Mouthpieces Beginner mouthpiece (again): Yamaha vs Vandoren vs PPT?

Which mouthpiece for me/beginner on my Yamaha YAS-26 (for now)?

  • Yamaha 4C for next few months

    Votes: 7 77.8%
  • Try the Vandoren AL3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • PPT 5*

    Votes: 2 22.2%
  • PPT 6*

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    9

phdezra

Member
7
Hi all.

I am a relatively new 30-something alto sax player (my son is 9 and he is taking lessons with me as well--he is much faster at picking things up!!). I can play fairly well (for a beginner :rofl:) and am using a Yamaha YAS-26 with Hemke or Vandoren 2.0 reeds. All sounds fine and learning scales, etc. I've got the fingering downpat pretty good for C and G scales.

Now I'm wondering about my Yamaha 4C mouthpiece. I played the clarinet (briefly) at one point, and used a Vandoren mouthpiece, so I will borrow/try a Vandoren AL3 alto sax mouthpiece (I liked their optimum ligature on my E11 clarinet, though I ended up using Rovner Versa quite a bit).

But my real question is that I am willing to try a PPT. Would a 5* be most appropriate for a beginner. I focus on more classical and, frankly, LEARNING to play than I can say "I'm a swanky jazz player" at this point. I do not want a PPT 5* to make things more complicated. Would a 6* make me sound totally different (in a bad way)?

One more question: any thoughts on Ishimori ligature? Right now I have a Rovner Versa which suits me quite well. My sons has the typical Yamaha metal ligature, and frankly, to a beginner, it seems like a very minor difference at this stage.... but I've head all this ooh and aaaah over Ishimori, so curious if anyone had thoughts on that too.

Thought and advice appreciated. :gathering:
 
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Quick follow-up... if I get the PPT 5*, which ligature? I cant seem to find a place on here there they are in stock, so no use having a mouthpiece if I have no ligature to fit it...? Am I missing something?
 
I'm a s****y jazz player
Sleazy? 😉

I expect someone more knowledgeable than me will be along with better informed advice, but what I'd say is, if you're getting onm OK with the 4C, why change it? A PPT would make things more complicated as it's capable of a wider variety of sounds. I'd hold off until you think that's a desirable thing, rather than a troublesome thing.
 
We seem to have this discussion a bit recently, I was always fascinated by the different claims made for the various mouthpieces that are already or new on the market. I started as most people do with a "student" saxophone with a "student" mouthpiece, found my feet for the first year using that equipment, then on a whim went into a shop and tried other mouthpieces on my "student" horn, revelation time, out of all the fancy stuff a beat-up old Vandoren seemed to make a lot of difference, notes clearer, wider range, more flexible.

I've tried lots of mouthpieces since then, some good, but most didn't suit, I'm very happy with what I play at the moment but who knows.

My point being it's a very personal thing, it's what you feel (and to some extent your tutor) is the right one for you.

There are quite a few variables playing the sax but my humble opinion is the lig is one of the lesser.

I do appreciate that you may not live close to a place where you can try these things, if that is your situation it must be hard but a visit to somewhere with a large selection is well worth the time invested.
 
Stick with the Yamaha, consistent and a great "base" to work from. It is the best and most popular "starter" mpc in my opinion and you can move on from it in different ways.
 
The most important thing about a mouthpiece when starting out, imo, is that it's easy to play. There's plenty to learn and concentrate on when you're starting out without being distracted by controlling and wrestling the mouthpiece. Playing in tune with feeling on a mouthpiece under control will always sound better than some out of tune honking and moaning on an expensive vanity item. The mouthpiece will not make you a better player. The wrong mouthpiece will hold you back though.

Bear in mind that you have the most effect on the sound, not the mouthpiece. You will have your own distinctive sound. Further down the road a certain mouthpiece may help you to direct your sound the way you want it to go. This will be personal to you and the particular instrument you're playing. What works on one instrument may not work on another instrument. So what worked in the past, on a clarinet, will most probably be irrelevant for the saxophone.

The ligature has the job of holding the reed. On a mouthpiece in perfect condition any ligature that does the job will do the job. On some old and worn or poorly machined mouthpieces, there may be imperfections including the table not being flat. Different styles of ligature may accommodate these anomalies in the mouthpiece more successfully than others and I believe this is what is being reported when players find a noticeable difference when trying different ligatures. Plastic pieces seem to be pretty consistent, so fit and ease of use should be your deciding criteria for the Yamaha.

It's very tempting to buy expensive kit. The most important piece of kit can't be bought. It has to be earned. That'll be your chops.

If you feel you have more to give than the Yamaha allows then it may be time to move on.
 
If like me you fancy simply trying a mouthpiece with a wider tip try a Yamaha 6C. It has a bigger gap ( See http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/winds/mouthpieces/woodwind/saxophones_series/?mode=series#tab=PD5115636) will give you a different sound and you will find out if it is the way you want to go with out spending tons of money. That is what I did and like the 6C.
You might find it easier with a softer reed, but I just carried on with my Rico 2.
 
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