Review from 4BarsRest

Such are the modern day 21^st century demands on soprano cornet players that picking the right mouthpiece is no longer a singular decision.

Much like meeting the needs of professional trumpet players, there are specific tools for specific jobs – mouthpieces specially designed to help bring different characteristics to the texture, colour and brilliance of the sound, as well as helping with extremes of dynamic and register.

And whilst traditionalists may baulk at the very thought of seeing a brass band soprano player pop their hand into a jacket pocket to replace one mouthpiece with another halfway through a test-piece, it is no different to what goes in the professional ranks of many orchestras, big bands and brass ensembles.

The S model is the everyman workhorse – producing a full, bright, but certainly not a strident tonality throughout the range. It does the job that it is intended to do without fuss, enabling an experienced player to blend as well as project. Its main strength enables you to sit on top of a cornet section or ensemble whilst also allowing a touch of individuality in solo passages.

This is not a ‘screamer’ – far from it, but it is more than capable (given a solid technique to back it up) of reaching for the stars.

Review by 4BarsRest of all three soprano cornet mouthpiece designs

Flexibility

Top class players can of course do all sorts of things with their playing, but a mouthpiece that enables them to maintain flexibility is a must.  Playing the soprano isn’t all about whacking it out at full blast.  You must be able to do the dainty filigree stuff without sounding strangled, or the mid-range solo work without sounding like a cornet player in camouflage.

All three Alliance soprano mouthpieces do this within their given parameters – none restricts range, tonality or volume – or drains stamina in the process, whilst none causes problems with intonation.

Comfort

Personal preference will of course have a great deal to do with this, but all three mouthpieces have broad cushioned rims (5.30mm) that are aimed to help those both with thin lips and those who tend to play with pressure.

They are superbly manufactured, so the finish is smooth and even and there are no chamfered edges that cut into the embouchure.

Overall

Given the increasingly important role played by the soprano in the modern brass band, and the demands which are now placed upon a player, having the right tools for a specific job is a must.

This trio certainly aids your ability to cover all bases – from the everyday workload to mid-range lyrical solos and the high altitude fly by wire stuff. And with the basic design characteristics (wide cushioned rim and cup diameter) very much the same, the mouthpieces feel comfortable and familiar on the chops.

If you are serious about your soprano playing and you want to develop different characteristics to your playing, trying out different mouthpiece designs can certainly meet your ambitions – and this trio from Alliance do just that.