Klarinet Archive - Posting 000203.txt from 1995/03

From: David Brewer <dbrewer@-----.EDU>
Subj: Mouthpiece question for any sax players out there...
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 16:07:07 -0500

I recently became the lead alto player in my college's jazz ensemble. I
have been using a Meyer 5M hard rubber mouthpiece, but my director would
like me to switch to something with 'more projection'. He suggests a
metal mouthpiece.

Well, I've started catalog shopping and I am soon going to order some
mouthpieces from The Woodwind to try them out. However, I am so far
mostly clueless as to which to order. I am leaning towards the Meyer
metal jazz mouthpieces, simply because I like the Meyer I am using now.
However, I'm unsure about the following:

1) Chamber size -- I'm using a medium now. What kind of differences am I
going to see if I switch to a small (I assume that a smaller chamber
offers better projection... am I mistaken)?

2) Facing -- I'm using a 5 now, with Rico Royal 3 reeds. I am assuming
that a more open facing will allow me to get more vibration and therefore
more volume... but I am not sure how big a difference one level of change
can make. And of facing and chamber size, which makes a bigger
difference?

3) Other brands -- I had an instructor at a jazz workshop who recommended
the Meyer hard rubber mouthpieces, but he never mentioned their metals --
are these, generally speaking, good mouthpieces? (I realize this is a highly
subjective question) And does anyone out there swear by some other
mouthpiece brand that I should try as well?

Just running on assumptions (I seem to be doing that a lot in this post),
I will probably order three Meyer metal mouthpieces to try out. Because
I am assuming that small chamber = projection, I am considering making
those three a 5S, 6S, and 7S so I can see exactly what kind of difference
facing makes. Is this a wise decision, or would I be better off varying
chamber size as well?

Any responses would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

David Brewer
dbrewer@-----.edu

P.S. -- Thanks to everyone who sent me information about Yamaha clarinets
when I was shopping around -- it was extremely helpful. Although I never
bought a clarinet, I did end up buying a Yamaha sax!