Why is it that mouthpieces have different lengths?
I have a Griego GP and Hammond 20BL and I noticed that the Hammond is longer by a noticeable amount.
Why is that? What are the benefits and pitfalls of both? What should I consider when trying both of them?
Mouthpiece Design
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henrytlaw
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Doug Elliott
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Re: Mouthpiece Design
Good workable mouthpieces can be shorter or longer. Consider how they play, not what length they are. And the length doesn't always correlate to pitch the way you think it would.
"I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two."
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harrisonreed
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Re: Mouthpiece Design
Best Brass has been doing work and research in this area. They change the length of the mouthpiece based on the cup depth. Their goal is to ensure that the tuning slide won't be pulled further than about 3cm out, no matter what cup depth you are using, and they do it using the overall length of the mouthpiece.
Their reason for this, and many here will disagree and say that it doesn't matter, is because instruments are not meant to be played with the tuning slide pulled miles out like you see so many American players doing. It fundamentally changes the way an instrument plays and the way its partials and harmonics line up.
I'm not saying this is my opinion or that I've tested this, but you can read about their thoughts on their website. I don't play their pieces, either. Nice mutes though!
Their reason for this, and many here will disagree and say that it doesn't matter, is because instruments are not meant to be played with the tuning slide pulled miles out like you see so many American players doing. It fundamentally changes the way an instrument plays and the way its partials and harmonics line up.
I'm not saying this is my opinion or that I've tested this, but you can read about their thoughts on their website. I don't play their pieces, either. Nice mutes though!