need medium shank mp for besson new standard

[coolguy684]

i just bought a besson 4 valve new standard, and its medium shank. im comfortable with a wick 5AL on my meinl weston 451. my range isnt incredible, my highest 100% secure note is an F above middle C. G is a 75% note. wat mouthpiece do u guys recommend? im leaning towards an SM 5.

wud i be better off having the lead pipe switched to a large? if i did then im leaning towards a DC 4

[BillHrnjak]

I have a Schilke 51D medium or euro shank in very nice shape listed on Ebay that ends on Wednesday. No bids so far, but it starts at $50 with $6 shipping to the US only.

[ghmerrill]

I have an SM4M on eBay. It's in virtually as-new condition for $40 plus shipping.

[coolguy684]

thats a really good deal but im not sure ill be ready for an sm4. even on a 5aL my high G concert isnt 100%

[MMillman]

I don't want to confuse the issue further but have you perhaps tried playing on a smaller sized mouthpiece like a 6AL or something similar. Everyone aims to get to a bigger and bigger mouthpiece as their playing progresses, but bigger mouthpieces don't work for everyone. I originally started with an SM4U but I could not handle the 4 size, in fact it probably limited my playing ability, and went on to a 5 and never looked back.

Thanks
Mark

[ghmerrill]

Yes, correct mouthpiece choice is dependent on a number of things -- including your own mouth/lip structure, what music you mostly play, and your particular instrument.

Given the experience I have had with my oval euphonium (which is a medium shank), I think your biggest challenge will be to find the right mouthpiece for you in that medium shank. Choices are rather severely limited, but at least favor smaller mouthpieces. If you can spend the money, you would probably profit greatly from trying several. WWBW (and some other vendors such as Dillon, etc.) will send you multiple mouthpieces on trial, though you typically have to pay a restocking fee ($4-$5 per mouthpiece?) and shipping. Still, this can be a saving over getting something you're not happy with simply because you didn't try it.

I have been surprised several times when a mouthpiece I thought would be great just turned out not to do the trick for me. As an example, I really don't care for the SM mouthpieces, and instead prefer the AL series (as do Dave Werden and some others in this forum). You should do your best to try before you buy. If there are other euph players around you, perhaps you could try what they're using.

[coolguy684]

i decided on a wick 6BM. its not a particularly big mp, but not that small either. it worked well for me before, so i decided to get one again.

[MMillman]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Let us know how it goes.

Mark

[MichaelSchott]

I know you already made your decision but IMO this is not a mouthpiece issue but a technique or training issue. I don't know your age or experience but range is not strictly based on mouthpiece size and in reality a large size mouthpiece allows you to push more air through the horn which is what's needed to clearly play in the upper range of the Euphonium.

Do you take private lessons? A good teacher can work with you to improve breath support.

[DougElliott]

Originally posted by: MichaelSchott I know you already made your decision but IMO this is not a mouthpiece issue but a technique or training issue. I don't know your age or experience but range is not strictly based on mouthpiece size and in reality a large size mouthpiece allows you to push more air through the horn which is what's needed to clearly play in the upper range of the Euphonium.

Do you take private lessons? A good teacher can work with you to improve breath support.

"In reality" what works for you or me doesn't work for everybody. Some players have different facial structure and embouchures that are not able to use large mouthpieces; for them a large mouthpiece would only make high range more difficult or impossible. It's not technique or training, it's physiology.