Beginner mouthpieces, intermediate mouthpieces, and advanced mouthpieces are the three types of French horn mouthpieces. Beginner mouthpieces are usually designed for ease of use, whereas advanced mouthpieces are designed for flexibility and sound quality. Intermediate mouthpieces strive to strike a balance between the two. The mouthpiece’s rim, cup, and throat are the three main factors that influence its playability and tone. The main determining factors are the width and edge of the rim; the depth, shape, and width of the cup; and the size of the throat.
The rim of a beginner’s French horn mouthpiece should be round and wide. This improves the level of comfort while playing and allows beginners to play for longer periods of time. Advanced mouthpieces, on the other hand, have smaller, sharpened rims to give the player more control over the pitch and attack precision. Mouthpieces for intermediate French horns can be rounded or sharp, but they are usually medium in size. Regardless of these conventions, advanced players may prefer a mouthpiece with a rounded rim, while beginners may prefer a mouthpiece with a sharper rim.
Mouthpieces for advanced French horns will have a large cup and throat. These two factors increase the players’ ability to change the note produced and the instrument’s volume. Beginners will benefit from mouthpieces with a smaller cup and throat because they require less of a strong embouchure to play. The term “embouchure” refers to the muscles around the mouth that are necessary for playing the French horn and other brass instruments. As a result, most intermediate players prefer something in the middle, with a medium throat and cup size.
Tone is more affected the shape of the cup of different French horn mouthpieces than playability. A “C” shaped cup darkens the tone of the instrument, bringing out more low-end tones. Beginners and players with a weaker embouchure often prefer a “V” shaped cup because it is more efficient in terms of sound production. The majority of players prefer to use a “C/V” shaped cup because it produces a darker tone while remaining efficient.
Other aspects of French horn mouthpieces are a matter of personal preference. A deeper cup, for example, produces a darker tone, while a shallower cup produces a brighter tone. Both options are suitable for players of any skill level, but most will choose the medium depth. Because they affect the tone produced the French horn, intermediate mouthpieces can have a large or small throat. The higher notes on the instrument are sharpened a larger throat, while the higher register is flattened a smaller one.