Mouthpieces! How to pick them and what's right for you!

Questions about how to pick a mouthpiece or about which mouthpiece you should play in certain settings? The Schmitt Music Saxophone Shop staff talk through their own mouthpiece journeys and give tips and advice on how to choose the mouthpiece that's best for you!

[@thomascousins9150]

I've tried a lot of mouthpieces but for tenor I always come back to my Morgan 6L and it works for all the different kinds of music. My second choice is the Selmer short shank C**. Do you have any opinions yourselves about the Morgan mouthpieces?

[@jontonkin6291]

good information..thanks..ive got a draw full of tenor pieces...that ive bought over the years...ive wasted a lot of money..i finally settled on a 5*..jody jazz..hard rubber..works well..

[@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451]

Thanks! I also have a drawer full of tenor pieces. :)

[@Adv1nator]

From what I've learned, the only way is to buy a whole bunch and hold on to them. You can never have enough.

[@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451]

Yeah, that's been my strategy throughout the years, for good or bad. :)

[@javierm_uk1588]

Thanks for the video. After about 14 months of playing I've given a try to two alto mpcs on the cheap side. They seem to have different benefits on my playing. What would you prioritize at this stage, tone or ease of playing. With one of them I actually play better, but with the other one I think I sound marginally better. (Both are .070/5* opening)

[@davefstrong]

Thank you for the question - it's a good one, and something that I've thought about a lot over the years. I think the answer is that it's a balance. I've had pieces that were very easy to play, but I didn't love the tone, and pieces that were a lot of work to play, but I loved how they sounded. In the end, I didn't end up sticking with either. I think a good mouthpiece has a decent amount of resistance, which allows you to shape the tone, without being difficult to play. Too far down either path will probably leave you unhappy in some way. Is that answer vague enough for you? :)
That being said, you're at 14 months of playing, so I'd lean slightly towards a setup that plays easily for you, especially if they're close. You'll be able to steer the sound and resistance quite a bit with just the reed choice, and hopefully the easier setup is because it's a little more efficient for you. What are the two mouthpieces?

[@javierm_uk1588]

@@davefstrong thanks for the brilliant reply. The more resistant one with possibly slightly better tone is the Otto Link Tone Edge 5*. The free blowing one is a Windy city Woodwinds Jazz classic (yes, a 3d printed MPC). The latter is very much compared to a Meyer. (I suspect its design is trying to imitate it). With both mpcs I've noticed a BIG improvement over my previous beginner Yamaha 4C.

[@davefstrong]

@@javierm_uk1588 Cool! Yeah, I bet either of those would work well - it's such a personal thing what you like better! Thanks again!

[@dynoroad]

If I were you, I would also experiment with wider tip openings coupled with softer reeds. I think one mistake many players do is that they play it safe when they upgrade their mouthpiece, and find that they quickly "outgrow" it. That's what happened when I upgraded the first time. I ended up having to play harder reeds very quickly to get a good dynamic range, but that made the sound too focused and not "buzzy" enough for my taste. A lot of professionals play on bigger tip openings with softer reeds, and that accounts for a lot of the "buzz" in their tones. Examples of that would be David Sanborn, Everette Harp, Eric Marienthal.

[@jackcraven7979]

My alto sounds flat wether in tune or not it doesn't sound like a saxophone at all my embrouchure is good no leaks could it be reed?

[@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451]

It could be reeds, mouthpiece, or the voicing on your embouchure. How long have you been playing? It can sound like that for a while as you get used to playing.

[@jackcraven7979]

@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 2 months 1hr a day teacher said reed strength too low so that means progress yay what u think good alto under 2000

[@ChrisF_1982]

Try tuning it to a piano rather than the tuner. I'm not very tech savvy, but it seems fair to reason that your tuner could be off.

[@klaytyson759]

How can you tell the difference between a jazz mouthpiece and a classic mouthpiece

[@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451]

There are quite a few differences! The two biggest things would be a wider tip opening, and more baffle (a squeezed down part in the mouthpieces to speed up the air).

[@SaxSith]

Is Dave high ?!😅

[@wildman166]

Nice video , but Dave let Kegan speak some ?

[@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451]

Yeah, my bad. (Dave) I guess I talked more than I realized. :) Thanks for the feedback.