Why change the mouthpiece?
Why indeed! and if you get it wrong you'll regret you ever tried and the money you wasted on the new one. The mouthpieces that come supplied with a new instrument are usually reasonably good and will get you through the starting few years. They are designed to be mid range, mid everything really so that the beginning player does not have to struggle with any extremes. These mouthpieces will allow you to do some vibrato, lip slur, waling and huskiness but at the same time cradle the beginner from too much harm!
When might you consider a change?
It is often the teacher who recommends a change when he/she senses that the existing mouthpiece is preventing the pupil from developing a better, more sophisticated sound. You might be looking for a different timbre (such as a darker sound, or louder, or thinner, or easier tuning , or easier at the top/bottom etc). What is clear about this stage is that it is important you go to shop with some idea about what sound you are looking for and then share that with the assistant.
Where would you go to buy a new mouthpiece?
There are not that many shops that carry a decent stock of mouthpieces and you really do need to try quite a few to find the right one for you. I have used Howarth's in Chiltern Street many times and I have heard good things about Sax.co.uk which has a base in Sussex. (I would be delighted to publicise other shops if they want to get in touch.)
So I'm in the shop - what now?
I hope you remembered to take your sax (!). Take some reeds as well though, hopefully the shop will talk to you about the sensitive relationship between the reed and the mouthpiece and let you try out some different ones. (Different reeds have very different characteristics and it is important to be open minded about this. Personally I spent many years hating and avoiding a particular brand/type only to find the current mouthpiece I use works best with that reed.)
Tell the assistant some details about your playing, like how long you have been learning, what sound you would like to make (name a famous player perhaps) what problems you are experiencing at the moment and what reeds you favour and why. If the assistant is just the 'Saturday boy/girl' then find someone who knows what they are talking about.
The shop will give you a space to go and blow the new mouthpieces to your hearts content and compare them. The mouthpieces they give you will all have a 'saver' pad stuck to the beak which, if you are not used to it, will make it feel quite different. If you haven't yet used a saver pad ( a soft piece of rubber that prevents your teeth from actually touching the beak) then this might the time to start using one. But bear in mind it will feel different and you won't be able to take it off until you have bought the mouthpiece.
Some tips
Take your time. A new mouthpiece will do several things to your playing. You need to check out how hard the reed now feels and possibly ask for a different strength. Play the very bottom notes - how easy are they now compared to your old mouthpiece? Same with the very high notes. Check your tuning; play an A in the upper register and see how much you can bend it up and down. Try to make the sound you think you are looking for, how does it respond?
Keep going back to the old mouthpiece and as you do so take time to reflect on the differences. You'll be learning all the time.
Technical stuff
I'm not going to launch into an analysis of the technical side of the various parameters that change which each different type and #number of mouthpiece. I would advise, however, to avoid mouthpieces that are at the extreme ends of the scale - the very open or very narrow - unless you really know what you are doing. I played a Lawton 8 (very wide) for a while and although it made a wonderful sound, it was very hard work and my lip would become weak after about 20 mins. I then changed to a Otto Link 6* which made almost a good as sound but with a quarter of the work. If you feel that you have a good knowledge of mouthpieces you would like to share with the readers of this blog then do comment.
Let me know how you get on.
Andy
