The Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece of the Xaphoon is wider and more open than other mouthpieces.
This is because it helps the instrument to create a pleasant, soft tone. When developing the Xaphoon, our first priority was the tone colour. After all, this is the hallmark of the Xaphoon: it is a small, convenient instrument with an impressive tone. Here it was necessary to make a small compromise and give the mouthpiece a wider opening compared to a saxophone or a clarinet. This means that the air can pass more slowly through the mouthpiece, making the tone softer and more sonorous. With such a small instrument, you can really hear the difference. The narrower the mouthpiece, the more nasal or squawky the tone is.
The very wide mouthpiece means that it’s easy to change the pitch of the tones. If I press more strongly on the reed, the tone becomes higher; if I release the lip pressure, the pitch sinks a little. This way, I can modulate and adjust every tone. To maintain a constant pitch requires some practice, however.