Apparently very simple in shape, the mouthpiece is an accessory which features are actualy quite complex and of most importance for musicians, beginners and professionals as well.

It embodies various parts which sizes can vary according to the model and which subtle mixture make possible to obtain very different results and offer thus various acoustical possibilities. Musical and acoustical characteristics are really closely connected (sonority, fullness, volume, accuracy, easy emission) with the mouthpiece components (chambre, baffle bore, facing length, tip opening). Any minor variation in the sizes of these various components may involve quite different results.

The difficulty is to build up and propose a all purpose mouthpiece with which everybody could obtain the utmost : the selection depends on various requirements as each musician looks foe certain musical results and must consider his personal embouchure (mouth muscles, mouth cavity, teeth and lips shapes) thus involving many combinations.

When choosing a mouthpiece, it is advisable to take into account both the musician and the instrument; a bad combination with the mouthpiece and the clarinet barrel may spoil the tone accuracy and the blowing easiness.

Sometimes some defaults are ascribded to the instrument but they may often result from a mouthpiece not properly chosen; at the same time a good mouthpiece can improve noticeably the qualities of the instrument.

Combining the reed and the mouthpiece together is a very delicate task; one must avoid to absolutely try to adapt a new mouthpiece to a reed which gave satisfactory results with another mouthpiece.
On the contrary it is better to try to adapt a reed to the mouthpiece features.

Do not systematically choose the easy playing mouthpiece but rather take instead the one which enables a total control of the reed vibrations.
The more suitable will sometimes offer some resistance as a controlled sound emission involves a relative effort.

SELMER-Paris first activity being devoted to mouthpiece production, they are now quite experimented.
The SELMER-Paris mouthpieces are build with treated materials or with ebonite bars (vulcanized rubber) wich quality is extremely steady. These mouthpieces are hard-wearing and still reliable even after long time use.

High level technologies make it possible to adjust with accuracy the mouthpiece internal sizes while assuring smooth quality.

The SELMER-Paris mouthpieces are now well known around the world; they are avaible in a very wide range of openings and lays offering to everyone the possibility to obtain the best.