Tuba Mouthpieces

The first Monette tuba mouthpieces were inspired by and made for Chester Schmitz of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. After the trumpet section of the Boston Symphony began using Monette equipment, Mr. Schmitz approached us for a mouthpiece that would provide the same depth of sound and evenness of response throughout the registers as the trumpet section was experiencing. The resulting mouthpiece, first made in 1991, is now being used by orchestral tuba players the world over.

(Summer, 2005) By popular demand, all Monette low-brass mouthpieces are built with our PRANA technology at a new special low price.

All Monette mouthpieces come with larger throat sizes than most players of conventional mouthpieces have been accustomed to. The throat sizes for each model are optimized for each individual mouthpiece design. When large throats are used in conventional mouthpieces, the upper register goes even more flat than it already is in stock mouthpieces. With our constant-pitch-center designs, this is no longer an issue. When playing Monette low-brass mouthpieces, it is important to play without the physical adjustments we have learned to make for the inconsistent pitch center of conventional equipment. For more information, please refer to the section on Pitch Center, Body Use, and Resonance. Please also click here to view acclimation tips written specifically for tuba players.

Tuba Mouthpiece Sizes

CC Tuba Mouthpieces
May also be used on BBb tuba

Model 94 Designed for Chester Schmitz, principal tubist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This model has a wide, flat rim and a deep funnel cup. Similar in rim and cup design to popular “Helleberg” models, it has a richer sound and a more even scale than conventional mouthpieces.

Model 95 With a rounder rim contour and a smaller rim inside diameter than the model 94, this model has a shallower, more bowl-shaped cup that makes this mouthpiece great for chamber and quintet work. Although smaller in cup volume than the model 94, this mouthpiece actually produces a wider shape of sound, because of the shape of the cup.

Model 97 This mouthpiece has a inside rim diameter and cup depth halfway between the model 94 and 95. With a bowl-shaped cup and a rounder rim than the model 94, this versatile mouthpiece can be used in a wide variety of playing situations. Developed for our friend Claude Kashnig, tubist at Disney World.

Model 98 An updated version of our very popular model 94. It has the same flat rim shape and the same rim diameter, but it has more cup volume, which helps provide a fuller, wider sound. Model 99 This is a shallower version of our model 98. With the same rim diameter and rim contour as our models 94 and 98, this mouthpiece makes for an easy transition when looking for help in the upper register. The shallower cup also improves flexibility, such as when playing quick jumps over extreme intervals. This is the third C tuba mouthpiece in a series designed for Chester Schmitz, principal-tubist with the Boston Symphony.

F Tuba Mouthpieces

Model 94F We offer this popular model of F tuba mouthpiece, which has the same rim as models 94, 98, and 99, but with a much more shallow, bowl-shaped F tuba cup.

Tuba Mouthpiece Size Comparison

Special Acclimation Tips for Tuba Players

Tuba players will need to stop leaning forward (which tilts the head up) as they play into the upper register. This adjustment, which closes the throat (raising the pitch center of the body) is no longer needed when playing into the upper register on a Monette mouthpiece. By keeping the head over the spine and the throat open, the register extremes will be greatly improved.

	A. Playing “tight,” using a conventional mouthpiece in the upper register. This approach, leaning forward in the chair with the head tilted up (blocking the throat) is no longer necessary when playing in the upper register using Monette tuba mouthpieces.
	B. Collapsing the chest, blocking the hips, and blocking the throat all inhibit the player‘s natural resonance and make the player “play high on the pitch.”
	C. Playing “on center,” with the head over the spine, the chest open, and the hips open in all registers helps the player to produce a more resonant sound, and helps one to better realize the acoustic advantages Monette tuba mouthpieces offer.