.

Cup
Large : Improves power and control.
Small : Avoid effort and faintness.
Deep : Rounder sound specially in the low register.
Softly deep : Bright sound, easy for high pitched notes.

Throat
Large : Richer and stronger sound.
Small : Increases resistance, endurance, brightness.

General conclusion

We hope to have responded to at least some of your questions while acknowledging that a lot remains to be said. We would also like to hear your suggestions, but we hope you will understand that everything is very personal and is according to individual taste.

It would nevertheless appear that a first step is to look for accuracy and comfort, then to increase the amplitude of sound texture progressively to obtain strength and volume. We are at your disposition to guide you in the choice of a mouthpiece.

With time, thought and consideration, you will be able to order the personalised mouthpiece from us that will provide you with the best results, enabling your own unique individual experience of playing.