TromboneChat

I realize this has been covered, probably ad nauseam. Is there a mechanical difference in mouthpieces that improve playing or is in all in the head? In my own case, I have tried quite a few different mouthpieces and find my cheap 6-1/2 AL clone the one I keep going back to. Just wondering.

First, a 6½AL is a very "average" mouthpiece; i.e. most people will find they prefer it.

Mouthpieces are like shoes: either they fit you or not. An ill-fitting mouthpiece will negatively affect your playing, but even with a good fitting mouthpiece you still need to practice your fundamentals to get better.

There are other facets of the mouthpiece besides rim diameter that can make your playing more comfortable (or not). Some people like wide rims; some people like flatter rims. Some like tight taper backbores and some like looser taper backbores.

When I was taking lessons as a returnee my teacher had a shoebox of 5G sized mouthpieces and he told me they all were different.

Your lesson teacher is a good resource for whether a mouthpiece change is appropriate.

That helps, I will ask my instructor, thanks.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 7:04 am First, a 6½AL is a very "average" mouthpiece; i.e. most people will find they prefer it.
...

"Average" means that it will "sort of work" for many people. Just a few people will actually prefer it. The same applies to the shoe analogy - pick an average size and it will be too big or too small for most people.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 7:04 am First, a 6½AL is a very "average" mouthpiece; i.e. most people will find they prefer it.

I prefer "middle of the road" to "average.

As for most people preferring it?
Doug uses a shoe analogy, I use an ice cream analogy, with a 6½AL being vanilla. Vanilla isn't on most people's top five list, but neither is it on very many people's "That's all you got?. Thanks, but no thanks" list.

As for the OP? There's nothing inherently wrong with a 6½AL. If it's working for you, don't stress about it.

Thom wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 6:22 am In my own case, I have tried quite a few different mouthpieces and find my cheap 6-1/2 AL clone the one I keep going back to.

For how long you have tried these different mouthpieces?
Day/week/month?

Don't be shamed / pressured into changing mouthpieces just "because!"

If your 6½AL works for you (I used one successfully for several years), then focus on other aspects of your playing - areas to improve, techniques or styles that you want to master, etc. The music is much more important than the equipment that produces it.

Years

Posaunus wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 12:51 pm Don't be shamed / pressured into changing mouthpieces just "because!"

If your 6½AL works for you (I used one successfully for several years), then focus on other aspects of your playing - areas to improve, techniques or styles that you want to master, etc. The music is much more important than the equipment that produces it.

Thanks

Just to let y'all know, I played bass bone with a 6-1/2 AL large shank in HS and college jazz bands for many years on a YBL-620 series when it was called a 'Rose Brass" bell in the '70's to the '90's. I had no problems with pedal tones or high notes. When I played sousaphone and a recording bell 4 valve non-compensating Conn BBb tuba I used a middle of the road 18 mouthpiece.

If you read enough Doug Elliott replies, you start repeating "tooth structure" anytime mouthpiece preference comes up. Seriously, though, you might read through his replies around the forum about why some mouthpieces work for some people and others don't. Finding the right mouthpiece for your particular anatomy will make everything much easier, but if you keep going back to middle of the road mouthpieces, the rest probably comes down to building technique.

cmccain wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 5:13 pm If you read enough Doug Elliott replies, you start repeating "tooth structure" anytime mouthpiece preference comes up. Seriously, though, you might read through his replies around the forum about why some mouthpieces work for some people and others don't. Finding the right mouthpiece for your particular anatomy will make everything much easier, but if you keep going back to middle of the road mouthpieces, the rest probably comes down to building technique.

My guess is that for Thom, the 6½AL may be more than a "middle-of-the-road mouthpiece - it may be optimal (or near-optimal) for his anatomy / embouchure / playing style (as it may well be for thousands of trombonists). I happily played one for years, until some things changed for me.

This reminds me of the very long thread about whether anyone "still plays a 1½G!"

By the way, my grandson, a picky eater, only eats vanilla ice cream.

Posaunus wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2024 5:28 pm
My guess is that for Thom, the 6½AL may be more than a "middle-of-the-road mouthpiece - it may be optimal (or near-optimal) for his anatomy / embouchure / playing style (as it may well be for thousands of trombonists). I happily played one for years, until some things changed for me.

This reminds me of the very long thread about whether anyone "still plays a 1½G!"

By the way, my grandson, a picky eater, only eats vanilla ice cream.

Yes, that is the point I was rather clumsily trying to make It sounds like it's his optimal setup, therefore it's probably the one he should stick with to get the most out of the work he puts into it.

I have a 6 1/2 AL and it works but its not my fav. I prefer a much larger mouthpiece for symphony tenor and a smaller one for jazz/commercial. Having written that, the 6 1/2 AL can do most things fine, and some people love them.
The best mouthpiece is the one you play a lot. In the end, its you and your embouchure, but of course, there are experts who can help us find more suitable choices.....I am not that particular about mouthpieces, except that they do affect the tone, so I choose what works for the rep I am playing.

KingThings wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:40 am I have a 6 1/2 AL and it works but its not my fav. I prefer a much larger mouthpiece for symphony tenor and a smaller one for jazz/commercial. Having written that, the 6 1/2 AL can do most things fine, and some people love them.
The best mouthpiece is the one you play a lot. In the end, its you and your embouchure, but of course, there are experts who can help us find more suitable choices.....I am not that particular about mouthpieces, except that they do affect the tone, so I choose what works for the rep I am playing.

Yes, similar here. I have a 6.5AL in large and small shank and it's a good mouthpiece, but I seem to do better on a larger mouthpiece in a large bore and a smaller mouthpiece in a medium bore. I also have a Yamaha 48, which is a nice 6.5AL alternative. It's actually my first choice on British-style baritone horn!