How to choose the tip opening of your saxophone mouthpiece

Style, level, comfort: the complete guide to finding the right opening… for you.

Why is choosing the mouthpiece opening so important for a saxophonist?

The mouthpiece is the main interface between you and your sound.
I often call it the “vocal cords” of the saxophone: it’s what transforms your breath into vibration, and then into music.

Among all the mouthpiece parameters, the opening is one of the most decisive.

An opening adapted to your style, level, and physiology can radically transform:

your sound
your playing comfort
your enjoyment of playing

On the other hand, a poorly chosen opening can slow your progress, limit your expressiveness, or cause fatigue and tension.

As a refacing artisan and custom mouthpiece maker, I regularly advise musicians of all levels. Here are some keys to understanding what the right opening is… for you.

The Mouthpiece Opening: What Is It?

The opening is the distance between the tip of the mouthpiece and the tip of the reed when it is placed on the mouthpiece.

It is generally indicated:

by numbers (6, 7, 8…)
or by letters (C*, D, E…)
depending on the brand.

The larger the opening:

wider and more powerful sound
more harmonic richness
👉 but requires more air, control, and technique

The smaller the opening:

easier, more stable, and comfortable playing
more immediate pitch
👉 but the sound can sometimes be more centered or limited depending on the desired style

Which opening to choose according to your level?

🟢 Beginner or student

Goal: control, ease of playing, clean sound
Recommended openings: small openings

🔵 Intermediate or advanced amateur

Goal: broaden tone, assert your personal sound
Recommended openings: small to medium
⚠️ Be sure to choose a reed strength adapted to the new opening. Increasing the opening generally requires a slightly softer reed.

🔴 Advanced, professional, or sound-focused player

Goal: power, nuance, personal sound signature
Opening: all openings are possible, from small to very open.
The saxophone’s personal sound becomes the priority, and the opening helps define it.

Which opening to choose according to music style?

There are no limitations on opening depending on the style of music — everything is possible.

That said, certain styles are traditionally played with certain openings:

Classical music: almost exclusively with small openings
Funk – Fusion – Rock – Electro – DJ: generally medium-plus to large openings
Jazz – pop – world music – variety – Latin – other styles: all openings are used

Do certain mouthpiece types require specific openings?

Yes… and no.

It depends on:

your technique
your air support
the type of chamber and baffle of the mouthpiece

👉 General rule:

Small-chamber or high-baffle mouthpieces handle larger openings more easily
Large-chamber mouthpieces often require more control at the same opening

Example:
If you play a 7* on a large-chamber Florida-style mouthpiece, you may feel similar comfort with an 8 on a high-baffle MB1-style mouthpiece.

How to change openings: smoothly, without forcing

Some saxophonists contact me feeling lost about their opening:

“I’ve been playing a Selmer S90 190 tenor mouthpiece for 3 years. I switched to an Otto Link 7 for jazz and I can’t play it…”

This is normal: moving from a 4* to a 7 is too big a jump. A 5* or equivalent would be a more realistic first step.

👉 My advice: only increase by 1 or 2 openings at a time.
Beyond that, you will need to change reed strength or model, and adjust your embouchure and air support.

What if no standard opening suits you?

It often happens that a player finds:

the 6* too closed
the 7 too open

👉 I can create ultra-precise intermediate openings, for example:

6** = 2.48 mm
or even 2.42 / 2.44 / 2.46 mm if necessary

This allows a gradual, comfortable, and controlled progression without disrupting your playing habits.

Why you may not have the mouthpiece you think you do

These differences are due to manufacturing variations, sometimes significant, depending on the company.
There can be noticeable differences between two mouthpieces that appear identical on paper: same brand, same model, same marked opening.

Many musicians tell me:

“I have an Otto Link metal tenor 7 that I love, but when I try another, it feels completely different…”

I’ve even measured a mouthpiece marked 6* that actually measured 2.74 mm, almost an 8.
The musician had been playing a very open mouthpiece for years… without realizing it.

This is not rare. The marked opening and the real measured opening can differ significantly, depending on manufacturing tolerances and quality control by the brand or artisan.

Most saxophonists play for years without ever checking their actual opening.
This is usually not a problem — until you need to replace the mouthpiece, or want the same comfort after it breaks or is lost.

👉 My advice: have your current mouthpiece measured by a professional.
It’s the best way to know your true comfort opening, understand why some “equivalent” mouthpieces don’t work for you, and make informed choices in the future.

👉 I offer this service — feel free to contact me.

C*, 7, D6M, T75… How to make sense of openings?

First, one important thing:
👉 There are different opening designation systems, be careful!

The most widely used designation and the main reference among professional mouthpiece artisans is Otto Link, which is also the system I use at Les Becs d’Autan.

However, not all brands use the same designation system — many have created their own — which makes it confusing for saxophonists.

👉 My tip: always compare openings in millimeters or inches to avoid confusion.

Example: tenor mouthpieces labeled “7”

Several mouthpieces labeled “7” have very different real openings:

Otto Link 7 = 2.54 mm (designation used by Les Becs d’Autan)
Vandoren V16 T7 ≈ 2.70 mm (more open than 7* Otto Link!)
Dukoff D7 ≈ 2.67 mm (= 7* Otto Link)
D’Addario D7M ≈ 2.67 mm (= 7* Otto Link)
Gottsu Sepia Tone VI 7 ≈ 2.50 mm (less than 7 Otto Link!)
Gottsu HL & Jazz Metal 7 ≈ 2.40 mm (= Otto Link 6!)
Meyer 7M ≈ 2.18 mm (slightly more than Otto Link 5)

Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Opening Chart

The first two highlighted rows allow you to see the real openings in mm or inches for each mouthpiece.

Custom Craftsmanship: I Help You Find Your Ideal Mouthpiece

I can:

Measure your current mouthpiece and tell you its real opening
Give you advice on how to progress according to your playing
Create an ultra-precise intermediate opening
Adjust an existing mouthpiece to improve comfort
Make a new, custom mouthpiece tailored to your breath, sound preference, and reeds… based on the mouthpieces you’ve played before

Need personalized advice?
I’ll be happy to help: https://lesbecsdautan.com/en/contact-mouthpiece-dautan/