How long does an alto saxophone mouthpiece last?

Which Alto saxophone mouthpiece size is right for me?

• Hello. I'm a (going to be) 8th grade alto saxophone player. I rented a mouthpiece from my school, now i don't have a mouthpiece for the rest of my summer. I can play the third ...show more

• Answer:

  I would generally take "advanced" to refer to university level, so I'm far more inclined to guess "intermediate". But advanced/intermediate is very subjective wording, so that doesn't necessarily mean much. It's more about embouchure technique than speed or keying, and the site makes recommendations based on how much, how often, and what style(s) you play. The safer bet would be to go with the smaller/intermediate styles. Taken from that's site's FAQs: http://www.jodyjazz.com/faq.html#q9 "Which tip opening should I play? A wider tip opening (higher numbers or letters) allows for more air to go in the mouthpiece. It takes slightly more air and embouchure strength to make the reed travel the further distance in it's vibrations to opening and closing against the tip of the mouthpiece. Here are some general guidelines to follow when searching for the right tip opening. If you play for less than an hour a day you are probably best off if you stick to the lower numbers. Too large a piece will be difficult too control in the lower registers, it will be difficult to play at soft volumes, you will run out of air too soon and your embouchure will tire out too soon. If you play more than an hour a day you have more options in regards to which tip opening you can play. Larger is not necessarily better. Everyone is different in what feels comfortable. My best advice is to try several different sizes and keep an open mind about what will work best for you. It all comes down to what feel you like. Do you like to bite hard with a strong reed and blow a lot or do you like to play easy and have the sound pop out right away. Of course that's a simplification but I think it's one way to describe the tip opening/facing question. Classical players prefer relatively closed tip openings (low numbers or letters) because of the dark restrained tone that they produce. Jazz players are looking for more sound and vibration out of the reed, partly having to do with the environment of having to compete with louder instruments than in a classical setting. The larger the tip opening (higher numbers or letters) you use, generally the softer the reed you use. If you have a more open tip and you need a darker sound than you can use a harder reed. In other words you can achieve the sound you want through different reed strengths."