The different types of French horn mouthpieces can be broken into beginners’ mouthpieces, intermediate mouthpieces, and advanced mouthpieces. Beginners’ mouthpieces usually focus on ease of playability while advanced mouthpieces focus more on flexibility and sound quality. Intermediate mouthpieces aim for a balance between these two factors. The rim, cup, and throat of the mouthpiece are the three main factors which affect its playability and tone. The width and edge of the rim; the depth, shape, and width of the cup; and the size of the throat are the main determining factors.
Beginners’ French horn mouthpieces usually require a round and wide rim. This increases the level of comfort during play and allows beginners to continue playing for longer. Conversely, advanced mouthpieces have smaller, sharpened rims to provide the player with more control over the pitch and precision of attack. Intermediate French horn mouthpieces can be rounded or sharp, but are usually medium in size. Regardless of these conventions, advanced players will sometimes prefer a mouthpiece with a rounded rim and some beginners will prefer sharper rims.
Advanced French horn mouthpieces will have a large cup and a large throat. These two factors increase the players’ freedom to alter the note produced and increase the volume of the instrument. Beginners will prefer mouthpieces with a smaller cup and throat because they do not require as strong an embouchure to play. Embouchure is the word used for the muscles around the mouth required to play the French horn and other brass instruments. Most intermediate players therefore prefer something between these two, a medium throat and cup size.
The shape of the cup of different French horn mouthpieces affects tone more than playability. A “C” shaped cup makes the tone of the instrument darker with more low-end tones being prominent. A “V” shaped cup is more efficient in terms of sound production, and is therefore often preferred by beginners or players with a weaker embouchure. Most players prefer to use a “C/V” shaped cup because it provides a darker tone and still allows for efficiency.
Other factors relating to French horn mouthpieces are also a matter of personal choice. For example, a deeper cup provides a darker tone and a shallower cup provides a brighter tone. Either choice is suitable for players of any level, but most players will opt for a medium depth. Intermediate mouthpieces can also feature a large or a small throat, because they affect the tone produced by the French horn. A larger throat sharpens the higher notes on the instrument and a smaller one flattens the higher register.