I have a metal tenor piece that chirps in the second register around G , A and Bb. It occurs mainly when hard articulation is applied. The Length of lay is 25mm from the very tip and the opening is 115 thou at the very tip. The curve is Radial. It is a med/high baffle Guardala MB type. I have tested it with a Selmer Mk 6 and a Purple Logo Yamaha 62 so it is not the horn. I have tried various reeds and other mouthpieces so I'm pretty sure that it is the mouthpiece. The piece plays great other than that problem although it jams up a bit when going for a large interval harmonic jump say from top B to harmonic B or Harmonic A and this is when pushed. The harmonics play easily up to Harmonic F but not as instantly as I would like.
Any suggestions would be welcome
thanks.
Ross McIntyre

From the FAQ on my web site:

Q.  Why does my metal mouthpiece chirp and squeak when I play it?
A.  I have thought quite a bit on the physics of chirping. The driving force is high pressure. Players almost never chirp at low sound volumes. If a piece is uneven or the facing curve has irregularities, it will not be responsive and a player needs to use more pressure to make it speak. With high pressure often comes a tighter embouchure that closes off the tip opening some. This geometry is prone to squeaking. Especially if the tip is uneven and/or the baffle is high near the tip. It allows the very tip of the reed to vibrate like a mini reed at high frequency. The high baffle focuses the air even more. Try taking more mouthpiece in and/or playing while forming an "Ahhh" with you oral cavity.

The mouthpiece material has no effect on squeaks in my opinion. However, metal mouthpieces usually have higher baffles than non-metal mouthpieces. So it is common to think that metal is louder and squeaky. But this is not due to the material.

Players who like to play on the very tip of a mouthpiece are more prone to chirps. Players who take more mouthpiece in have less chirps. When you take in less mouthpiece, you usually close off some of the tip opening with your embouchure. A tight embouchure can do the same thing. Often you choose a harder reed to make this embouchure work for you. Or you start with too hard of a reed and this forces your embouchure to be tight or towards the tip. This is not necessarily a bad embouchure. Just be aware of the factors at play here.

Reeds that have a thin tip and a thick heart are more prone to squeaks, especially when used with long mouthpiece facings. A Fibracell reed has a cut that is difficult to make squeak. When I use a Fibracell and take in a little more mouthpiece, no mouthpiece squeaks for me. However, some players do not want to use Fibracells or change their embouchure. Then, working on the facing curve, tip rail and lowering the baffle some usually helps.

> On Jul 25, 2015, at 10:24 PM, mk6sax@... [MouthpieceWork] <MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> 
> I have a metal tenor piece that chirps in the second register around G , A and Bb. It occurs mainly when hard articulation is applied. The Length of lay is 25mm from the very tip and the opening is 115 thou at the very tip. The curve is Radial. It is a med/high baffle Guardala MB type. I have tested it with a Selmer Mk 6 and a Purple Logo Yamaha 62 so it is not the horn. I have tried various reeds and other mouthpieces so I'm pretty sure that it is the mouthpiece. The piece plays great other than that problem although it jams up a bit when going for a large interval harmonic jump say from top B to harmonic B or Harmonic A and this is when pushed. The harmonics play easily up to Harmonic F but not as instantly as I would like.
> Any suggestions would be welcome
> thanks.
> Ross McIntyre
> 
> 

Hi Keith,
Thanks for your reply,
cheers
Ross