[person]

I have been playing the saxophone for almost two years since the beginning of high school and i struggled a lot in the beginning to get rid of the airy sound. One day, I found a very beat up mouthpiece in the mouthpiece bin and decided to used it (after disinfecting it) because I had left mine at home. The sound was much clearer (which surprised me quite a bit) and although it took me some getting used to, the next year I was able to play at the same level as the others. Unfortunately, this mouthpiece is very beat up, and I've started to notice that the sound quality is slowly deteriorating. I put my old mouthpiece back on, and noticed how small(?) it felt in comparison. I wasn't able to make a good sound, and I'm not sure what is happening.
Is there a problem with the mouthpiece I bought? (it's from cosmo music)
Does the size (circumference) of the mouthpiece make it easier? And if it does, should I be trying to play the harder mouthpiece, or a more comfortable one?

 

[JayeLID]

Well....my suggestion would be....is there a music shop anywhere near you where you can try out mouthpieces ( a bit challenging in covid times, but maybe there is ?).

Neither mouthpiece you mention seems to be of any reputed brand or model...and if you are relatively new to the sax, as you are, you probably at some point should have been directed by someone (band teacher ?) to buy a good, inexpensive starter mounthpiece...such as a Yamaha 4C or 5C, a Bari Esprit, a Fobes Debut, or something like that. These are all under $35.

The likelihood is the TIP OPENING of that old mouthpiece and the cosmo one are not the same and they might be significantly different....which would cause a lot of problems and is not of benefit to you to switch back and forth.

Exterior dimension of the mouthpiece matters little...what matters more for a student is the precision and consistency of the fabrication, and the tip opening dimension. IOW, decent fabrication = the table and rails are somewhat precise, they aren't significantly uneven or unlevel or any of that stuff, which could really knock out the performance of a mouthpiece.

It is hard to tell...from your post, whether the problems you have been having is a result of a small tip opening or the result of a mouthpiece with inconsistent table and rail elements due to either damage or how it was made.

IF there are no shops nearby where you can try out a mouthpiece....I'd suggest buying a couple online (some I listed above) and seeing which you liked better. A good likelihood if you bought any one of those three...it'd serve you quite well at your stage. If the first one didn't float your boat, the second purchase likely would...and you'd still only be out $50ish, not too bad for a quick mouthpiece search....

The other thing could be....have you tried different strength reeds with both mouthpieces ?

Also, if what you produced on the old mouthpiece used to be better, and it was easier to play and now it isn't, is it possible you are just not switching to a new reed in a timely fashion ? A tired reed can really bugger a player....

Lastly, if everything used to be 'easier' but now it is getting harder to blow good, clean notes....it's possible it could also be that the horn needs a servicing . When was the last time it was serviced ?

 

[Rumbabajabba]

I would say definitely play.the more comfortable one. Do you know what brand it is? Is it metal, plastic, hard rubber? How would you say it is deteriorating?

 

[person]

The reason why I was confused is that although the old mouthpiece is very battered and slightly chipped in the corners, it still makes sounds (although not very nice ones) that are better than the other mouthpiece from cosmo. After reading what you wrote, I compared the two and they both seem relatively similar.

old unknown brand:
2mm tip opening
circular baffle (not 100% sure, but slightly curved)
bigger chamber (it's a strange shape, almost like a rounded square/trapezoid/oval)

cosmo:
2mm tip opening
straight baffle
smaller circle chamber

 

[skeller047]

Photos might help us to help you. It’s hard to visualize the interior of the piece from your description.

FWIW, 2mm tip opening is about 0.080”, which is a 5 opening (using Otto Link sizing). That makes sense for a student mouthpiece, or even an old pro one.

There is a lot more to what makes a good playing mouthpiece than tip opening and baffle, and old beaten up mouthpieces are always suspect. However, chipped corners may not affect playability, especially if part of the flat rail where the reed fits is still there.

JayeLID’s list of pieces to try is good. A Yamaha 5C is a good place to start.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Wonko]

Unfortunately, this mouthpiece is very beat up, and I've started to notice that the sound quality is slowly deteriorating. I put my old mouthpiece back on, and noticed how small(?) it felt in comparison. I wasn't able to make a good sound, and I'm not sure what is happening.

Let me suggest something absurd....
You are using a new reed from time to time I hope? Because the slowly deterioration makes me think more of a beat up reed than problems with the mouthpiece.
....
I know it is a silly thing to suggest, but a colleague of mine that played the clarinet in a marching band reacted very strange when I told him I was getting new reeds because the old ones that had worn out. He only changed his when it was chipped or broken. He had played about 2 years on the reed he was playing then.