Fgal409 wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 3:16 am
Hello everyone, lately i was wondering if its really worth to have shallow mp on a .500 for lead jazz on the high register. And i wanted to ask: has anyone had some kind of experience with those rare shallow mouthpieces? (And im not talking about 7C, 12C, 11C) I mean like very shallow and small (past 12C at least)
to give some examples 15C, 8 1/2BW, 15CW, 17C, 18C anything within that range.
Did it make high notes actually easy? Pros? Cons? Range? Flexibility? Articultations? Tone?
It would really help me to know what you think or what experience you had mostly the most experienced players.
Thank you!
I use a very shallow mouthpiece on alto and also on my 3B. It makes the high notes clearer and easier to play reliably.
You are possibly confusing cup width with cup depth, but maybe not. The mouthpieces you listed are very narrow cups. Old school designs change the cup width with the cup depth like that.
For me, having a good range is all about having the cup width fit your face properly, so that your embouchure can function. The cup depth is about getting the sound right, and improving endurance and reliability in the register the cup was meant for. The upper register needs a lot of fast air so my mouthpieces with shallow cups have a wider throat diameter in most cases.
When you get into these 15C sizes or whatever, those are too narrow for most people's embouchures to function in. I could barely make a sound on one of those, let alone play upstairs.
Knowing nothing other than that you play a 4C, I'd recommend a Doug Elliott XT103/C or C+, and the shank that is made for your horn. If that is actually the setup that fits your face best, it won't be the mouthpiece holding back anything in your range. For reference I play a DE XT106N/A with the alto shank on the highest alto parts, and while it sounds great in the typical alto register, it is a terrible choice for general playing on tenor, because it's just too shallow for the low register. You need the right tool for the job.