[Rowka]

Is this considered a very closed mpc? It is my baseline. So, when I can try others what will I be comparing them against?

 

[MojoBari]

Medium closed. It is a good mouthpiece to build a foundation on and play in concert band.

What is your experiance level and what type of playing will you be doing?

 

[Rowka]

I played bari for years in concert band, years ago. I have no idea what mpcs I used back then. Any of several rubber and metal school owned pcs.

Now with the Yamaha, I can't seem to get any lip on it. I can't pull the notes up, or relax them down. I didn't know if the Yamaha was too closed or if I just have to work on it.

 

[MPL]

What reed strength are you using? Since the mouthpiece has a relatively small tip opening, you should be using stiffer reeds than you may be used to.

 

[Rowka]

I'm using plain Jane Rico 3 reeds.

 

[MPL]

Hm. Those ought to be fine for that mouthpiece. Since the facing is small, you won't be able to bend pitch much with your embouchure.

Next question: what type of baritone are you using this mouthpiece on?

 

[Rowka]

A new Buffet-Crampon 400.

 

[MPL]

That's a newer low A baritone, isn't it? Then you're not doing anything wrong as far as I can tell. Are specific notes out of tune?

 

[Rowka]

Yes, new low A horn.
Can you guess what one note sounds flat?

That's right. Middle C#. Sounds very flat. It might just be the "c# is a b*tch of a note to begin with" thing.

 

[MojoBari]

If you think you were able to bend notes better in the past, then your previous mouthpiece may have had a more open tip. But this is a two edged sword. A more open tip is also more difficult to lock in to a single pitch. The key is not to go too open.

The Yamaha 5C is probably about a .084" tip. A .090"-.095" might be worth a try.