high range playing. | | |- |2. |Rim width |Wider rim widths reduce the pressure on the lips, allowing greater stamina. It does, however, reduce flexibility. | | |- |3. |Rim contour |Flatter rim contours tend to appear on rims with sharper edges (see below). |Varied |Varied |- |4. |Rim edge (or bite) |Sharper rim edges reduce stamina but increase control. More smoothed rims are commonly found on deeper cups. |Varied |varied |- |5. |Cup depth |Shallower cups greatly assist playing in high ranges but do so at the cost of fullness of tone. Deeper cups assist low range flexibility and rich tone. |Around half the inner rim diameter. | to 2 times the inner rim diameter. |- |5. |Cup shape |Semi-spherical cups have brighter, more projected tones, while conical cups have less tone definition (see throat contour, below). |Semi-spherical |Both |- |6. |Throat contour |In semi-spherical cups, a sharper throat contour gives a more harsh, projected tone and a rounded contour gives a deeper, richer tone. Conical cups with a smooth throat have less definition. |Relatively sharp |Usually rounded |- |6. |Throat diameter |Larger throat diameters give more volume but less control. Smaller diameters have much more control but significant volume limitations. | | |- |7. |Backbore |More conical backbores give a richer tone, while more cylindrical ones give a brighter, more projected tone. |Fairly cylindrical |Varied |- | |colspan=4|Note: in this table: "flexibility" refers to the 'agility' possibility; greater flexibility assists in playing music with fast passages and large intervals. "control" refers to the ease of control over harmonic and tone. "rich tone" refers to notes possessing few high harmonics, while "bright tone" refers to notes possessing many high harmonics. |} Material Makers commonly construct mouthpieces from one of two types of material, with different costs, properties, and features. Metal mouthpieces can be plated with some other metal. Some of the following assertions, especially those regarding the effect of plating on tone color, are questioned by many players and specialists. Brass Mouthpieces have traditionally been formed of solid brass. Due to brass often containing lead and being toxic upon contact, brass mouthpieces are usually plated with either gold or silver to protect the player from potential brass poisoning. Plastic Plastic mouthpieces are usually made of Lexan plastic, and are often available in various colors. They are durable and don't dent as do metal mouthpieces. Less expensive than metal