Mouthpiece system for woodwind instruments

In a woodwind musical instrument having a mouthpiece capable of receiving a reed thereon, means for holding the reed on the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece having a tapered front portion, the tapered front portion having a substantially flat one side, the one side having a window therein, the mouthpiece having a tone chamber in communication with the window, the improvement therein in combination, comprising:

• the tone chamber having a substantially rectangular cross section;
• the mouthpiece having a tapered rear portion, the rear portion having a substantially circular cross section bore therein;
• and
• the mouthpiece having a shallow spoon shaped cavity, the cavity being V-shaped, being narrower toward the tone chamber and wider toward the bore, the cavity communicating with and merging the circular cross section bore and the rectangular cross section tone chamber such that abrupt changes in cross section are eliminated thereby reducing impedance discontinuities, energy reflection and acoustical filtering.

A mouthpiece for a woodwind musical instrument having improved tonal qualities, and comprising, in combination:

• a front portion having a substantially flat side thereon, the side having a table and an adjacent window having a given length, the table having a length which is relatively short with respect to the length of the window;
• a vibrating reed on the side of the front portion of the mouthpiece and covering the window, the reed having a length greater than the length of the window, the window extending at least approximately 70% of the length of the reed, the reed having side edges thereon;
• clamping means for retaining the reed on the mouthpiece, the clamping means exerting a transverse clamping pressure against the side edges of the reed;
• the front portion of the mouthpiece having a tone chamber in communication with the window;
• and
• a rear portion having a longitudinal opening formed therein in smooth communication with the tone chamber, such that the transition therebetween is devoid of abrupt discontinuities.

In a woodwind musical instrument having a mouthpiece capable of receiving a reed thereon, means for holding the reed on the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece having a tapered front portion, the tapered front portion having a substantially flat one side thereon, the one side having a table and an adjacent window having a given length, the mouthpiece having a tone chamber, the improvement therein in combination, comprising the table having a length which is relatively short with respect to the length of the window, the window extending to at least approximately 70% of the length of the reed, the window being in communication with the tone chamber in the mouthpiece such that said length of the reed interfaces with the tone chamber;

• the tone chamber having a substantially rectangular cross section;
• the mouthpiece having a tapered rear portion, the rear portion having a substantially circular cross section bore therein;
• and
• the mouthpiece having a shallow spoon shaped cavity communicating with and merging the circular cross section bore and the rectangular cross section tone chamber, the cavity being V-shaped, being narrower toward the tone chamber and wider toward the bore such that abrupt changes in cross section are eliminated thereby reducing impedance discontinuities, energy reflection and acoustical filtering.

A mouthpiece having improved tonal qualities capable of receiving a reed thereon to cause air to vibrate in a woodwind musical instrument, comprising, in combination:

• a tapered front portion having a substantially flat one side thereon, the one side having a table and an adjacent window having a given length, the table having a length which is relatively short with respect to the length of the window, the window having two sides;
• the front portion having a tone chamber, the tone chamber in communication with the window, the tone chamber extending the full length of the window;
• a pair of facing rails, one rail on each side of the window, each rail extending the length of the window;
• the reed having a length greater than the length of the window, the reed engaging the facing rails such that the window extends to at least approximately 70% of the length of the reed, said length of the reed interfacing with the tone chamber;
• resilient means for holding the reed on the mouthpiece wherein the reed has a heel and lateral edges on the heel, the resilient means applying clamping pressure transversely against the lateral edges of the heel of the reed permitting the heel of the reed to be deflected upon vibration of air in the tone chamber.

In a woodwind musical instrument having a mouthpiece capable of receiving a reed thereon, means for holding the reed on the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece having a tapered front portion, the tapered front portion having a substantially flat one side, the one side having a window therein, the mouthpiece having a tone chamber, the window being in communication with the tone chamber, the improvement therein in combination comprising:

• the window extending a substantial portion of the one side;
• the window being covered by at least approximately 70% of the reed such that said length of the reed interfaces with the tone chamber;
• the means for holding the reed on the mouthpiece being a ligature;
• and
• the reed having an underside, a heel and lateral edges on the heel;
• the ligature having a body extending around the mouthpiece and a means for adjusting the body thereabout to secure the reed to the mouthpiece, the ligature being mounted on the reed such that the adjusting means is adjacent to the reed, such that the ligature applies pressure only to the lateral edges of the heel of the reed, and such that a predominant portion of the underside of the reed is unconstrained from vibration and is in contact with the vibrating air in the tone chamber of the mouthpiece, thereby increasing interchange of acoustic energy between the tone chamber and the heel of the reed.