Mouthpiece (woodwind)
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The mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the player's mouth. Single-reed instruments, capped double-reed instruments, and fipple flutes have mouthpieces while exposed double-reed instruments and open flutes do not.
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[edit] Single reed instruments
On instruments such as the clarinet and saxophone the mouthpiece is that part of the instrument to which the reed is attached. Its function is to provide an opening through which air enters the instrument, and one end of an air chamber to be set into vibration by the interaction between the air stream and the reed.
Single-reed instrument mouthpieces are basically wedge-shaped, with the reed being placed against the flat surface (the table) closest to the player's bottom lip. Here, the player's breath causes the reed to vibrate, which in turn sets the column of air contained within the instrument in vibration. Near the top of the mouthpiece there is a small opening into the inside of the instrument. As with the brass instruments, the shape of the bore immediately beyond the opening can greatly affect the sound of the instrument. On some woodwind instruments, the bore here is a simple extension of the main body of the instrument, although it is possible to widen it by various means. Mouthpieces with large, rounded chambers will produce a quite different sound than one with a small or square chamber.
Most mouthpieces are made out of metal, hard rubber, or plastic. Rubber, although one of the most common materials for mouthpieces, often lacks in durability, warps over time, and has a tendency to break when bumped. With mouthpieces of any material, the tip, table, or facing can be ruined if it is scratched or worn down.
[edit] Double reed instruments
The exposed double reed of the oboe or bassoon is not generally referred to as a mouthpiece, but serves the same function as the mouthpiece-reed combination on a single-reed instrument; it is placed in the player's mouth and supplies the initial vibration which starts the air column vibrating. While a double reed consists of two reeds vibrating against each other, the single-reed-plus-mouthpiece has a reed vibrating against a mouthpiece.
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