How to Play Great: A Guide from an Amateur Player

Hello everybody! Today's guide entry will discuss my favorite mouthpiece for beginner saxophone players. I hope you enjoy, and remember, if you have any suggestions for this series, please email me!

It (might be) every kid's dream. The chance to join the ranks of musicians and become a prodigy! You have finally convinced your parents to buy you the coolest instrument ever, a saxophone! You love watching the Simpson's, and Lisa heavily influenced your musical career. Now it's time to start playing the sax! But wait, aren't you missing something? Oh yes, a mouthpiece! A mouthpiece, for all of you who might not know, is a plastic/metal/hardened rubber item that is put on the cork end of your saxophone. It is what you put your reed and ligature on and what you put in your mouth in order to produce a sound. The music store suggests you buy a mouthpiece called a Selmer C*. They tell you it is the best. After your parents get over the initial shock of how such a small item can cost $200, they eventually decide to buy it for you. But did they make the right choice or were you just conned?

In my opinion, the Selmer S-80 C* is the mouthpiece for beginners. Many band directors will require their students to all use the same mouthpiece and this is usually it. After getting over the price of this mouthpiece, many are pleasantly surprised how good it is. It is recommended to many beginners because of it's ease to play. I have a personal experience as a beginner with one of these and can guarantee that these are way better than the mouthpiece your student sax came with (unless of course you got a Selmer which came with a C*). It is very easy to produce a good tone on this mouthpiece and will make you sound great in no time! So if you are a student who wants a great mouthpiece, beg your parents to buy you a C*. You won't be disappointed.