Alto Sax???

am currently playing on a alto saxophone finishing up my 3rd year. I have a Amati and i%26#039;m playing on a 31/2 vandoren reed. It%26#039;s not hard playing on it but i get out of breath playing low noted quickly. My mouthpiece is really old and i really could use another one. I%26#039;m not sure what type it is now but it says amati and a #5. When i play a hissing noise like a snake also appears which gets annoying. What type of mouthpiece do you recomend . I want a quality one under 100. And do you recomend i go to a sofer reed? How can i get the hissing noise out?Thanks!
Alto Sax???
Sorry, I have no answer for this becase I%26#039;ve only played alto sax for a year and I%26#039;m having the same problem: hitting the lower notes, like the low C and D.
Alto Sax???
hardness of your reed should be determined by how long you have been playing, what mouthpiece and ligature you have (particularly table %26amp; facing). there are some mouthpieces that demand a softer reed because they are so open.


i strongly suggest that you work on long tones in the low register, make sure your embouchure is solid-not slack!





a C* mouthpiece is an excellent choice, but i strongly advise you to take your instrument to a reputable music store and play it with any new mouthpiece that you are thinking of purchasing.





also; has your current teacher taught you anything about choosing reeds? the vandoren reed boxes used to come with a nice little data sheet explaining the difference between good reeds and mediocre ones.
Reply:Yea that noise is probably because your reed not fully connecting with the mouthpiece. I reccomend getting a 2 1/2 or 3 reed, don%26#039;t rush yourself on moving up on reeds, it%26#039;s better to play on a soft one when you are just beggining and you can actulally get a better tone with the softer ones (if they are better suited to you and easier for you to play). I%26#039;d reccomend a meyer 5 or 6 mouthpiece for jazz and a selmer C* (star) for other music. So, try a softer reed, (i%26#039;d reccomend 2 1/2 since youve only been playin for 3 yrs). If that dosn%26#039;t help bring your sax in for a tune up, there might be a leak.