Time to upgrade

[Blank21]

I am a freshman in high school marching band and my band director told me i need to upgrade my mouthpiece and reeds. Does anyone have any reccommendations for a mouthpiece and reed strength. Thanks

[king koeller]

A beginner in 4th, 5th and 6th grade should be using 2 1/2's
Once a kid gets into 7th and 8th they should be ready for 3's, all the way into high school.
Once the student progresses to an advanced level, 12th grade, or early college, they are ready for 3.5's or even 4's.
But all this depends on their chops, and also their mouthpiece tip opening.
Let us not forget the style of music being performed,
Marching band demands a bigger fuller sound than inside concert performance.
For you, on Alto, I would use a Meyer 6M and 3's.
For me I would use a Morgan Jazz 7M and Javas 3 1/2's.
Good Luck

[Blank21]

i use 3s

[fballatore]

Is that all he said to you? He threw that out and didn't give you any suggestions? There's like a million mouthpieces out there! I'd go back and ask why he said that to you. Are you not getting the sound he's looking for? Is your old piece falling apart? Are you too loud, too soft? Too much edge, not enough? At least ask him which direction he suggests you head in. Also, in order for anyone here to make any suggestions, we need to know about you. Have you been playing since you were 5? Did you just start? Are you a prodigy? A pure beginner? What kind of horn? What do you like to play? How do you like to play? So many questions, so little time...

[Blank21]

i also do concert band so what mouthpieces would work best for both marching and concert.

[Blank21]

I have been playing 5 years...i play alot of jazz and classical

[Fred]

The conventional wisdom on alto is a C* for classical and a Meyer (5-6) as a good first step on jazz. And 1001 other choices if those don't suit you. What mp are you playing now? Are you using one mp for both venues currently?

[asaxman]

The Meyer, and the Morgan, mentioned above are JAZZ mouthpieces, and great ones! I think, however, for classical music, you should check out Selmer C*, Vandoren AL3, Rousseau NC4, or a Morgan 3C. Just my opinion!!!

[Dave Dolson]

I'll take exception to a graduating scale of reed-strength from #2's to #3.5's or 4's comment. Reed strength is no indicator of improvement, aging, or embouchure development.

Every player is different; there is no one-size-fits-all in mouthpieces or reeds. It ALL depends on the individual player's embouchure and tonal concepts.

I've been playing for 50 years and use #2 reeds that I shave down. I don't play into microphones and can make myself heard (or blend with the ensemble as required) and I don't need to increase my reed-strength to do that.

I agree with Fred - you need some better direction from your band director, or at least someone else who is knowledgeable in saxophone playing. It may help us to know what type of horn you are playing, what brand/model, and mouthpiece/reed set-up you use. It well may be time for some changes, but the cheapest route would be reeds first, changing brands, learning how to adjust them, and experimenting with strengths.

My grandson is 16 and plays alto saxophone in his high school bands (jazz and marching). He uses Vandoren Java 2 and one of my old Meyer 6S-Medium Chamber pieces on a Yanagisawa 880. He sounds good. DAVE

[Fred]

Dave is absolutely correct - reed strength means absolutely nothing outside of the context of the mouthpiece which is being played. You always select the APPROPRIATE reed for the mouthpiece you choose. It might be a 2; or it might be a 4 depending on the mouthpiece . . . but you never dictate reed strength as a factor outside of the mouthpiece selection.

[ZenBen]

The conventional wisdom on alto is a C* for classical and a Meyer (5-6) as a good first step on jazz. And 1001 other choices if those don't suit you. What mp are you playing now? Are you using one mp for both venues currently?


Not only is the Meyer a good first step, but you might not ever need to buy another mouthpiece again no matter how advanced you become.

[Martinman]

Not only is the Meyer a good first step, but you might not ever need to buy another mouthpiece again no matter how advanced you become.


Same with the C*

[Blank21]

i have been playing bari and tenor over the past 3 years if that means anything.

[Fred]

That really doesn't change anything - the C* and the Meyer are still good, logical first steps (though we don't know what you are playing now. What are you playing?) And by first step, I don't necessarily mean first step on a long journey - I mean that those are tried and true mp's with widespread popularity on ALTO (not tenor) and they are popular for a reason. So try them and see if they do it for you. Don't forget to bring an assortment of reeds in different strengths.

[ZenBen]

That really doesn't change anything - the C* and the Meyer are still good, logical first steps (though we don't know what you are playing now. What are you playing?) And by first step, I don't necessarily mean first step on a long journey - I mean that those are tried and true mp's with widespread popularity on ALTO (not tenor) and they are popular for a reason. So try them and see if they do it for you. Don't forget to bring an assortment of reeds in different strengths.

100% agreed. Just want to make sure that the Meyer mouthpieces are not thought of as intermediate pieces. I wish I could have followed my own advice. My first non classical teacher suggested that i get a Meyer. It took me fifteen years, but I finally got one and haven't changed since. (and that was a while ago)

[king koeller]

A beginner in 4th, 5th and 6th grade should be using 2 1/2's
Once a kid gets into 7th and 8th they should be ready for 3's, all the way into high school.
Once the student progresses to an advanced level, 12th grade, or early college, they are ready for 3.5's or even 4's.
But all this depends on their chops, and also their mouthpiece tip opening.
Let us not forget the style of music being performed,
Marching band demands a bigger fuller sound than inside concert performance.
For you, on Alto, I would use a Meyer 6M and 3's.
For me I would use a Morgan Jazz 7M and Javas 3 1/2's.
Good Luck
I stand by what i said.
A number 2 reed is just not going to sound good on a small tipped plastic student mouthpiece.
Again let me state, it all depends on their chops, and their mouthpiece tip opening.
Also, it's marching band, not inside concert band performance. He needs a mouthpiece that will give him a big full sound. Like a jazz piece.
The progression in reed strength is a direct result of the embouchure muscles getter stronger and more developed.
It's not to be seen as a competitive "I'm better than you " way of thinking.
Some students have this mind set.
If 2's work for you, great,
They have never and will never work for me, both as a student or as a 37 year pro.
I want my students to experiment with different strengths.
IMO, we really don't know this person, or have the facts to help them out.
But a good mouthpiece is the first place to start.

[J.Max]

You know...I have a good solution for this kid. Get a good private teacher and ask him/her. The problem is that we don't have enough info to go on. There are literally millions of combinations here, and we don't know anything about your playing. (Embrouchure, type of horn, ability level, etc.)

The middle of the road choices would be the Selmer S-80 C* or Vandoren AL3 for classical and concert playing and a Meyer 5M or Rousseau SJ6 for jazz. (Either works for marching bband) But guess what? We can't really make an assessment without hearing and seeing you play.