BRASS MOUTHPIECES NEED CARE AND ATTENTION TOO - Heather Sirney

Brass Bungalow

Brass Mouthpieces need care and attention too! Heather Sirney

From first year students excited about new instruments to the high school students performing horn snaps on asphalt marching fields, band directors have experienced brass players dropping their mouthpieces all too often. As a result, dented mouthpiece shanks are common for both student and school-owned mouthpieces. Such imperfections result in negatively changing the resistance of the mouthpiece as well as the air flow into the instrument. These blemishes should be addressed and repaired, and band directors can easily repair most dents by using a “Truing Tool.” A truing tool is used to change the roundness of a mouthpiece shank and is a great investment for any band program.

To get started, one should rest the mouthpiece on a soft cloth, and the use of a plastic or rawhide hammer is recommended. Place the truing tool in the mouthpiece and hand tighten the mouthpiece into the truing tool. Holding it at an angle, begin lightly tapping/hammering around the spots where it does not touch the tool because of the dent. Be sure to hammer toward the indented area with glancing blows as well as toward the end of the shank, rotating the mouthpiece as you go. As the dents round out, the mouthpiece will loosen in the truing tool. Repeat the process of hand tightening and lightly hammering until the shank is back to its original shape. At no time should you insert the truing tool into the mouthpiece and hammer directly down onto the tool. This can potentially ruin the shank as well as get the tool stuck in the mouthpiece.

Truing tools can be purchased either online or from a local music retailer for approximately $22.00. A low-cost item for any director’s repair kit, use of a truing tool is an easy way to maintain brass mouthpieces. School owned mouthpieces should be checked annually, and any imperfections should be fixed as soon as possible to ensure the best possible airflow from mouthpiece to instrument.

Heather Sirney is the Assistant Director of Bands at Warren G. Harding High School. As one of the music teachers at the high school, her teaching responsibilities include Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Freshmen Band, Jazz Ensemble 1, Jazz Ensemble 2, Beginning Piano, and Music Technology. Ms. Sirney is active within the OMEA District 5 organization as one of the co-chairs of the High School Honors Band. She received her education at Youngstown State University, earning a Bachelor of Music Education and continued at YSU as a graduate assistant within the band department while earning a Master of Music with a conducting emphasis. Ms. Sirney previously taught music at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown and before that, was the band director at Huntingdon Area High School in Huntingdon, PA.