How to Choose a French Horn Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece is one of the most important parts of any musical instrument, especially a brass instrument like a French horn. You need to hold your mouth a certain way to seal your lips around most instruments, to prevent air escaping and causing squeaks in the middle of music. This is especially important for brass instruments, as the position of your lips also changes the pitch of the music. You must choose the right mouthpiece for your mouth, depending on what parts you usually play and the shape of your mouth. The wrong piece could prevent you from changing pitch when you need to.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Consider what parts you usually play. If you sit in first chair, which requires higher notes, choose a mouthpiece that is narrower and shallow. It is easier to make higher notes with these. If you play mostly low parts, pick a wider, deeper mouthpiece. This will help you adjust your mouth to play deeper pitches.
-
2
Decide whether you like to play with a dry or wet embouchure (the set of your lips when playing). If you lick your lips before playing, you like a wet embouchure. Choose a mouthpiece with a smooth, slippery rim. For a dry embouchure, pick a mouthpiece with a slightly rough, bumpy rim. Rub your finger around the rim to test this.
-
-
3
Choose a rim that is comfortable for your mouth. Cushioned rims are good for those with braces or other orthodontic issues. A flat rim is wider and easily accommodates larger teeth. Oval rims allow for both flexibility of the lips and are comfortable for long concerts. Hold the mouthpieces to your lips if the seller allows it.
-
4
Choose a mouthpiece with a wide inner diameter if you have very full lips. Thinner lips are better suited to narrow inner diameters. However, make sure you can fit your lips properly into the mouthpiece; if the fit is too tight or too loose, your notes will suffer from air escaping and lack of flexibility range.
-
1
