A mouthpiece for crooked teeth or braces

[Brassplayer18]

Hi, I am new to this forum and have a big question to ask. What mouthpiece do you guys think will be suitable for crooked, protruding teeth or braces. I've heard that wider and flatter rims work well. Also, a softer bite is probably a good idea. A recommendation for me was a Schilke 51D, so is this a fairly good move? I can also say that an older Bach 4G worked fine when I played it, but I don't know about the bite on that one. Plus, it was school owned. Okay, a little background is that I'm mainly a trumpet player. I am in college and have been playing trumpet for seven years. I made the needed switch my ninth grade year to baritone in marching band and have also been playing trombone for two years. I deal with this problem across all three instruments and was just wondering if anybody had cheaper mouthpiece recommendations with softer bites. Being a trumpet player, sometimes I struggle with clarity and articulation on low brass, but actually not as much as trumpet. I don't really know why. Sorry if the post is kind of unorganized. But, if anyone can help me out that would be great.

- August

[davewerden]

Welcome to the forum, August!

To some extent, it's a matter of "If the shoe fits, wear it." But if you feel that a 4 is about the right size (diameter) I would suggest a Denis Wick 4AL (if you have a large shank mouthpiece, or a 4AY if you have a small shank mouthpiece). The standard Wick series has a comfortable rim, slightly more rounded than the Bach rim.

There is a 4AL on eBay for $65:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denis-Wick-5...-/231590613720

[Brassplayer18]

Welcome to the forum, August!

To some extent, it's a matter of "If the shoe fits, wear it." But if you feel that a 4 is about the right size (diameter) I would suggest a Denis Wick 4AL (if you have a large shank mouthpiece, or a 4AY if you have a small shank mouthpiece). The standard Wick series has a comfortable rim, slightly more rounded than the Bach rim.

There is a 4AL on eBay for $65:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denis-Wick-5...-/231590613720

Hi Mr. Werden, thanks for the quick reply! I just want to know if the Denis Wicks have a sharp bite. I have heard that a less sharp bite is more comfortable with people who have braces or crooked teeth. Is this true? Also, I have read that trumpet players who play trombone/baritone should use a rounder rim. I know that results vary among people, but why would they assume that a rounder, wider rim works better? I might have to give the Denis Wick a try, though. Thanks for the answer! And if anyone else has anything to put into this conversation, go right ahead. The more information or advice will be appreciated.
- August

[davewerden]

I find the standard Wick mouthpiece has a less-sharp bite. I also have a Wick Heritage 4AL and that one has a sharper bite.

In general, a sharper bite will give you a little cleaner attack. I have used the Heritage sometimes, but most times I am using the standard Wick. I prefer it over the Heritage or the SM series. On my standard Wick I have to work just a bit harder for clarity than I would on the Heritage. But for your comfort I think you would the standard Wick much more comfortable.

[jimpjorps]

I recently picked up euphonium as an adult with braces after a long time away (about 12 years) from brass instruments. In my experience, the air flow caused by the braces brackets making the lip stand off from the teeth is a lot more turbulent than normal, and I think that led to me having more trouble with consistent tones and attacks on shallower cups than on deeper cups -- shallower cup mouthpieces caused me to sound a lot breathier. I started out on a Bach 11C as I built up my chops, but because of the tone quality issue I ended up using a Yamaha 54 for everyday use, as well as a Kelly 5G in Lexan for days after braces adjustments when my gums were sore.

Have you considered using a molded mouthguard? That might help with your comfort issues more than trying to pick the mouthpiece with the softest bite.

[Kristian_Wraae]

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[davewerden]

If pain from pressure is your concern, maybe you should consider something like this: http://brasslessons4u.com/stratos-embouchure-aid/

Interesting. I had not seen that device before. Many players (including me) change the mouthpiece angle slightly when going to the low range, and most low brass players open their mouth more for low notes. It would be interesting to try one, but am wary of it.