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YET...MORE TIPS...

Fourth: Staccato scales and arpeggios, two and three octaves. Are the notes where they ought to be? Are the "targets" nice and broad? Do you feel confident about your accuracy on the new mouthpiece, or is your old one better?

Fifth: Piano and Pianissimo attacks, especially in the high range. Still confident? Is the tone quality holding up nicely? (How about the passage in the Ravel G Major??)

Sixth: Forte and Fortissimo passages; low, middle & high register. Is the tone steady; does the horn project easily without distortion? Is there more/less "edge" than you want? Is there sufficient resistance, or do you feel "winded" in fortissimo passages? It is assumed that you are "in shape!"

Finally: Play something MELODIC, free from mental constraints, such as rhythmically complex, technically over-involved, cerebral stuff. I recommend the intro to "Stardust", but that probably dates me. (Desafinado is another great choice, unless you are truly locked-in to printed music...) Nevertheless, such free-roaming pieces of lyricism will give you the final word on the flexibility & comfort qualities in the new mouthpiece. If you can easily express yourself with this mouthpiece, you have found "The One".

GET A SECOND OPINION!

These tips should help you through the trial of a new mouthpiece. Another good test of tone and projection is to take a trusted colleague to the hall and have him/her listen from the seats. Many of us do not know how we sound at a distance. Get a second opinion. (Maybe NOT a rival's opinion!)

An added note of importance in evaluating the MegaMoose or Cartouche High-Mass Mouthpieces: At first trial, the MegaMoose underpart may feel somewhat flat to you in the upper range. This is because you have been compensating for the less-than optimal projection and intonation in standard-weight mouthpieces. You may even discover that your body usage has been compensating for less-than optimal response. Have you been slumping, tucking your neck in, closing off your throat? When evaluating the MegaMoose with your listening colleague, ask him/her if there is a difference in the power of sound and clarity. As you become accustomed to practicing and performing on the MegaMoose you will be astonished at how much effort was formerly expended, using your over-light mouthpiece! Naturally, I recommend the MegaMoose for concert hall use, but suggest the standard-weight or stem-weighted underpart for chamber music and pit work.



THE FINAL TEST

The final test is in the context of ensemble playing. Can you hear yourself? Can your colleagues hear you easily? Does the mouthpiece/horn combination seem to make your ensemble playing easier and more enjoyable? Do you blend better with: your section, with the brasses, woodwinds, strings, with your accompanist?

In the long haul, a good match between yourself, the mouthpiece and horn will show up in better endurance, better intonation and overall ease of playing.

And of course, the final goal is, as they say in Zen literature, "complete annihilation", where the whole focus is on the music and the "means-whereby" is left behind.

- Dr. Thomas Greer, Moosewood Hornists' Requisites

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