High school student confused about alto sax mouthpiece: any pointers?

Question

I'm about to be a senior in high school, and this summer I have the chance to buy my own mouthpiece. It might seem crazy to some others, but I used the mouthpiece that came with my Selmer (Model AS500). On top of the fact that I'm lead alto for my jazz band and ensemble, I really really need to get one. But the problem is, I've never had the chance to actually look into all the technicalities of buying a mouthpiece. So...any suggestions? I'll be playing mostly jazz with it. I'm focusing on practicality, but it would depend on how improved the sound would be - I dont' know the exact model of my mouthpiece (the one that came with the AS500, but it says "4C" on it).

Answer 1

For Jazz, I'd look at either a Meyer 5 or Otto Link. Do yourself a favor and try them out before buying one. Berg Larson is a good mouthpiece but they tend to be cannons and unless you have a huge sound or a third lung it may be a bit much for you.

I play a Meyer 5 on Alto and an Otto Link on Tenor.

And if you are still using an AS500 do yourself another favor and buy a Selmer C star or Selmer Larry Teal for everything other than Jazz.

Answer 2

Ok, about mouthpieces.
1. The letters and numbers on the mouthpieces are mostly meaningless. There isn't some universal size chart that says a 4C on a Selmer mouthpiece is the same settings as a 4C in a Yamaha.
2. The biggest difference (though it doesn't seem it) between mouthpieces is the space between the tip of the mouthpiece and the reed (the facing). The general rule of thumb is that for a classical sound, you want a small facing, and for a jazz sound, you want a large facing. Along with facing is the reed strength. A soft reed will not work well on a small facing, and a hard reed will not work well on a large facing. For my classical mouthpieces, I use 3, 3.5 and 4 reeds. For my jazz mouthpieces, I use 2, 2.5, and rarely a 3.
3. The second biggest difference between mouthpieces is the chamber (the area that the neck goes into and before the sloping of the mouthpiece starts). There are pretty much two options on this area, round, and square. What the difference is depends on the player. Some people swear that round is the only way to have it and anything else is blasphemy. Others love the square chamber.
4. On average, the mouthpieces that come with saxophones are good mouthpieces. Obviously if you are a professional player, you want something different, but for most students, that mouthpiece is fine. The only time you should change it is A-the band director says he doesn't like the sound you are making and you'll lose the seat if you don't change it, and/or B-you don't like the sound you are making.
5. The mouthpiece is one of many parts that make the sound you generate as a saxophonist, and if anything, it has the smallest affect on the sound. The other parts that affect the sound are the saxophone itself (the material, make, etc), ligature, reed, your embouchure, your throat (something almost always overlooked by students but is a HUGE factor), your posture, your tongue, and your chest. These different factors are why five people could play on the exact same saxophone and mouthpiece and get five completely different sounds from it.

Taking suggestions on mouthpieces is a BAD idea. Nearly any saxophone forum I look at has really started to stop this because, 1-people can recommend mouthpieces but the person asking the question doesn't have access to that mouthpiece, 2-people are different and get different sounds.
Being the first alto is a non-issue and I don't see why you would need to get a new mouthpiece unless either condition A or B was an issue.
Now, if you are still hell bent on getting a new mouthpiece, the best thing to do is to go to as many music stores as you can possibly get to (if you have to drive 2-3 hours to get to one and they have more mouthpieces than the stores near you, do it) and try as many different mouthpieces as possible. If you try a Selmer C* in one store, and then you go to another store, try the C* there too. If a store has two C* mouthpieces, try both of them because even though the mouthpieces are mass produced, there are changes from mouthpiece to mouthpiece that can make the "exact same" mouthpiece play differently. As you try mouthpieces, take notes on the sound and the way you play on it. If you don't like the sound, obviously note that you didn't like "mouthpiece X at Store L." Then once you have tried all the mouthpieces you can try, go back and try the top 3 or 5 again. A lot of stores will let you take out the mouthpiece on a brief loaner program, this way you can compare mouthpieces from different stores side by side at the same time. Then once you have done this, you should be able to tell which of the mouthpieces is the one that gets the sound you want. Now you can buy a mouthpiece. This process does take a while, but it is much better than going to one store that has 3 mouthpieces, and saying, eh this one is good enough. I did shopping for a new classical mouthpiece and I took a month of hitting over 10 stores and trying over 30 mouthpieces. I finally bought one that not one person recommended (no one said it was bad, they just didn't even mention it) and it made a huge improvement. If I would have gone with what everyone recommended, I would have hated my sound.

I've put a link below of the difference in mouthpiece facings. It isn't the biggest chart, but it still gives the general idea. You can also search for this yourself and find information.
Good luck

Answer 3

C Star Alto Sax Mouthpiece

Answer 4

If you are playing jazz, i use Eugene Rousseau mouthpieces. Thats all my jazz band used and thats what my band director recommended for us. I would recommend it also. For high school it is good, its not too expensive ( i bought mine brand new for somewhere around $100), and it gives the player alot of control needed at the high school level. When you use it it actually makes you play louder yet with more of a sharp edge used in like latin feel or swing. I would recommend it for anyone who need to lead a high school jazz band.

I hope this helps you in your quest. You can find them at any schmitt music store. But im sure that your local store can order them.