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Re: Different mouthpiece tip openings

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-11 03:36

Of course there ARE plenty of other factors, BUT........

My take on it is that a more closed opening allows more 'control' over timbre and pitch simply because the parameters are closer together (less flex in timbre and pitch in a closed tip opening). The advantage is built in constancy. You don't have to work (or even think for that matter) as much about where you are pitch wise or timbre wise as you fly from one register into another.

Now, you do lose this 'assurance' with a wider tip opening but you do gain (obviously) greater flexibility of pitch and timbre. It is also easier to do effects such as glissandi and klezmer type 'yelps.' So, what you desire more in style is a big deciding factor in which way you may settle.

It is NOT so cut and dried but it used to be the common wisdom that open mouthpieces were for jazz and narrow openings were more suited for classical. However, having one type of opening doesn't preclude you from playing (quite satisfactorily) the opposite style of music.......it just makes it a little more work.

.................Paul Aviles

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