Cecilio Trombone Mouthpiece Review

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Lacey began her musical career playing the piano and writing original songs to sing with her friends at a 4th-grade “graduation” ceremony. She's actively participated in school, community, and church choirs throughout her life. Music is her passion and she loves sharing that passion with you!

Bottomline Up Front

The bottom line is that choosing a mouthpiece comes down to the correct size, quality of design, and price point. This Cecilio trombone mouthpiece review evaluates the Cecilio brand based on these parameters.

I recommend the Cecilio trombone mouthpiece only for beginners for students who need something for an instrument they play with a band or a group.

Mouthpiece Matters

Your mouthpiece matters. The type of mouthpiece you have and the materials used for the construction and quality of that mouthpiece can influence how easily you play your trombone and what type of tone you get with your trombone.

I have to tell my students that a mouthpiece will not compensate for lack of skills. If you don’t have much musical ability and are a beginner, your mouthpiece won’t suddenly make you a great performer or give you better musical skills.

It will help you with your endurance and give your tone a warmer, rounder sound. Beyond that, it’s up to you to develop your skills as a musician to make the most out of your mouthpiece.

With a better mouthpiece, you can eventually become a better player. Technology can improve your performance. Of course, there’s no substitute for knowing how to play the trombone or for practice, but your mouthpiece size and shape can encourage you to practice more.

I had a student who hated practicing. She said it was uncomfortable, and it hurt her. As soon as she changed her mouthpiece, that was no longer a problem.

Size and Shape

The two things that I think are most important when choosing a mouthpiece are the size and the shape. Every aspect of size and shape for the different pieces and parts impacts specific aspects of play.

If you are unclear about the trombone parts, read more about them. The mouthpiece is one part of a trombone, and it, too, has lots of smaller parts.

A round rim will be much easier to play than a flat rim. So, if you are a beginner and have problems with your endurance and don’t have a lot of lip strength, a round rim is something you should consider.

If you are an intermediate or advanced player and you have a lot of lip strength, you can go with a slightly contoured or flat rim shape without any problems.

So, I recommend the Cecilio trombone mouthpiece for beginners and young students because it has a round rim.

The size is important because a larger size gives you better volume and airflow, but it will inhibit your ability to use certain advanced techniques.

Again, if you are an advanced player, this can be a problem, but if you are a student or a beginner, you aren’t using any advanced techniques; you are just happy to get sound out of your trombone. So, the Cecilio model is much larger than many mouthpieces, making it perfect for beginners.

Material

When you look at different mouthpieces for a trombone, you might see a variety of materials. Each of these materials has a different hardness and density. Like most trombone brands for beginners and students, Cecilio makes their mouthpieces out of brass, but they are silver plated. Historically most mouthpieces are made with brass.

Brass is thicker and denser. You won’t really be able to produce the articulations that an advanced player can produce, but, as a beginner, this doesn’t really matter.

Manufacturer

There are many top manufacturers like Bach, Cecilio, and Yamaha. I don’t think the manufacturer matters as much as long as it is a reputable company.

These companies have been around for decades and have proven that they are suitable for their specialization. For example, Cecilio specializes in making instruments and instrument accessories affordable. This means anyone with any budget can invest in a Cecilio trombone and Cecilio trombone mouthpiece.

Choosing the Right Mouthpiece

I have a lot of students who tell me they want a new mouthpiece, but they don’t know what mouthpiece they want; they just know that they want to be able to sound good and play louder.

Everyone wants to be able to play louder and better.

Sometimes those same students tell me that they want a specific mouthpiece because their friend has it, and their friend can play better than they can. I cannot emphasize enough that your mouthpiece alone will not compensate for lack of practice or skill, but it can undoubtedly help influence the volume and the tone.

I tell my students that choosing the right mouthpiece is just like picking the right pair of shoes. Shoes that work for your friend and support their feet might not be the same shoes that work for you. Shoes won’t make you a better basketball player or help you run faster, but they can make it more comfortable while you play or run.

Similarly, your mouthpiece can’t make you a better player, but it can certainly make it more comfortable for you to play and help you change your tone. Every person has a different face, different job, different lips size, skin texture, and so much more. What feels good against your face and your mouth will be the right mouthpiece for you.

Once you find something that feels good, then you can worry more about size and shape. Once you find the right pair of shoes with the proper arch support or wide foot accommodations, you can worry about the color, the lacing, or the size.

What Changes You Want

So, you need to know what changes you want in your sound specifically. It’s perfectly fine to want to play louder or better, but you will probably have to compromise on one characteristic in order to get a good balance of the characteristics you value most.

