C Melody Saxophone - Mouthpieces

Mouthpieces

Dedicated mouthpieces were produced for the C melody saxophone, though these may be hard to find in the 21st century. The C melody has a muted sound when compared to other saxophone types, particularly if an original vintage mouthpiece is used. This made it particularly useful for its originally intended environment of playing in drawing rooms. Vintage mouthpieces often give a C melody saxophone a slightly muffled sound, which may or may not be what the player desires. Some players successfully use a tenor saxophone mouthpiece with their C melody saxophone, though depending on which mouthpiece type is chosen there may be problems regarding the accuracy of intonation, particularly at the upper end of the range. As a result, some experimentation may be required in order to find a tenor mouthpiece which provides accurate intonation across the entire scale. Other players have successfully fitted alto saxophone mouthpieces to their C melody saxophones. As before, some experimentation may be required. With a more modern mouthpiece fitted, a C melody saxophone can lose some of its muted qualities and sound brighter, with more of the sonic power that an alto or tenor saxophone gives. Aquilasax also produce new C melody mouthpieces with a brighter tone producing a stronger resonance. Currently, there are a number of manufacturers producing C melody mouthpieces e.g. Beechler, Ralph Morgan, Runyon, Aquilasax and others.