Hi , This is my first post so you have probably come across this question alot.
My teacher said i should start to look for a new mouthpiece.I play a yamaha 62 alto with a selmer c mouthpiece and vandoran V16 number 3 reeds.I have been (trying) to play for just over 2yrs.I do seem to struggle on the higher notes (they sound a little thin).I love jazz and blues,mellow sounds.I know that half the instrument is inside me and that i must develop my sound But is their a mouthpiece that anyone could recommend to help me develop more.

any thanks in advance.

You've been playing for two years? Stick with the Selmer C, try a different reed, DO NOT BUY A JAZZ MOUTHPIECE, ok i'm off to bed.

Selmer C mouthpieces - nice, but are generally considered "classical" rather than "jazz". I think the V16 reeds are a jazz cut though, so might not really suit the mouthpiece.

If you want to try some different mouthpieces set a fair amount of time, go to a good woodwind shop and ask to try a selection, they should be able to give you some advice. Make sure you have a variety of reeds with you and see if you feel any really help to get the sound you want. Take a tuner with you as well to check intonation over the range of the sax. My impression with mouthpieces is that other than with very different set-ups they don't affect "my" sound that much - I still sound like me. But different mouthpiece/reed/lig combinations can make it easier to sound like me.

Be warned though, you can waste an awful lot of time and money on the mouthpiece trail, and end up with a different but not necessarily better sound. Putting the time into long tone practice could do a lot more to improve your sound than a new mouthpiece.

Thanks for all the advice.
I wasn't so much looking for a jazz mouthpiece, but just a mouthpiece that will aid me to play a little better in the higher register.I have tried vandoran 2,2.5, and now 3s.
I have also tried royal ricos and ricos.I do long note practice and my scales and play for an hour a day in the week and longer at weekends.I also have a lesson once a week.I will gratefully listen to any advice about practice tips and tone ,what artists to listen to, and anything that might be of use.

thanks

With this sort of practice and lesson regime you will make progress, so stick with it.

Books you might want to try and get hold of are The Art of Saxophone Playing by Larry Teal and Developing a Personal Saxophone sound by Dave Liebman.

To be taken only as an opinion:

You probably will struggle to get a mellow jazz sound with a Selmer C mouthpiece, it is a classical mouthpiece with quite a narrow tip opening. With the amount of practice you're doing Vandoren 3 or harder reeds might give a better (but still a classical) sound.

If your teacher thinks it's a good idea to try another mouthpiece, then it probably is, and it's a good idea to ask your teacher for recommendations as to what to try, and where is a good place to try them.

Choosing a saxophone mouthpiece is very much to do with the individual, so it's hard to give advice. I'm not an alto player, but if I somehow got hold of a nice alto (like your YAS 62), mouthpieces I would try out include.

Hard rubber Otto Link, probably a 6* or 7
Selmer soloist with a wider tip opening than the C you're currently playing, maybe an E or F
Possibly a Meyer 6 (although I don't get on with Meyer on tenor)
Maybe a Bari (I quite like these on tenor)
and anything else the seller suggested as a good idea to try

I would have a look at saxophones.co.uk to get an idea of prices and see what they recommend.

Although I have a metal mouthpiece for tenor I'd probably stay clear on alto, mostly due to the smaller diameter.

I'd try Francois Louis ligatures because they've made a difference to my tenor playing and tend to avoid the Rovner / leather Vandoren ligs because for me they don't seem to help with the sound I'm trying to get.

I would take my time and try and find a set-up I think I can work with long term.

I have done a fair amount of experimenting with my tenor set-up, but haven't really altered it for a couple of years now I've found one I'm happy with

'T Sax' is giving you some sound advice here. There are no rights and wrongs. I myself spent lot of time & money years ago experimenting with mouthpiece/reed setup. I have settled down for several years now with Meyer 7M/Vandoren ZZ #3 reed on alto with Francois Louis lig (these are fantastic ligatures). On tenor I use Meyer 8M OR Ponzol Metal 95/Vandoren ZZ 3.5 reed (F.L. lig), Meyer 6M on soprano. I also sometimes use Rico Plasticover reeds for extra brightness in a rock/funk environment.

You have to know WHAT SOUND YOU WANT, and use the setup that enables you to get close. Everyone's lips, teeth, jaw etc are different, so what works for one person may not be right for someone else.

Check out shops that sell secondhand mouthpieces (to save money!).

Generally speaking, a wider tip opening should give you more power at the top end, but if too wide you may find the bottom end more difficult. Also remember that the right reed strength & type for you may vary with different mouthpieces (e.g. wider mouthpiece = softer reed). Remember that the permutations are virtually infinite.

Check out the following link to see the setups used by well-known players:

http://www.du.edu/lamont/Mpce.html

This may help you. Good luck, and KEEP PRACTISING HARD!

Heya,

I ahve a YAS 62 and a selmer C* solist mouthpiece, i find that this is really great. I, like urself have only been playing for 2 years or so and am on diploma and find the sax arrangmentjust good enough to get me through. I to used to use vandoran, but would thoughroully recommend plastic coated reeds. There really great, and dont need too much breakingn in. Give a really mellow sound and last alot longer than normal reads.

hope this helps.

Claire xxx

I have a Selmer D mouthpiece and an 3 varndoren Java reed. I find this works really well for me. I reccommend you should just got to your nerest music shop and try as many mouthpieces as you can. I didnt realise how bad my tone was until i treied a different mouthpiece (before I got the selmer)

I'm looking for another mouthpiece as well - but don't know where I could get one secondhand. Do you know any places in London?
Thanks

Hi Ann,

Howarth's have a large selection of mouthpieces and some secondhand ones (their website lists current stock). I bought my current favourite mouthpiece there and they were happy for me to spend a couple of hours trying some different ones out and gave me some good advice.

Depending on where in London you are you might find Myatt's in Hitchin reasonably easy to get to - I've only been there once - on that occasion they didn't seem to have such a big selection as Howarth's but I know they come highly recommended.