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I get asked the question a lot: Does the mouthpiece really make much of a difference in my sound? The following is my answer:

Saxophone music is extraordinarily diverse. We hear romantic foo-foo smooth saxophone music perfect for embracing our significant other in front of a crackling fire. We can hear clean classical saxophone heard in a symphony orchestra. And then there is the edgy, growling, foot-stomping saxophone heard at a rock & roll concert. In regards to equipment, the variations in a saxophones sound come primarily from the mouthpiece being used.

In many cases the Smooth Jazz, Classical, and Rock saxophone players are using the exact same saxophone. Have you ever heard of a saxophone designed specifically for classical or rock music? I never have. However, a classical musician would never use the same mouthpiece as a Rock & Roll musician, and vice-versa. Different mouthpieces are absolutely required to get such diverse sounds.

We all play a special instrument indeed! No other wind instrument gets such a variety of sound. Not the clarinet (maybe with the exception of Jimmy Guiffre), the flute, or the Oboe! To get the most unique and individual sound possible one must play the saxophone. And how we individualize the saxophones sound is with our mouthpiece!

Because there are so many types of sound to choose from, and these sounds are created in the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece is arguably the most important part of your entire set-up. It is definitely why I got into the industry of working with, and manufacturing, saxophone mouthpieces. It is a huge avenue for creativity…and I like creativity!

So put simply, my answer is YES!

This entry was posted on July 14, 2009 at 6:04 pm and is filed under New Wanne Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.