Mouthpiece Recommendations

A step-up mouthpiece is the best investment a clarinet or saxophone player can make! For roughly $100.00 or so, your students will sound better and play easier than they would if they spent $1000.00 on a new instrument with the same beginner mouthpiece still attached.
It doesn’t have to be too expensive, either. There are plenty of used mouthpieces available on eBay, and you can usually get stuff for ½ the price.
There are many brands out there, but I almost always prefer Vandoren:

- they are VERY consistent (if you break one, you can replace it easily), quality control is great

- easy to find manufacturer specifications in case you want to compare

- a few general models can get you started, but they have lots of modified mouthpieces for somebody looking for more details

- relatively inexpensive, and easy to find used on eBay

Clarinet
Fobes Debut

These are hand-finished mouthpieces and they play great. A perfect choice for somebody looking for something new right between the Yamaha 4C and a Vandoren; the Debut is roughly $50.00.

Vandoren M15

Just open enough to play loud but closed enough to play controlled

Vandoren B45

Tthe universal choice for years, and lots of cheap ones on eBay!

***Vandoren M13

A little too closed tip for some students, but very easy to find used

Bass Clarinet
Vandoren B45

A good middle-of-the-road choice

***Fobes Nova

Another hand-finished mouthpiece, but less expensive than most others.

Alto Saxophone
Vandoren Optimum AL3

A great classical mouthpiece, but a little too closed off if your student is playing for marching band or jazz band.

Vandoren Optimum AL4

A little bigger than the AL3, this works well for concert band but plays well enough for most students in a jazz band as well.

Vandoren V16 A5 (medium chamber)
This is Vandoren’s version of the classic Meyer mouthpiece that guys like Cannonball Adderley and Phil Woods played, but a more way more consistent.
Tenor Saxophone
Vandoren Optimum TL3

This closely resembles the Selmer C* but much more consistent.

Vandoren Optimum TL4

This is a bit more open and plays a little bigger, if you actually need more volume from your tenor saxophones!

Baritone Saxophone
Yamaha 5C

Honestly, this plays great, and you can’t beat the price at $40.00! The Vandoren equivalent is $220.00 and your bari players are always the first to break their mouthpieces anyway, right?

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