what kind of mouthpiece?

[jaggtagg7]

like everybody else i need help with picking a mouthpiece...
I started on clarinet first but now mainly play alto sax... 2 yrs.. my instructor said to get a vandoren a20 somthing but i have no clue about the difference of open or close mouth pieces so if u could explaine or direct me to a website to help.. or if u have a suggestion of a type/brand ... also i playin in concert band and marching band at school, and hopefully i will make jazz band next year..... i would apricieate it.. TY
JaggTagg

[tenorman]

well most people start playing on a C* and stubbornly keep on playing it through college and so forth. Personally i hate classical music because it is preplanned and you dont get to put any emotions into it. But i dunno, get a C* to start with, if you hate it, get a Jazz mouthpiece and forget classical :lol:

[Paul Coats]

I am sure your instructor wanted you to have a Vandoren V5 (V5 is the model) A20 (and A20 is the designation for a particular facing). The Vandoren V5 is an excellent concert band/classical mouthpiece, just a little larger than the Selmer S80 C**.

You can check www.vandoren.com and find the sax mouthpieces and facing chart.

I suggest you follow your instructors recommendation.

Later, for jazz band, I would suggest a different mouthpiece just for that purpose. Two popular models that are well priced are the Meyer 6M and my personal recommendation, the Runyon Custom Spoiler 7. These mouthpieces will require a different cut of reed than your classical mouthpiece.

[PhillSmith]

Hey how are you?
I found a good place to start on understanding what part did what on a mouthpiece was www.mouthpieceheaven.com
Has photos of the bits they're talking about too.
Not a bad starting point.