If hitting higher notes is your main goal, you might have to pick a mouthpiece that requires more endurance and simply train your mouth, lungs, and body to withstand that extra endurance. If you want a richer, darker sound, you might have to give up volume or accuracy for things like staccato. Everything comes down to a compromise.

Different mouthpieces can help you emphasize specific attributes.

A mouthpiece with a larger cup diameter will increase your volume and give you darker tonal quality, making it very difficult to hit brighter high notes.
A tapered backbore will make it easier to hit high notes perfect for jazz instruments, but your volume and tone will suffer.
A wide, large rim will limit the endurance required of you, so it’ll be easier to play, but it will make your sound very hollow, and it won’t have a lot of sensitivity to precise musical technique.

Try Different Sizes and Models

Cecilio is a reputable brand, but I recommend you try it before committing to it. You can go to different music stores or even order a few mouthpieces and play each of them to decide which one you like best.

If you have really close friends, you might be able to borrow their mouthpieces to see how you like them, but make sure you clean them before you give them back.

Trombone Types

There are many specialty trombones on the market, but the most popular are the tenor trombone, bass trombone, and alto trombone. The straight tenor trombone doesn’t contain any tubing inside. The trigger-type tenor trombone is longer and has extra tubing in the main loop. The bass trombone has a bigger bore and can play lower notes.

Most students start with a tenor trombone and stick with it. You have to know which type of trombone you have to make sure that the size of your mouthpiece will fit the trombone.

Cecilio Trombone Mouthpiece Review

The Cecilio trombone mouthpiece is silver plated. It is a 12C size. The overall length is 79.50 mm. The shank diameter is 11 mm, and the shank length is 34.50 mm. The cup diameter is 25.70 mm, and the rim diameter is 38 mm.

This particular trombone mouthpiece is a standard size; The 11 mm shank is considered a small shank mouthpiece which means it will fit a tenor trombone, Alto trombone, or standard trombone. This is their only size, so if you need something for a bass trombone, you will need to find a different manufacturer.

The reviews from other users emphasize the fact that it is affordable, and with that affordability comes some compromise on quality.

However, that compromise is not something a beginner would notice. It’s perfect for the price and works well for beginners and students. Even older musicians with decades of experience under their belts have used this mouthpiece when their children take up the trombone.

Pros

One of the cheapest trombone mouthpieces on the market
Silver plated for beginners

Cons

Only available in silver plating in small size, so you can’t use it on bass trombones

FAQ

Question: What is the Most Common Trombone Mouthpiece?

Answer: Many different brands produce trombone mouthpieces, including Yamaha, Cecilio, Giddings, and Bach. Bach is the most common for intermediate players, as is Giddings. Yamaha and Cecilio are meant for beginners.

Question: When Should I Change My Mouthpiece?

Answer: You can change your mouthpiece anytime you want. The mouse piece is one of the most important accessories, and if you’re going to change your sound, you can change your mouthpiece. For example, if you are in an orchestra but you want a richer tone, you might get a deep mouthpiece like Cecilio.
If instead, you are part of a jazz group, you might get a shallow mouthpiece so that you have brighter tones. If you purchased a used trombone (or any other used brass instrument for that matter), I recommend you replace the mouthpiece first and foremost. You just don’t want to use a mouthpiece that someone else used.

Question: How Much Does a Mouthpiece Cost for a Trombone?

Answer: This depends entirely on the type of mouthpiece you choose. On average, you can expect to spend less than $40 on a beginner mouthpiece like this Cecilio. If you decide on something more advanced, you might spend a few hundred dollars.

Question: Do All Trombone Mouthpieces Fit All Trombones?

Answer: No. If you have invested in a bass trombone, it is slightly different from a regular trombone, just the same as a tenor trombone. It is somewhat smaller. This means the type of mouthpiece you choose has to fit your instrument. A standard Cecilio mouthpiece might fit a regular tenor trombone but not a bass trombone.
Smaller Shanks on mouthpieces for tenor trombone might be .427 inches, while longer shanks for bass trombones shanks might be 5 inches.

Bottomline

The bottom line is this Cecilio trombone mouthpiece review verified the Cecilio brand based on its size, quality of design, and price. For beginners or students who are brand new to music, especially those in school, the Cecilio model is best.

I recommend it for parents looking to purchase a mouthpiece for their child. If you have an intermediate or advanced player or an adult, I recommend finding a different brand like Bach.

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